By: Brayden Peters
BUFFALO, N.Y. - It wasn't the day for the Buffalo Bisons to have 12,321 fans at Sahlen Field Friday night, as they were kept in check by the Syracuse Mets. The Mets got a 9-2 win after having a dominant day offensively. The Bisons gave up 11 hits in the loss while only recording six hits. The defense wasn't pretty either for Buffalo, as they recorded two errors.
The Bisons' starting pitcher Beau Sulser threw the ball off-target toward second base in a pick off attempt on Luisangel Acuña. The ball went into centerfield and it allowed Acuña to advance to third base in the second inning. In the seventh inning, Miguel Hiraldo broke the wrong way on a line drive that got by him. It allowed Luke Ritter to get to second base and Carlos Cortes to make it safely to first.
"There were some plays that we didn't make that could've changed the game," Bisons manager Casey Candaele said. "...there's like five runs right there that changed the ballgame..."
Rafael Lantigua and Hiraldo combined for four of the Bisons' hits, as both batters recorded two hits. Lantigua extended his hitting streak to four games thanks to his performance. Hiraldo had a great showing on offense for the third game of his Triple-A career.
He went 2-for-4, marking his first Triple-A multi-hit game, while recording an RBI and striking out once. Hiraldo also helped record a groundout double play in the eighth inning. Overall, his performance was tarnished by the costly error in the seventh inning.
"He's young," Candaele said. "He needs to learn some things and I'm sure he'll keep getting better."
Pitching was not a bright spot for the Bisons. Although it was a good outing for Paxton Schultz, who ended the day surrendering a walk and throwing four strikeouts in 3.1 innings, it wasn't the case for Sulser and Erik Swanson.
Sulser ended the day giving up nine hits, five runs and two walks in 2.2 innings. As for Swanson, who relieved Schultz, he surrendered two hits, four runs and two walks in 0.2 innings.
"I think just little adjustments need to be made," Schultz said. "If we can get more guys focused on that mound early before games, I feel like it's going to fine-tune things during the game."
Syracuse was hot in the batter's box to start things off in the first inning. Rylan Bannon hit a three-run homer out towards left field to give the Mets a very early 3-0 lead.
The Mets didn't waiver on offense in the second. Brett Baty batted in Acuña on a single to increase Syracuse's lead up to 4-0.
Buffalo responded in the same inning, with Hiraldo batting in Lantigua to cut in Syracuse's lead. Lantigua got on base thanks to a single. Hiraldo tried to get to second, but was caught in a pickle and was tagged out by Acuña for the final out of the inning.
Syracuse continued to stay red hot on offense, as Austin Allen got Mike Brosseau home on a single in the third, extending the Mets' lead to 5-1. Brosseau hit a single to get on base.
The Bisons continued to chip away at the lead, as Cam Eden singled to get Hiraldo home in the fifth, decreasing the deficit to three runs. Hiraldo singled to get on base, in which he advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third base. It was his first stolen base of his Triple-A career.
Swanson was punished for his poor pitching in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Allen crushed the ball out towards right field for a grand slam in the seventh, increasing the Mets' lead to 9-2.
Buffalo answered the grand slam with two runs in the eighth inning. Will Robertson recorded a two-run double to cut the Mets' lead to 9-4.
Although the Bisons received a little bit of momentum from their success in the eighth, they couldn't translate it in the ninth inning. Two strikeouts and a groundout secured the 9-4 victory for Syracuse.
With the loss, Buffalo drops to 38-40 on the year and are in fourth in the IL East overall. As for the Mets, the win improves their record to 49-29 and they sit in first in the IL East overall. Also, the Mets improve to a 3-1 record for the series.
The Bisons will look to bounce back from Friday night's loss when they host Syracuse Saturday evening at 6:35 p.m. It will be Buffalo's 'Celery-brate the Summer' and Pennant and Bucket Hat Givewaway night.
Great article!