Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets erupted for a season-best 15 runs behind four home runs to cruise past the Buffalo Bisons, 15-2, on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
After a rain delay pushed first pitch back to 8 p.m., Syracuse (9-10, 47-47) wasted little time taking control. Nick Morabito walked, stole second and third, and scored on Yonny Hernández's RBI double in the second inning. Christopher Morel later crossed the plate on Ben Rortvedt's groundout to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
MJ Melendez added to the advantage in the third, launching a solo home run to center field, his ninth of the season, extending Syracuse's lead to 3-0.
Buffalo (10-10, 45-50) got on the board in the fourth. Charles McAdoo doubled home Yohendrick Piñango before Daz Cameron lined a two-run double into left field, trimming the Mets' lead to 3-2.
Syracuse answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. Hernández singled before Vidal Bruján tripled him home. Luis Robert Jr. followed with a two-run homer to left field, his first with Syracuse on big league rehab, pushing the lead to 6-2.
The Mets broke the game open in the fifth. Morel doubled and later scored on a throwing error before Melendez crushed a three-run homer to right field, his second home run of the game and 10th of the season, stretching the advantage to 10-2.
Syracuse continued to pile on in the sixth when Hernández delivered his second RBI double of the night, scoring Morabito to make it 11-2.
The offense wasn't finished. Mauricio drove in Robert Jr. with an RBI single in the seventh before a Buffalo error allowed another run to score. Morel then capped the scoring with a two-run home run to right field, giving the Mets a 15-2 lead.
Jonah Tong earned the victory, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings while striking out two. Dan Hammer worked a scoreless sixth before Matt Turner, Dylan Ross, and Matt Seelinger combined to finish the game. Seelinger made his Syracuse debut and stranded the bases loaded with two strikeouts.
Melendez finished 3-for-5 with two home runs, four runs batted in, and three runs scored. Morel went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs batted in, and three runs scored. Hernández collected three hits, including two doubles, drove in three runs, and scored twice.
The Mets wrap up their three-game series against the Bisons on Sunday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.