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Syracuse, N.Y. — In a back-and-forth battle, the Syracuse Mets plated four runs in the sixth inning to take a lead they didn’t relinquish for a 7-6 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Mets went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The team is hitting .384 with runners in scoring position over its last eight games.
Buffalo scored first in the top of the second inning with a two-run home run by RJ Schreck to give the Bisons a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Syracuse responded with a pair of runs to tie the game. Yonny Hernandez reached on an error by shortstop Josh Rivera.
Soon after, Drew Gilbert smacked an RBI triple to score Hernandez and cut the deficit to 2-1. The next hitter, David Villar, ripped an RBI single to score Gilbert and tie the game at two apiece.
The tie remained until the fifth when the Mets snatched the lead. After a Gilberto Celestino single and a walk to Gilbert, Joey Meneses smoked a run-scoring single to bring home Celestino and give Syracuse a 3-2 lead.
The Bisons tacked on another run in the sixth with a solo homer from Orelvis Martinez to tie it at 3-3. That was Martinez’s third home run of the week.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mets responded in a big way. Donovan Walton singled, Hayden Senger doubled, and Luis De Los Santos hit a two-run single to put Syracuse ahead at 5-3.
Later in the inning, Travis Swaggerty reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher Jacob Barnes, scoring Luis De Los Santos to extend the lead to 6-3.
Later, Swaggerty scored on a Celestino groundout and made it 7-3.
The Bisons scored three runs in the top of the ninth, making it a one-run game thanks to a three-run homer from Yohendrick Pinango. With a runner on first, the Mets turned a double-play to end the game and secure the victory.
On the mound, starter Blade Tidwell pitched six innings and allowed three runs. Out of the bullpen, Grant Hartwig and Chris Devenski tossed scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
Syracuse (28-31) continues its six-game series with Buffalo (23-34) on Thursday. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Right-hander Justin Hagenman is scheduled to pitch for the Mets against right-hander Adam Kloffenstein for the Bisons.
