Syracuse Mets drop series opener to Buffalo, 7-5

The score of the box

Syracuse, New York – The Syracuse Mets made their scheduled homecoming Tuesday night, but the Buffalo Bisons were rude guests. Buffalo hit three home runs in a 7-5 win over Syracuse in the first game of a six-game series at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets had won four of seven games in a weeklong series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last week to climb to 2.5 games out of first place heading into play Tuesday night.

Syracuse (31-20) got on the board first with a point late in the second. Mike Brosseau doubled with two outs to extend the inning, followed by a single from Jiman Choi to make it 1-0.

This lead did not last, as Buffalo (28-24) scored three points against Joey Lucchesi early in the third to take the advantage by a count of 3-1. The highlights of the inning for Buffalo were an RBI single by Spencer Horwitz and a two-run homer by Orelvis Martinez. Horwitz picked up where he left off against the Mets last season when he hit a remarkable .481 against Syracuse in nearly 80 at-bats, while Martinez has already hit his 13th home run this season.

The Mets got a run in the bottom of the third when Luisangel Acuña smoked a solo home run on the second pitch of the frame, a nearly 400-foot blast that landed in the shadow of the large scoreboard beyond from left-center field. close to make it a 3-2 match.

In the top of the fourth, Buffalo responded when Leo Jimenez homered on the first pitch of the inning for a 4-2 advantage.

It was Syracuse’s turn to respond in the bottom of the sixth when the Mets made it a one-run game again at 4-3 thanks to a fortunate circumstance. With runners on first and second and two outs, Mike Brosseau hit a chopper to third base that seemed destined to end the inning. However, a bad throw to second base attempting to force out bounded all the way into the outfield, scoring Ritter from second base and turning the game into a 4-3 game.

At the start of the seventh, with the game still in the Bisons’ advantage 4-3, Buffalo officially spoiled the start of Joey Lucchesi. The Mets left-handed starter returned trying to go seven full innings for the first time this season, but Riley Tirotta walked to start the inning, followed by a two-run homer by Cameron Eden to cut the lead to three. works at 6-3. Lucchesi was subsequently retired, allowing six runs (all earned) on nine hits in his six innings of work. The Californian has allowed a combined 13 earned runs in his last two starts at the Triple-A level.

In the top of the ninth, Buffalo got a big insurance run on another RBI hit by Martinez, a single that plated Steward Berroa. Martinez finished the night with three hits and three runs.

Trailing 7-3 at the bottom of the ninth, the Mets tried to come back valiantly. Brosseau singled to lead off the ninth inning, moving to third on a one-out double later in the inning by Joe Hudson. After an Acuña groundout put the Mets within one run of defeat, José Iglesias hit a chopper to the right side of the infield that was misplayed by the Bisons infield to extend the game. The play scored Brosseau, moved Hudson to third and made the score 7-4. The next batter, Rylan Bannon, hit a single to center field to make it a 7-5 game, put runners on second and first with two outs and gave Luke Ritter a chance to be a hero. However, Syracuse’s cleanup hitter struck out to end the game, leaving the tying runs on base in the process.

Syracuse is home all week to take on their in-state rivals, the Buffalo Bisons. The second game of the six-game series is Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Blade Tidwell is expected to start for the Mets, opposite right-hander Andrew Bash for the Bisons.