The Syracuse Mets pull within a half game of first place SWB.
By Rochester Red Wings
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Rochester Red Wings missed a great opportunity to make up ground in the International League North Division race with an 11-3 loss to the Syracuse Mets Sunday afternoon.
The good news is that first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also lost leaving the Wings 4 games back with just 8 games to play. The Mets, however, are now just a half game behind the RailRiders as they have 5 games against Lehigh Valley and finish the regular with 4 games at Frontier Field next weekend.
Rochester (66-66) struck first Sunday on a Wilin Rosario RBI double in the first inning.
But, the Mets hit three homers off Wings starter Devin Smeltzer in the third and fourth innings to build a 5-2 lead.
The Mets blew the game open with a 4-run sixth inning highlighted by a 3-run triple from Arismendy Alcantara.
Brandon Barnes hit his 29th homer of the season – his fifth as a member of the Red Wings — in the fourth inning.
Smeltzer suffered the loss allowing 5 runs on 5 hits over 3.2 innings.
Edwar Colina struggled in his Triple-A debut for Rochester as he allowed 5 runs in 1.2 innings in relief of Smeltzer.
Zander Wiel was the only Wings player to record multiple hits Sunday.
The Wings travel west down the Thruway to open a 4-game series against the Buffalo Bisons starting Monday night.