Box Score
Rochester, NY – Thanks to an eight-run eighth inning, the Syracuse Mets came back to beat the Rochester Red Wings, 12-5, on Tuesday night at Innovative Field. The Mets hit four home runs in the game which each brought multiple runs home.
Rochester (27-45, 0-1) scored the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second inning. Trey Lipscomb led off the inning with a triple, and Darren Baker hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Lipscomb and putting the Red Wings in front, 1-0.
After a scoreless first three innings, the Syracuse (31-44, 1-0) offense woke up to score a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Mark Vientos reached on a throwing error by third baseman José Tena, and Jakson Reetz smashed a two-run homer, thrusting the Mets ahead, 2-1.
Syracuse stayed hot in the fifth when Joey Meneses led off with a single and Luke Ritter hit a two-run opposite field blast to give the Mets a 4-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, Rochester responded in a big way. Solo home runs by Baker and Robert Hassell III cut the deficit to one, 4-3.
The Red Wings kept the offense flowing with a game-tying homer by Andrew Pinckney in the sixth to make it 4-4.
In the seventh, Rochester jumped ahead 5-4 after Julian Merryweather walked four consecutive batters. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Syracuse reliever Alex Carillo (making his Triple-A debut) retired three straight hitters to end the inning and keep it a one-run ballgame.
Trailing by a run entering the eighth inning, the Mets offense popped for eight runs to storm ahead. The inning began with a walk by David Villar and a single by Joey Meneses. To add some speed to the bases, Donovan Walton pinch ran for Villar and Yonny Hernandez subbed in for Meneses. With two runners on, Gilberto Celestino ripped an RBI single to center field, scoring Walton and tying the game, 5-5. After a wild pitch by reliever Patrick Weigel, Hernandez moved to third and Celestino advanced to second. With one out, Luisangel Acuña brought Hernandez in to score on a sacrifice fly, putting Syracuse on top, 6-5. Next, Vientos drew a walk, and Reetz blew the game open with a three-run homer, giving the Mets a 9-5 advantage. To put the nail in the coffin, Pablo Reyes walked, Drew Gilbert singled, and Walton crushed a three-run homer that put Syracuse in front, 12-5.
On the mound, Carillo tossed a scoreless eighth and Justin Garza retired the side in order to end the game.
Syracuse continues its six-game series with the Rochester Red Wings on Wednesday afternoon with game two. Right-hander Jonathan Pintaro is scheduled to start for the Mets opposite right-hander Derek Law for the Red Wings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
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