STAFF REPORTS
A night after bashing 17 hits and winning with a late home run, the Rochester Red Wings built a 6-2 lead against the Syracuse Mets Monday night at Frontier Field. But the Mets rallied late and defeated the Red Wings 7-6, despite 13 hits by the Rochester offense. Tomas Telis and Drew Maggi each had three hits, and starting pitcher Devin Smeltzer struck out six in 5.0 innings of work before a Pride Night crowd of 9,744.
The series and homestand wraps up Wednesday night with an Independence Day eve celebration, and the biggest fireworks show of the season.
Red Wings starter Devin Smeltzer found himself in a jam early in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded and nobody out Smeltzer hit Danny Espinosa with a pitch, giving the Mets the 1-0 lead. Smeltzer battled back and retired the next three batters he faced, striking out two. .
Smeltzer was looking to retire his sixth batter in a row until Tim Tebow hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth, extending the Mets’ lead to 2-0. With speedster Rajai Davis at first base, Smeltzer picked Davis off for the third out.
Mets starter and former Red Wing Ervin Santana kept the Red Wing’s bats in check through the first three inning, allowing three hits. In the bottom of the fourth the Red Wings struck back to back, two-out singles to put runners at first and second. Tomas Telis delivered a two-out single, scoring Zander Wiel from second base and pulling the Wings to within a run at t 2-1.
Smeltzer found himself in a groove in the fifth inning, recording a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fifth the Red Wings tied the game up at 2-2. Nick Gordon got the inning started with a walk and then Drew Maggi hit a double down the third base line allowing Gordon to come all the way around to score. With Maggi at second, Brent Rooker drilled a single off the wall in left to put the Red Wings up 3-2.
Santana’s night was finished following the Rooker at bat. Santana finished with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts, on 81 pitches with 51 for strikes.
Smeltzer pitched 5.0 innings and gave up seven hits. Smeltzer was charged with two earned runs, did not walk a batter, and fanned six; he threw 88 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Jake Reed took over on the mound in the top of the sixth inning. Reed found himself in a jam with runners on first and second with one out, but Reed struck out the next two batters to keep the lead.
Jaylen Davis started the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run, putting the Wings up 4-2. The Davis home run marked the Wings’ 98th home run of the season – surpassing last year’s season total of 97. Telis reached first with a single and then advanced following a throwing error. Gordon took advantage and smacked a double, bringing in Telis for a 5-2 lead. Maggi followed with his third hit of the game, a single to shallow right which scored Gordon, putting the Wings up 6-2.
Syracuse came back in the seventh to tie the game 6-6. Reed struggled allowing four hits and three runs in the seventh, prompting a pitching change with Carlos Torres replacing Reed.
Davis tripled off Torres in the top of the eighth inning, then scored the go ahead run on a wild pitch for a 7-6 Mets lead.
Syracuse had runners at second and third with two outs in the ninth inning, but Torres got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the threat.
Rooker led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, but Tim Peterson set down the next three batters to end the game.
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