Syracuse Mets Game Recap: Sproat shines and Azocar homers as Mets beat RailRiders, 7-4, on Saturday afternoon

 

Brandon Sproat allowed just one run and one hit in four innings pitched on Saturday afternoon (Kylie Richelle).

Box Score: Donovan Walton*; 2B 0 for 3; 1 run; 1 walk; Jose Azocar; CF 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 3 RBIs; Jon Singleton; DH 0 for 4; 2 Ks; Joey Meneses; 1B 0 for 3; 1 run; 1 walk; 1 K; Luke Ritter; 3B 0 for 2; 1 run; 2 walks; 1 K; Gilberto Celestino; RF 1 for 3; double; 1 run; 1 walk; 1 K; Jakson Reetz; C 0 for 4; 1 K; Luis De Los Santos; SS 1 for 4; double; 1 run; 2 RBIs; 2 Ks; Rowdey Jordan; LF 2 for 3; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Brandon Sproat;  4 innings; 1 run; 1 ER; 1 hit; 2 walks; 2 Ks; Kevin Herget;  1 inning; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 3 hits; Anthony Gose*; (W, 1-0) 1 inning; no runs; 1 K; Tyler Zuber; (H, 1) 1 inning; no runs; 1 K; Chris Devenski; (S, 1) 2 innings; 1 run; 1 ER; 2 hits; 2 Ks; 

Syracuse, NY – With a dominant start from top prospect Brandon Sproat and their best offensive output of the season, the Syracuse Mets took down the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 7-4, on a blustery Saturday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Syracuse (3-4) offense caught fire in the bottom of the second. After Luke Ritter walked and Gilberto Celestino doubled, Luis De Los Santos drove in the pair with a two-run double to the wall in right-center field to make it 2-0. The Mets grew their lead to 3-0 with an RBI single from Rowdey Jordan, his first career triple-A hit. With Jordan at second and Donovan Walton at first after a walk, José Azocar smacked a three-run homer to extend the Syracuse lead to 6-0. 

With six runs of support, Sproat cruised through four scoreless innings. The righty retired ten straight batters heading into the fifth and was pulled after a leadoff walk to Braden Shewmake. The next batter, Grant Richardson, left the yard with a two-run home run to make it a 6-2 game. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (4-4) added one more run in the fifth on an Andrew Velazquez homer to tighten the score to 6-3.

In the eighth inning, the Mets added an insurance run from a RailRiders passed ball that brought Joey Meneses in to score and make it 7-3. 

In the ninth, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre got the run back with a T.J. Rumfield solo homer that shrunk the Syracuse lead back to three, 7-4. 

The three-run cushion proved to be enough. The last three bullpen arms of Anthony Gose, Tyler Zuber, and Chris Devenski combined for four innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts. 

Syracuse and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre end their six-game series on Sunday afternoon with the final game. Left-hander Brandon Waddell is scheduled to start on the mound for the Mets opposite right-hander Zach Messinger for the RailRiders. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.