Syracuse outlasts Durham in 1-0, pitchers’ duel of a win on Saturday night

Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets and Durham Bulls played a classic pitchers’ duel on Saturday night as the Mets managed to get the game’s only run in a 1-0 win. The two teams combined for two hits in the entire game.

Syracuse (68-55, 22-27) scored the game’s only run in the top of the second inning. Austin Allen singled to start the inning, moved to second base on a walk, got to third on a flyout, and scored on a sacrifice fly out to right field from Luisangel Acuña for a 1-0 Mets lead.

Remarkably, that would prove to be the Mets last hit of the game as the Durham (59-66, 23-27) pitching staff had a brilliant night of work. Enmanuel Mejia, Erasmo Ramírez, Alfredo Zarraga, Hunter Bigge, Mason Montgomery, and Cole Sulser allowed one hit in eight innings, striking out ten batters while walking five. The final 19 Mets batters of the evening went down in order.

However, the Syracuse pitching staff also starred on this August evening, befuddling the Bulls hitters all evening long. Tylor Megill got it started, allowing just one hit in four and two-thirds scoreless innings to start the contest with two walks and six strikeouts. From there, it was the bullpen who got the victory to the finish line. Vinny Nittoli went one and one-third scoreless, Shintaro Fujinami tossed two clean innings, and then Max Kranick earned his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth. The Mets did have to strand two runners on base in the eighth, but the final 19 Bulls batters of the game came to the plate without a hit in an utterly dominating night for both pitching staffs. On this night, it was Syracuse who was just a little bit better in a 1-0 win.

The Syracuse Mets wrap up their week at home against the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon. Game six in the six-game series is set for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Dom Hamel is slated to start for the Mets against Bulls left-hander Joe Rock.