Result
Syracuse, New York –The Syracuse Mets found some fairy dust on Tuesday night, as a pair of solo home runs by Eddie Rosario and DJ Stewart in the ninth inning helped Syracuse comeback and win 3-2 over the Durham Bulls on a chilly Tuesday night in Salt City. The Mets now have a sparkling 36-21 record in their home games so far in the 2024 season.
Going into the ninth inning, Syracuse (66-53, 20-25) trailed by one run, 2-1. Durham (57-64, 21-25) held on to a run lead and brought in the tenacious Hunter Bigge from the bullpen to make the save. Instead, Bigge blew the save. First, Rosario opened the inning with a solo home run over the right outfield fence, tying the game in an instant at 2-2. Then, two batters later, Stewart hit a fly ball that sailed just over the right outfield wall for a game-winning solo shot that gave the Mets the 3-2 victory. Syracuse finished the game with just four hits. Fortunately, three of them were solo home runs, just enough for a thrilling 3-2 victory to open the six-game series against Durham.
The Mets took the lead first in the bottom of the third inning when Mike Brosseau’s one-out solo home run gave Syracuse an early 1-0 lead.
That would be the last run the Mets scored against Joe Rock. Durham’s starting pitcher was masterful in his seven-inning outing on Tuesday night. Rock allowed just one hit, Brosseau’s solo home run. Rock allowed just three baserunners in his seven innings, hit one batter, walked one and struck out seven. The left-hander finished the game with flying colors, striking out the last ten batters he faced.
On the other hand, Mets starter Dom Hamel struggled through a five-inning start, allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Hamel scored both runs in the fourth inning. Although Hamel allowed the two runs, he danced around other dangers all night. Hamel left seven Bulls runners on base in his five innings.
From there, the Mets bullpen kept them in the game. Dedniel Núñez threw a scoreless relief inning in the sixth while rehabbing, Eric Orze went scoreless for an inning and a half and had three strikeouts, and then Alex Young threw the final inning and a half clean as well. Syracuse’s bullpen has been in top form lately. Since Saturday’s game, the Mets relief pitchers have not allowed a single earned run in their last seven and a half innings and have 11 strikeouts.
This set the stage for a magical final spurt in the ninth inning and Syracuse’s walk-off victory.
The Syracuse Mets are at home all week to face the Durham Bulls for the first and only time of the 2024 season. Game two of the series against the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Brandon Sproat is scheduled to start for the Mets, while left-hander Jacob Lopez will start for the Bulls.
