Syracuse falls short in 6-4 loss at Buffalo on Thursday night

Buffalo, NY – The frustration for the Syracuse Mets in Buffalo continued on Thursday night, as the Mets dropped a third straight game to the Bisons to start the weeklong, six-game series at Sahlen Field. The 6-4 defeat means the Mets are now 7-8 against one of their traditional rivals this season. Syracuse has lost four games in a row to Buffalo dating back to their last series at the end of June.

For the first time all week, Syracuse (60-38, 14-10) got on the board first, plating a run off Buffalo (46-52, 9-15) starter Paolo Espino in the top of the first. A double from Rhylan Thomas on the very first pitch of the game got the fun started, with a two-out walk from Luke Ritter extending the inning. That brought Pablo Reyes to the plate, and Reyes got the job done, smacking a double down the right-field line to plate Thomas and put the Mets in front early on, 1-0.

The Bisons bounced right back in the bottom of the second, tagging Joey Lucchesi for two runs to take a 2-1. Two walks to start the inning plus an RBI single from Brian Serven made it a 1-1 game. Later on in the inning, with runners on first and third in a two-out scenario, Miguel Hiraldo laced a single into left field to score the inning’s second run that handed Buffalo its first lead of the evening.

Entering the bottom of the fourth, still leading 2-1, the Bisons mounted another rally to eventually chase Lucchesi from the game. Buffalo scored four times to push the lead all the way out to 6-1, combining three hits with three walks to take a commanding five-run lead. The final line for Lucchesi was six runs allowed (all earned) on six hits in three and one-third innings with five walks and four strikeouts.

In the top of the fifth, the Mets clawed their way back in it, scoring three runs to turn a 6-1 deficit into 6-4. The highlights of the inning were a solo home run from Mike Brosseau leading off the inning, quickly followed by an RBI triple from Luisangel Acuña that drove in Thomas and showcased Acuña’s electric speed. On the triple, the 22-year-old raced from home plate to third base in 11.5 seconds. Finally, Brett Baty launched a ball towards the right-field wall that would’ve been a home run, but Buffalo center fielder Cam Eden made a leaping catch to rob a home run. It was still a sacrifice fly out that scored Acuña from third to make it a 6-4 game, but that play shifted the momentum squarely in Buffalo’s favor.

From there, the Mets wouldn’t score again as the Buffalo bullpen held Syracuse in check and got the game to the finish line for the Bisons. Eric Pardinho tossed a clean sixth, José Cuas pitched scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth, and Zach Pop earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Syracuse had just one hit in the last four innings, as 13 of their last 14 batters in the game were retired.

While the Mets were nullified offensively via the strong Buffalo bullpen, the Syracuse bullpen also deserves mention for their excellent work yet again. Max Kranick, Matt Gage, and Ty Adcock combined to toss four and two-thirds innings without allowing an earned run on just four hits while walking two and striking out seven. Buffalo mustered just one hit among their 13 final batters of the ballgame as the Syracuse relievers did their job brilliantly.

The Syracuse Mets are in the midst of a two-week road trip, beginning with six games at the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Buffalo Bisons. Game four of the six-game set at the Bisons is set for 7:05 p.m. first pitch on Friday evening. Right-hander Dom Hamel is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by right-hander James Kaprielian for the Bisons.