Mets Use Nine Run Fifth To Topple Red Wings
Rochester dropped the first of a three-game set in Syracuse Friday night, 13-2. The Syracuse offense exploded in the first and fifth innings, scoring all 13 runs across both frames. 2B Darren Baker led the Rochester offense, finishing 2-for-4 and scored both of the Red Wing runs in the contest.
Rochester dropped the first of a three-game set in Syracuse Friday night, 13-2. The Syracuse offense exploded in the first and fifth innings, scoring all 13 runs across both frames. 2B Darren Baker led the Rochester offense, finishing 2-for-4 and scored both of the Red Wing runs in the contest. INF/RHP Erick Mejia became the second position player to pitch for Rochester last three games and tossed a clean eighth inning in his first career appearance to keep his ERA at 0.00.
Rochester struck first in the series opener, scratching across a run in the top of the first. Darren Baker started the offense with a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield. He advanced to third on a passed ball and a throwing error, and DH Carter Kieboom worked a walk to put runners on the corners for RF Travis Blankenhorn. The lefty slugger narrowly missed a home run that allowed Baker to score with ease, making it 1-0 Rochester.
Syracuse found a response in their half of the first, racking up four runs to give them a three-run lead heading into the second. CF Rhylan Thomas took the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a single to lead-off the inning for Syracuse. SS Luisangel Acuña replaced Thomas at first when he grounded into a fielder’s choice and proceeded to steal second on the second pitch of the next at-bat. 2B Brett Baty would then walk to put runners on first and second for LF Luke Ritter. The Minnesota native pounded a single through the middle of the infield that brought home Acuña from second, tying the game at one apiece. The next at-bat, RF Carlos Cortes pummeled a 1-1 cutter 396 feet into the right field bleachers for his eighth home run of the season, bringing home Baty and Ritter to give Syracuse a 4-1 lead.
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After three scoreless innings, Syracuse exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth. Rhylan Thomas led off the inning with a double and then Luisangel Acuña reached on a fielding error to put runners on first and third with no outs. Thomas was able to score on an errant throw that also moved Acuña to second and made the score 5-1 Mets. Two batters later, Luke Ritter smoked his second single of the game into center field, which brought Acuña around to score from second. Ritter replaced him at second on the same play courtesy of a throwing error. With a five-run lead and two outs, Syracuse did not stop there as 3B Mike Brosseau roped a double into the right-center field gap. Ritter hustled home to further extend the lead to six runs. The next batter, 1B J.T. Schwartz dropped a single into shallow left field, bringing home Brosseau, pushing the lead to 8-1. Then, DH Austin Allen picked up the third straight two-out hit when he lined a single to left, putting runners on first and second for C Matt O’Neill. The Mets catcher poked a single through the right side that scored Schwartz from second and advanced Allen to third, increasing the Met led to eight.
Thomas became the fifth Met in-a-row to record a two-out hit as his second hit of the inning rolled into center field. Allen trotted home from third to make it 10-1 Syracuse and O’Neill moved to second to put runners on first and second for Acuña. The New York Mets top prospect blooped a single into shallow center field, bringing O’Neill around from second for Syracuse’s seventh run of the inning, which extended the lead to 11-1. With Thomas on second and Acuña on first, Brett Baty worked a walk to load the bases for Luke Ritter. Ritter smoked his second hit of the inning into left, and everyone went station to station as Thomas hurried home, further pushing the Met led to eleven. The final run of the Syracuse half of the fifth came when Acuña scored from third on a wild pitch, ballooning the Mets lead to 13-1.
Rochester found some life in the top of the eighth. Darren Baker pushed a single down the left field line to lead-off the inning. Baker advanced to second on a Travis Blankenhorn groundout and 1B Joey Meneses followed suit with a single into left field. Baker scampered home from second on the play to trim the lead to 13-2.
Down to their last three outs and chasing eleven runs, Rochester went quietly into the night and dropped the series opener, 13-2.
Six Rochester arms were used to cover all eight innings pitched in the contest. RHP Spenser Watkins, in his 17th start of the year, led the way for the Red Wings on the bump. He allowed four earned on three hits across a single inning, while walking one. It was RHP Joan Adon who replaced him in the second and delivered a solid 3.0 innings. Adon, who recently rejoined Rochester after an appearance with the Washington Nationals, both struck out and walked one across his three one-hit frames. He was succeeded by RHP Luis Reyes, who allowed a lone earned run (8 unearned) on eight hits with a lone strike out over 0.2 innings. He was replaced with Connecticut native LHP Tim Cate in the fifth. Cate, in his 1.1 scoreless innings at the mound, allowed a hit, with a strikeout and a walk. RHP Ty Tice took over in the seventh and delivered a hitless inning. Infielder Erick Mejia covered the eighth for the Red Wings and allowed a hit, while striking out and walking one.
Friday night’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to 2B Darren Baker. The University of California product was responsible for the Red Wings only multi-hit performance of the night, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and two runs scored. Against the Mets this season, Baker has picked up 19 hits in 53 at-bats (.358) with a triple, three doubles, eight RBI, seven stolen bases and 10 runs scored.
Rochester looks to get back into the win column and snap a short two-game skid in game two of a short three-game set in Syracuse. Red Wings RHP Jackson Rutledge is scheduled to make his 17th start of the season, and fifth against the Mets. The First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Find the box score attached here.
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