Syracuse Mets Crumble In Final Frame

Syracuse Mets Crumble In Final Frame

Michael Gross

SYRACUSE – After Tuesday’s 5-0 loss in the home opener, the Syracuse Mets looked to even up the series last night at NBT Bank Stadium against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Longtime Chicago Cubbie Mike Montgomery manned the mound for the Mets through the first four innings. The left-hander was efficient, striking out one, allowing no hits and just two baserunners on a first-inning error and a hit batsman. Montgomery last pitched in May of 2021—ironically for the RailRiders—before being released.

Montgomery was relieved by left-hander Andrew Mitchell who tossed two more clean innings of one-hit ball, despite sporting a 9.00 ERA in five games last season for Syracuse.

His opposition, the No. 8 pitching prospect in the New York Yankees organization, right-hander Hayden Wesneski, who resumed right where he left off last season with a dominant outing. The 25-year-old tossed five spotless innings of three-hit baseball, striking out three in the process. Of 60 total pitches, 38 of them were strikes.

For the RailRiders, Braden Bristo entered the game in relief, allowing the first run of the night to come across the plate in the sixth, when Mets No. 4 prospect, Mark Vientos, drove in Joneshwhy Fargas on a single to left. The following inning, catcher and No. 27 prospect in the New York Mets organization, Nick Meyer, would tack on two more with the team’s first home run of the season.

After Mitchell came the Venezuelan right-hander, Anthony Vizcaya, and that is where some trouble hit for Syracuse. Scranton catcher Rob Brantly and Yankees No. 30 prospect Estevan Florial each hit solo homers in the top of the eighth inning. Both Brantly and Florial had stints in the Bronx last season.

Vizcaya would only throw an inning and two-thirds before making way for Yoan Lopez—a member of the New York Mets 40-man roster.

Heading to the top of the ninth, the Syracuse Mets would stand just three outs away from their first victory of the 2022 season when trouble turned to turbulence. Lopez would be chased out after back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and replaced by hard-throwing right-hand pitcher RJ Alvarez.

After a double steal during his first batter of the game, Alvarez gave up a sacrifice fly to Brantly scoring the tying run. One batter later, Ryan LaMarre doubled, driving in the go-ahead and insurance runs giving the RailRiders a 5-3 lead.

A miracle comeback would not be in order as Syracuse loses to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5-3. Lopez awarded the loss as the Mets fall to 0-2 on the young season.