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| Joey Lucchesi pitched seven innings of one-run baseball on Independence Day for Syracuse while striking out five batters (Kylie Richelle). |
Worcester, MA – The Syracuse Mets brought the fireworks to Polar Park on the Fourth of July, slugging three home runs and utilizing a brilliant starting pitching performance to cruise to a 9-1 win over the Worcester Red Sox in front of nearly 9,500 fans at Polar Park. The Mets have now bounced back to win consecutive games after losing their prior three games, advancing back to 20 games over .500 on the season in the process.
It was a pitcher's duel three innings in as Richard Fitts for Worcester (40-44, 5-4) and Joey Lucchesi for Syracuse (52-32, 6-4) matched each other with three scoreless frames each to start the game.
In the top of the fourth, the Mets got to Fitts and opened the scoring in the process. Luke Ritter struck out to start the inning, but it took 11 pitches to strike him out. A clearly tired Fitts struggled from there, allowing a single to Pablo Reyes with one out and a two-out walk to Carlos Cortes to put two runners on base with two outs. Yolmer Sánchez then came to the plate, got a hanging breaking ball, and did not miss it, lining it over the 18-foot-high wall in right field for a go-ahead, three-run homer and a 3-0 lead for the Mets in the blink of an eye.
From there, the game spiraled out of control for the Red Sox. The Mets did not stop scoring down the stretch. Syracuse scored twice in the fifth, twice in the sixth, and two more times in the seventh to completely put the game out of reach. The fifth was highlighted by an RBI triple for Luke Ritter, who had another highlight later to come. In the sixth, a two-out, two-run homer from Rylan Bannon added the sixth and seventh runs on the board on the evening for the Mets. Bannon now has 15 home runs on the season.
In the seventh, the Mets put a capper on the scoring bonanza with two more tallies. Luke Ritter smashed the first pitch of the frame over the center-field wall and off the batter's eye for a solo home run that capped off his brilliant night. Ritter finished the game with a home run, a triple, two runs driven in, and two runs scored. By the end of the game, Syracuse had nine runs on 11 hits with three home runs and seven extra-base hits. The Mets have now recorded at least 11 hits in each of the last three games.
That would be plenty of run support for Lucchesi, who turned in his longest (and maybe best) start of the season. In seven innings, Lucchesi surrendered just one run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The lefty went 94 pitches in the outing, in which he also left four WooSox batters on the basepaths. Each of the four hits that Lucchesi allowed were singles. Combined with his excellent outing last Saturday night at Buffalo, Lucchesi has allowed just three earned runs on five hits in his last 13 and one-third innings pitched.
Cole Sulser tossed two perfect innings out of the bullpen to seal the deal for the Mets, keeping Syracuse's bullpen brilliance on display. This season, Syracuse is 40-2 when leading after six innings and has lost only once when the Mets lead after seven frames. It was also a solid bounce-back after a rare off night for the relievers on Wednesday night, when four earned runs came across home plate in six innings against four different Mets bullpen arms.
The Syracuse Mets are continuing their holiday week series with three games at the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox. The second game out of three in the heart of Massachusetts is slated for a 6:45 p.m. first pitch on Friday.
Fourth of July?
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 4, 2024
Yolmer will bring the fireworks 💪 pic.twitter.com/5FWJfr54kU
Luke Ritter knows your Fourth of July isn't complete without seeing him rake. pic.twitter.com/SVtG1Mj6Gt
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2024
Look out on that berm!
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2024
Bannon is sending a 💣 your way. pic.twitter.com/nZSihfnWOB
🗣️ ALL LUKE RITTER DOES IS RAKE pic.twitter.com/qRYMIxKJOn
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2024
Save the fireworks. Joey Fuego will bring the heat.
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2024
7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K pic.twitter.com/efI39f5eEF
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