SYRACUSE, NY – Buffalo scored early and gave up their lead on Sunday against the Syracuse Mets, but a clutch game-tying Davis Schneider home run with two outs in the ninth inning helped the Herd send the game to extra innings, and Tanner Morris’s RBI single in the top of the tenth proved to be the game winner for the Bisons.
The Buffalo offense erupted in the top of the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie with Syracuse, making the score 5-0. Spencer Horwitz led off the inning with a triple to right field. After a Davis Schneider flyout, Orelvis Martinez and L.J. Talley walked consecutively to load the bases. The next batter, Berman, singled to move everyone up a base, and then Lantigua broke the game open with a grand slam over the center field wall.
Syracuse answered back in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to cut the Buffalo lead to one. Tomas Nido hit a home run to lead off the inning. After the next two batters walked, Luke Voit hit a sacrifice fly to move the runners to second and third. Next, Abraham Almonte hit a three run homer to right field to make the score 5-4.
Buffalo reextended its lead in the top of the sixth when Berman hit a solo home run to make the score 6-4 Buffalo. Then the Mets tied the game in the bottom of the frame with two runs of their own, driven in by Nido and Voit, making the score 6-6.
Buffalo retook the lead 7-6 in the seventh inning when Martinez hit a sac fly to score Addison Barger.
Syracuse grabbed its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Nido started the rally with a walk, and then Ronny Mauricio singled to left field. Voit homered to center field to give Syracuse the lead, 7-9.
Davis Schneider’s 19th home run of the year was one of the clutchest of the season for Buffalo, a two-run shot to even the score with two outs in the top of the ninth 9-9.
Syracuse went quietly in the bottom of the ninth, and Buffalo took the lead again in the top of the tenth. Tanner Morris singled to lead off the inning and scored the automatic base runner Martinez to make it 10-9 Bisons.
Thomas Hatch kept the Syracuse ghost runner at second in the bottom of the tenth with three consecutive strikeouts, giving himself and Buffalo the win in the series finale.
Buffalo has an off day on Monday, and after that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders visit Buffalo for a six-game series at Sahlen Field.
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