Cortes hits go-ahead homer, Mets wins fourth straight game with 7-4 victory over RailRiders on Saturday night

Syracuse, NY - Carlos Cortes hit a go-ahead, three run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for Syracuse on Saturday night to propel the Syracuse Mets to a 7-4 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in front of an electric crowd of 7,255 fans at NBT Bank Stadium. The win marks Syracuse's fourth straight victory this week and pushes the Mets to a new high-water mark 23 games over .500.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (48-42, 5-11) jumped out to an early lead thanks to some power. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Agustin Ramirez singled. Jose Rojas followed with a two-run home that gave the road team a 2-0 lead. The RailRiders added to their lead in the third when T.J. Rumfield hit a two-out solo homer to make it a 3-0 game.

Syracuse (57-34, 11-6) broke its early offensive slump in the bottom of the fifth. After managing just three baserunners in the first four innings, the Mets broke their slumber in the fifth. With one out, Yolmer Sanchez walked, Cortes doubled, and Joe Hudson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Luisangel Acuña flied out to center field for the second out of the frame, Pablo Reyes singled to score both Sanchez and Cortes to pull Syracuse within one, 3-2. Brett Baty followed with a walk to re-load the bases, setting the stage for Luke Ritter. Ritter scorched a single into center field that scored Hudson and Reyes to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Ritter is now tied for the league lead with 63 RBIs this season.

The RailRiders tied the game back up in the top of the eighth. Taylor Trammell led off with a single, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, moved to third on an Oscar Gonzalez groundout, and Trammell scored on a Jeter Downs double to knot the game up, 4-4.

The Mets responded back in the bottom of the eighth with another two-out rally. With two outs and nobody on base, JT Schwartz singled for his first Triple-A hit. Sanchez then reached on a fielding error that put runners at first and second base. Cortes followed with his three-run home run over the right-field wall that gave the Mets a 7-4 advantage.

Syracuse and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre conclude their six-game series on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Kodai Senga is scheduled to start on the mound for the Mets opposite RailRiders right-hander Yoendrys Gomez. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.