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| Thomas Szapucki, Syracuse Mets, Photo by Herm Card - herm4444@gmail.com |
Worcester, MA – The Syracuse Mets mounted a desperate late rally on Wednesday afternoon at the Worcester Red Sox, scoring the game's final four runs. However, it was one run too little as the WooSox survived and took game two of the six-game series, 6-5. The Red Sox have won the first two games of the series by one run each. (Box Score)
Worcester (25-25) got off to an excellent start, plating a pair of runs combined between the first and second innings. The Red Sox scored in the first on a two-out RBI double from Rob Refsnyder that plated Jarren Duran (who had walked leading off the inning) for a 1-0 lead. That was followed up by a solo home run in the second inning from Jaylin Davis that was an absolute no-doubt shot. The dinger sailed 470 feet in the air over the left-field fence, leaving Davis' bat at an exit velocity of 112 miles per hour to give Worcester a 2-0 advantage.Syracuse (15-33) was fooled early on by an excellent performance from Red Sox starter Thomas Pannone, who tossed four scoreless frames to begin the game with seven strikeouts. He faced the minimum 12 batters in the first four innings. In the fifth, the Mets finally got to him. Daniel Palka started the inning with a single, followed by a double from Nick Meyer that put runners on second and third with nobody out. An RBI groundout from JT Riddle got Palka across home plate to make it a 2-1 game, but unfortunately that would be it for the Mets in the fifth. A Travis Blankenhorn strikeout and a Cody Bohanek groundout allowed Pannone to escape further trouble and end his five-inning outing with just one run to his name.
Worcester had its final scoring flourish in the fifth, scoring four times on just two hits. A walk plus a pivotal Syracuse error allowed the WooSox to push four batters across home plate. Jeter Downs had the big blow of the inning, lining a two-run home run over the left-field wall to take a 6-2 lead. Up until that plate appearance, Downs was 0-for-6 in the series with six strikeouts.
For the second straight day, the Syracuse Mets would not go quietly. On Tuesday night, Syracuse scored three times in the eighth inning to tie the game at eight and eventually send the game into extra innings. On Wednesday afternoon, the Mets mounted their rally in the seventh inning, scoring three runs on four hits. The surge began with nobody on base and one out. Meyer walked and advanced to third on a single from JT Riddle. Blankenhorn and Bohanek then each punched singles into right field, scoring Meyer and Riddle respectively to make it a 6-3 game. A Daniel Johnson strikeout kept the runners at first and third with two outs, but Khalil Lee wouldn't allow the scoring in the inning to end there. He grounded a sharp single into right field that scored Blankenhorn and capped the frame's scoring at three runs, making it a 6-4 game. Lee has three hits, two runs driven in, and two runs scored in the first two games of the series.
In the eighth, Syracuse scored again, taking advantage of sloppy defense from the home team. Mark Vientos walked leading off the inning and promptly advanced all the way to third base on a two-base throwing error from the WooSox's catcher, Connor Wong. The former Houston Cougar was trying to pick off Vientos at first base and instead sailed the throw all the way into the right-field corner. Consecutive strikeouts put hopes of the Mets scoring in the eighth inning in danger, but then Meyer smacked a single into left field to ensure Vientos would score and turn it into a 6-5 game.
The final three relievers out of the Mets bullpen did an excellent job of making sure the game stayed razor close in the late innings. Locke St. John, Michel Otañez and Bryce Montes de Oca combined to close the game with three and one-third scoreless and hitless innings. The relievers struck out five Red Sox batters in the process. Otañez and Montes de Oca were making their Syracuse Mets debuts. Both right-handed relievers have fastballs that can touch triple digits.
In the ninth, the Mets furious late rally was finally snuffed out. A leadoff single from Blankenhorn had Syracuse dreaming of completing its comeback, but Frank German wouldn't allow it to happen. The Worcester closer struck out the next three batters he faced to end the game right then and there. German has yet to allow an earned run in four relief appearances with the WooSox this season.
Syracuse plays game three of the six-game series against the Worcester Red Sox on Thursday night with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m. Félix Pèna is scheduled to start for the Mets, opposed by Brandon Walter for the WooSox. It will be the Triple-A debut for Walter.
Update: Both made their debuts today in Worcester and pitched a pair of scoreless innings!
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) June 1, 2022
Otanez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K (four pitches at 100 MPH)
Montes de Oca: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R https://t.co/qmbfAq9iwS
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