Mets outlast RailRiders 7-4 in 13-inning marathon, longest since 2019

Syracuse survived a 13-inning war of attrition at PNC Field because every time Scranton/Wilkes-Barre punched back, the Mets found another answer. By the time Christian Arroyo lined a two-run single to left in the 13th, Syracuse had already leaned on a ninth-inning rally, a game-saving throw in the 11th and eight innings from a taxed bullpen to pull out a 7-4 win.

The game lasted 4 hours and 11 minutes, Syracuse’s longest by time since becoming the Mets affiliate in 2019, and it stretched into the 13th inning for the first time since July 30, 2018, against Pawtucket. That alone tells the story. This was not a clean win or a tidy comeback. It was a survival test in Moosic, Pennsylvania, with Syracuse entering at 21-16 and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at 19-18 in a tight International League race.

Syracuse grabbed the first punch in the second inning when Nick Morabito drew a bases-loaded walk to score Christian Pache. Hayden Senger widened the lead with a solo homer in the sixth, and Jack Wenninger did his part by firing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. For five innings, Syracuse had the kind of edge that usually travels.

Then Scranton/Wilkes-Barre cracked it open. Jonathan Ornelas hit a two-run homer in the seventh, Seth Brown added a solo shot in the eighth, and the RailRiders moved ahead 4-2. Carlos Lagrange, the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, had given Scranton/Wilkes-Barre five innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and touched 102.8 mph, the fastest pitch tracked by Statcast in the minors this season. For most clubs, that is enough to close the door. Not here.

Syracuse kept the line moving in the ninth. Jihwan Bae reached on an error, Ryan Clifford doubled in a run, and Yonny Hernández followed with the tying single. The biggest defensive play came two innings later, when Bae threw out Oswaldo Cabrera at the plate from left field to keep the game level in the 11th.

The 13th finally broke it. Matt Rudick started on second, Morabito reached on a sacrifice-bunt play that turned into a throwing error by Ali Sánchez, and Rudick scored the go-ahead run. Morabito stole second, Bae singled, and Arroyo delivered the swing that put Syracuse in control for good. Arroyo finished with three hits and two RBIs, and Mike Baumann handled a clean 13th to earn the save after Luke Jackson, Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, Alex Carrillo and Anderson Severino all helped bridge the gap. In a night built on outs, Syracuse simply lasted longer.