Michael Gross
SYRACUSE — For the first time this season the Buffalo Bisons travel to town to take on the Syracuse Mets. Coming off a sensational 18-2 routing on Lehigh Valley on Sunday, the Mets look to start the series off just as strong as they ended the last one. For a moment, it seemed they did.
In the bottom of the second inning Daniel Palka drives a solo shot into the batter’s eye in centerfield that gives Syracuse a 1-0 lead.
Just one half-inning later, the dominoes began to fall for the Mets when Jose Rodriguez got into trouble. A bases-loaded single from Nathan Lukes brings in two runs and puts the Bisons ahead in the third.
A pitching change would be in order for Syracuse as former big-leaguer Phillip Diehl would take the mound. Two batters later, Diehl would balk in the third run of the night for the Bisons scoring the shortstop Vinny Capra.
Rodriguez allowed three earned runs in 12.1 innings pitched during his last eight outings. It took just 2.1 innings for Buffalo to match that total in his fifteenth game as a reliever this season.
Things would change for the Mets, though, in the bottom of the third. The Bisons made a pitching change as starter Shaun Anderson was replaced by Nick Allgeyer. It was not long until the Mets number one prospect, Francisco Alvarez, inserted himself into the storyline ripping a hard single down the left field line to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Alvarez now has 16 straight games reaching base safely dating back to July 13th.
One inning later, Daniel Palka hit a frozen rope to the Salt City Deck, in right, for his second home run of the night. Palka and the Mets tie the game and manager Kevin Bowles was pleased with Palka’s hitting.
“He’s been good all year,” Bowles said. “Overall, I think his body of work has been pretty impressive. He’s been competitive and he’s a threat every time he steps up to the plate.”
Just when Syracuse claws its way back into the ballgame, Stevie Berman hits a solo home run off Rob Zastryzny in the top of the fifth inning to put Buffalo out in front once again.
The Bisons would sit down fourteen straight batters from the fourth inning all the way to the eighth when Mets No. 7 prospect, Nick Plummer, hits a single to give Syracuse some life. He would be left stranded.
A 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning sets the Mets up to pull the rug out from under Buffalo in the bottom half. Dominic Smith singled to lead off the ninth inning, making way for Palka who would strike out.
The newly called up third basemen, and the No. 2 prospect in the Mets organization, Brett Baty, would have a chance to properly introduce himself to the Syracuse crowd. After three unsuccessful at-bats, he strolled to the plate with a runner on second and one out. A fly out to left would be the result. Travis Blankenhorn would strikeout to end the game as Syracuse falls 4-3 to Buffalo.
Although Baty had a lackluster first outing in Syracuse, many players that rise through the ranks in minor league baseball hit a wall when they first get called up to the next level. While Baty had a hitless night in four at bats, his skipper is excited for Baty and his future.
“I just think he has a balanced approach,” Bowles said. “He’s a guy that can work a count. He hangs in there on left-handed pitching. He’s a guy that can shoot the ball to left field. He can work to all parts of the field. And he has strength. I thought he played pretty well at third base tonight and we’re just waiting for him to get his feet wet but tonight was a good sign and he is very impressive.”
The Syracuse Mets play game two of their six-game series vs the Buffalo Bisons at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday at NBT Bank Stadium.
