SYRACUSE, NY – Despite a big Buffalo Bisons comeback in the seventh inning, the Herd fell 8-7 in a back-and-forth battle against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Bisons didn’t waste any time getting on the board as Ernie Clement grounded out softly to third base in the top of the first inning, scoring Nathan Lukes to make it a 1-0 game. This is Clement’s 54th RBI of the season.
The Mets tied the game up soon after though as Joe Suozzi hit his first ground-rule double of the season in the bottom of the second inning, leading to Brandon McIlwain rounding home and tying the game at 1-1.
The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the third as Tomas Nido singled on a line drive to left, scoring Wyatt Young to make it a 2-1 ballgame. The scoring didn’t stop there this inning for Syracuse as McIlwain doubled on a sharp line drive to center and that allowed Carlos Cortes to touch home and give the Mets a 3-1 lead.
Syracuse extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Brett Baty hit a two-run home run to deep center field, his tenth home run of the season, 5-1.
Despite being down four runs, the Bisons never gave up. Spencer Horwitz singled on a ground ball to center, knocking in Lukes and making it a 5-2 game. Ernie Clement made it a 5-3 game when he singled on a ground ball to right field and Rafael Lantigua rounded the bases to home.
The scoring didn’t stop there for the Herd in the seventh inning as Orelvis Martinez hit his ninth double of the season, a line drive to right field that scored Horwitz, 5-4. Tanner Morris gave the Bisons a 6-5 lead with a two-run dinger to right center field. This is Morris’ sixth home run of the season and his second in the last two games.
Lantigua added on some insurance runs for Buffalo in the top of the eighth inning as he singled on a ground ball to right field, allowing the speedy Cameron Eden to score, 7-5.
The Mets wouldn’t go down without a fight though as Ronny Mauricio made it a 7-6 ballgame when he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The momentum sadly stayed in Syracuse’s favor for the final inning of the game as Joe Suozzi tripled in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runners and ending the game 8-7 in the Mets favor.
The Bisons and the Mets will wrap up this six-game series on Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. scheduled first pitch. RHP Wes Parsons gets the nod for the Bisons and RHP José Butto will be on the bump for the opposing Mets.
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