IRONPIGS EDGE SYRACUSE 6-5

Allentown, PA (May 23, 2019) - The Syracuse Mets held a four-run advantage entering the bottom of the seventh inning but allowed five runs during the last three innings as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs walked off with a 6-5 victory over Syracuse on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Park. René Rivera had two hits and three RBIs for the Mets in the loss.

Lehigh Valley (24-19) won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Trailing, 5-3, entering the frame, Lane Adams and Deivy Grullon singled, putting runners on first and second base. After Mitch Walding struck out, Ali Castillo grounded a ball to second base that could’ve ended the game with a double play. Instead, an error allowed Castillo to reach first and load the bases. Matt McBride then blooped a ball to shallow right field that fell for a single, scoring Adams to cut the Syracuse lead to one, 5-4. The game ended on a Grenny Cumana double to right field, bringing two runs home for a walk-off 6-5 IronPigs win.

Syracuse (24-21) started the scoring in the top of the first inning. Rubén Tejada singled to right field with one out and moved to second on a groundout. Rivera then continued his hot stretch with a single to center field, extending his on-base streak to 14 games, and scoring Tejada for a 1-0 Mets lead. 

The IronPigs tied the game in the third. Malquin Canelo walked, Lane Adams singled, and Deivy Grullon walked to load the bases. Mitch Walding then walked to force in the tying run, knotting the game up, 1-1.

The Mets jumped back in front with a four-run fifth. Braxton Lee doubled, and Tejada singled. After a groundout, Rivera drove in two more runs with a single to left field for a 3-1 Syracuse lead. Dilson Herrera followed with his eighth home run of the season, extending the Syracuse advantage to four, 5-1.

Lehigh Valley started its comeback in the seventh. Canelo tripled to lead off the frame and scored on a Nick Williams groundout to the right side to cut the deficit to three, 5-2.

The IronPigs scored one more run in the eighth. With two outs, Gift Ngoepe had a pinch-hit single. Canelo followed with a triple down the right-field line, scoring Ngoepe to cut the Mets advantage to two, 5-3.

Syracuse travels home to begin a four-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.

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