Clifford's late homer lifts Syracuse past Buffalo in split doubleheader

Ryan Clifford turned a split doubleheader into a series win for Syracuse, homering in both games Sunday at NBT Bank Stadium as the Mets dropped Game 1, 6-4, then edged Buffalo 1-0 in the second game.

The decisive swing came in the fourth inning of Game 2, when Clifford lined a solo homer to right for his 10th of the season. That made him the first Mets minor leaguer to reach double-digit home runs in 2026 and gave Syracuse the only run it needed in a tight, low-scoring finish.

Clifford had already provided power in the opener, launching a solo shot to right in the sixth inning for his ninth homer of the year. It was not enough to erase Buffalo’s early damage. R.J. Schreck opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first and then broke the game open with a three-run blast in the third, putting the Bisons ahead 4-0 before Syracuse could settle in.

Syracuse did claw back. Jared Young drove in a run with an RBI single, Jihwan Bae was part of a run-scoring fielder’s choice and error sequence, and Cristian Pache added a sacrifice fly to keep the Mets within reach. Buffalo answered with insurance in the sixth, however, and Syracuse could not close the gap.

Jack Wenninger took the loss in Game 1 after allowing five hits and six runs, five earned, in 5.1 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Even with the rough line, Wenninger remained the International League leader in ERA at 2.20 and opponent batting average at .181 after the doubleheader.

The nightcap belonged to the Syracuse bullpen. Joey Gerber worked two scoreless innings to start the bullpen game, Danis Correa handled a clean third and fourth, and Nate Lavender protected the 1-0 lead in the sixth by striking out Schreck and inducing a groundout from Charles McAdoo. Buffalo threatened only briefly in that inning after Jonatan Clase reached and advanced on a balk and a groundout, but Lavender shut the door.

Syracuse entered the doubleheader at 27-23 and Buffalo at 25-26, and the split still left the Mets with the bigger result: four wins in six games over the Bisons. That mattered on a day that showed both sides of Triple-A baseball, one game defined by missed chances and another decided by a single swing.

The power surge also fit a larger pattern. Earlier in the week, Syracuse had piled up 31 runs on 38 hits through three games, the most in Triple-A baseball at that point in the week. Clifford’s two-homer day gave that stretch a face and a finish, and it gave the Mets a clear takeaway from the homestand: when the lineup is rolling, one bat can still swing the whole series.