Syracuse, N.Y. – The Syracuse Mets put on an offensive showcase, scoring in six different innings and using a six-run fourth to power past the Columbus Clippers, 13-7, on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium
Ronny Mauricio got the offense started immediately. The switch-hitter launched a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the first, his 13th homer of the season, putting Syracuse in front, 1-0.
Columbus answered in the second. Ralphy Velazquez singled before Blake Perkins hit a two-out, two-run homer to right field, giving the Clippers a 2-1 advantage. Syracuse responded with three runs in the bottom half. Jose Ramos tied the game with a solo homer to center, his first with Syracuse. Later in the inning, Hayden Senger doubled and Zack Short and Vidal Bruján walked to load the bases. Mauricio then ripped a two-run double to center, scoring Senger and Short for a 4-2 Mets lead.
Columbus cut the lead to one in the third. Cooper Ingle walked and Daniel Schneemann doubled before Ingle scored when David Fry reached on a throwing error, making it 4-3. Columbus then tied the game in the fourth after Milan Tolentino doubled and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Syracuse (17-20, 55-57) responded emphatically with its biggest inning of the night.
Ramos opened the bottom of the fourth with his second home run of the game, and D'Andre Smith followed immediately with his first homer of the season, giving the Mets back-to-back home runs and a 6-4 lead. After Short walked and Bruján singled, Mauricio doubled both home for an 8-4 advantage. Christopher Morel followed with an RBI double that scored Mauricio, and Andy Ibáñez capped the six-run inning with a sacrifice fly that brought home MJ Melendez and stretched the lead to 10-4.
Columbus (18-20, 59-53) got one back in the fifth. Schneemann walked, Fry doubled and Kyle Manzardo walked to load the bases before Velazquez was hit by a pitch, forcing home a run. Austin Warren entered with the bases still loaded and nobody out and escaped without allowing another run, getting Alfonsin Rosario to line into a double play before striking out Tolentino.
The Mets extended the lead to 11-5 in the sixth. Mauricio walked, Melendez singled him to third and Morel brought Mauricio home with a sacrifice fly.
Manzardo hit a solo home run in the seventh to cut the Syracuse lead to 11-6, but the Mets added two more runs in the eighth. Bruján doubled and Mauricio singled before Melendez drove home Bruján with an RBI double. Ibáñez followed with his second sacrifice fly of the night, scoring Mauricio and pushing the lead to 13-6.
Fry hit a solo home run in the ninth for the final run of the night before Kevin Herget retired the next three batters to finish off the 13-7 victory.
On the mound, Tobias Myers started for Syracuse and worked three innings and a third, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Brian Metoyer earned the win, recording two outs while allowing one run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout. Austin Warren delivered two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two. Jonathan Pintaro worked two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two. Kevin Herget recorded the final seven outs, working two innings and a third, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Mauricio led the offensive barrage, going 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, a walk, five RBIs and four runs scored. Ramos homered twice, while Morel drove in two runs and Ibáñez added two RBIs on a pair of sacrifice flies.
Syracuse concludes its series with Columbus on Sunday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.