Jacksonville, FL – After seeing a four-run lead disappear in a five-run Jacksonville eighth inning, the Syracuse Mets responded with back-to-back home runs in the ninth to rally past the Jumbo Shrimp, 10-9, on Wednesday night at VyStar Ballpark.
Jacksonville (15-25, 57-57) struck first in the second inning. Brayden Taylor walked before Matthew Etzel hit a two-run home run to right field, giving the Jumbo Shrimp a 2-0 lead.
Jacksonville added another run in the fifth. With two outs, Jonathon Long tripled to right field and scored on a throwing error by Christopher Morel, extending the lead to 3-0.
Syracuse (19-21, 57-58) erupted for five runs in the sixth inning to take its first lead. Eric Wagaman doubled before MJ Melendez launched a two-run home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Later in the frame, Jose Ramos doubled and Shawn Ross singled before Zack Short crushed a three-run homer to left field, putting the Mets in front, 5-3.
The Mets added two more runs in the seventh. Morel singled and scored on an RBI double by Wagaman, and Melendez followed with an RBI single to left field that brought home Wagaman and stretched the Syracuse lead to 7-3.
Jacksonville stormed back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. Cam Cannarella walked and Long singled before Deyvison De Los Santos launched a three-run homer to center field, cutting the Mets' lead to 7-6. After Joe Jacques entered, Taylor walked and scored on Etzel’s RBI single to right, tying the game, 7-7. A fielding error by Morel on the play allowed Etzel to advance to third. After two intentional walks loaded the bases, Cannarella was hit by a pitch to force home Etzel and give Jacksonville an 8-7 lead.
Syracuse answered immediately in the ninth. Ronny Mauricio doubled with one out before Morel smacked a two-run homer to left field, putting the Mets back in front, 9-8. Wagaman followed with a solo home run to left-center field, giving Syracuse back-to-back homers and a 10-8 advantage.
The Jumbo Shrimp made one final push in the bottom of the ninth. De Los Santos led off with his second home run of the night to cut the deficit to 10-9. Taylor later walked and Johnny Olmstead singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, but Zach Franklin struck out Garret Forrester to finish the victory.
On the mound, Jack Wenninger started for Syracuse and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits over five innings, walking four and striking out eight. Austin Warren followed with a perfect sixth inning, striking out two, and Chris Devenski tossed a perfect seventh with one strikeout.
Dylan Ross allowed three runs on two hits and one walk while recording one out in the eighth, striking out one. Jacques followed and allowed two runs on one hit and three walks over two-thirds of an inning, striking out two. Jacques earned the win.
Franklin pitched the ninth and allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two, earning his sixth save of the season.
Wagaman finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. Melendez went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, while Morel had two hits, including the go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth. Short drove in three runs with his sixth-inning home run.
Syracuse and Jacksonville continue their series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Jonathan Santucci is scheduled to start for the Mets opposite right-hander Zach Brzykcy for the Jumbo Shrimp.