SYRACUSE CLOSING IN ON FIRST PLACE

Allentown, PA (August 20, 2019) - The Syracuse Mets won their seventh straight game with an 11-8 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Park. The Mets are now just one game behind the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for first place in the International League North Division standings with 13 games left to play in the regular season.

Syracuse (66-61) began the scoring in the top of the second inning. With two outs, Sam Haggerty reached on an error on first baseman Austin Listi and then stole second base. After an intentional walk to bring up the pitcher’s spot in the batting order, Chris Mazza helped his own cause with an RBI double to give Syracuse a 1-0 lead.

The Mets quickly broke the game open in the third. Arismendy Alcantara led off the inning with a solo home run to push the lead to 2-0. Then, Dilson Herrera singled, Rene Rivera walked, and Danny Espinosa singled to load the bases. Grégor Blanco followed with a double to plate Herrera and Rivera and extend the advantage to 4-0. Haggerty followed with a single to bring home two runs and make the score 6-0. Two batters later, Mazza doubled for the second time in the game, and Brandon Nimmo singled home Haggerty for a 7-0 advantage. 

Lehigh Valley (60-66) grabbed its first run in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew Romine singled with one out, and Austin Listi drove him home with a double to make the score 7-1. 

In the fifth, the IronPigs added another run. Shane Robinson singled with one out, and Nick Williams doubled to center, scoring Robinson to trim the deficit to five, 7-2. Maikel Franco and Romine both picked up RBIs on hits in the frame as Lehigh Valley moved within three, 7-4.

Syracuse responded in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Haggerty singled home a run for an 8-4 Syracuse advantage.

The Mets extended the lead in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Espinosa hit a sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 9-4 edge. Blanco then singled home two more runs for a seven-run Syracuse lead, 11-4.

The IronPigs made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Williams homered with one out to make it an 11-5 ballgame. Then, Franco tripled and scored on a Romine single to cut the deficit to five, 11-5. Two batters later, Listi hit a two-run home run over the right-field wall to pull Lehigh Valley within three, 11-8.

Syracuse reliever Tim Peterson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Tyler Bashlor pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the win for Syracuse.

The Mets and IronPigs continue their four-game series on Wednesday night with the third game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.