Mets Minors: Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams Finishing Strong
The Syracuse Mets (75-70) are in the middle of their final series of the International League season as they took on the Charlotte Knights (67-76) on Wednesday. While the Mets ended up building a 6-2 lead by the end of the seventh inning, their bullpen allowed seven runs over the final three frames as they fell in 10 innings, 9-8.
After Charlotte had built a 2-0 lead in the first two innings, the Mets erased that deficit in the bottom of the third thanks to the top of their lineup. José Azocar began the inning with a double. Later in the inning, after a Jett Williams walk, Drew Gilbert delivered a game-tying RBI double (Young RBI groundout drove in first run).
Drew Gilbert, Photo by Kylie Richelle of Syracuse Mets
Gilbert went 2-for-4 on the night with a hit-by-pitch and picked up his second multi-hit performance in the last four games. He was one of five players in the Syracuse lineup to have multiple hits on an evening where the team had 13 hits (Williams was also 2-for-4).
Syracuse would take the lead in the fourth, thanks to a solo shot by Carlos Cortes (his 16th of the year). The 27-year-old has six home runs in September and has homered twice in the last four games (five RBIs in that stretch).
Azocar would help pad onto the lead in the sixth with a two-run home run. He has homered in back-to-back games and has nine RBIs in the last four days. The lead would get stretched to 6-2 in the seventh thanks to Gilbert’s second RBI double of the night.
However, Syracuse was unable to hold onto the lead. All six pitchers that appeared for the Mets allowed at least one earned run. Matt Gage allowed a three-run home run to Colson Montgomery in the top of the eighth.
Despite Syracuse adding an insurance run in the eighth on a Wyatt Young RBI double, Charlotte completed the comeback against Grant Hartwig, with Hartwig walking multiple hitters with the bases loaded.
In the 10th, it was Tyler Zuber who ended up allowing the go-ahead runs on a Michael Chavis RBI double and an infield single by Tim Elko. Although the Mets got a run back on an Azocar sacrifice fly, JT Schwartz hit into a double play to end the game.
If there was one bright spot for the Syracuse pitching staff, it was Joey Lucchesi. Lucchesi came in out of the bullpen after Max Kranick made the start and did a decent job. The left-hander went four innings, allowed one run on five hits, walked a batter, and struck out three on 61 pitches (39 strikes).
The Syracuse lineup got a boost to it on Wednesday with the return of Brett Baty. Baty played his first game since August 22 after being out due to a fractured finger. The results were not great with Baty going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
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