Rivera grand slam powers Bisons past Mets in rain-shortened win

Buffalo seized Thursday afternoon at Sahlen Field long before the rain arrived, scoring seven runs in the first three innings and turning Syracuse’s trip into a scramble that never really found traction. By the time the game was called after five and a half innings, the Bisons had already built a 7-1 lead and left both clubs sitting at 6-7 in the early International League East race.

Riley Tirotta opened the damage with a two-run homer in the second inning, then Josh Rivera kept the pressure on with a double that set up William Simoneit’s RBI double for a 3-0 lead. Buffalo finished the second with three runs on the board, and the third inning made the margin look even harsher: RJ Schreck singled, Josh Kasevich and Tirotta drew walks to load the bases, and Rivera unloaded a grand slam to center field that broke the game open at 7-0.

Syracuse had one brief chance to interrupt the surge when José Rojas singled and Vidal Bruján walked in the second, but the Mets could not cash in. Anderson Severino, the 31-year-old left-hander, worked a scoreless first, yet Joander Suarez, the 26-year-old right-hander, was tagged for all seven Buffalo runs over the second and third. Mike Baumann stabilized the fifth with a scoreless inning, but by then the Bisons had already done the decisive damage.

The Mets finally scored in the sixth when MJ Melendez reached, Ryan Clifford walked and Christian Arroyo lined an RBI single to left to bring Melendez home. Melendez, a 27-year-old former second-round pick, was one of the few Syracuse hitters to reach base in the late innings, but the rally came too late to matter. The rain ended the night with the Mets needing a comeback that the early deficit had already erased.

Buffalo’s outburst also continued a strong stretch against Syracuse after the Bisons swept Wednesday’s doubleheader, 2-0 and 4-3. The clubs are back at it Saturday at Sahlen Field, with Carl Edwards Jr. scheduled to start for Syracuse against Buffalo’s CJ Van Eyk, and the Mets will need a much cleaner first few innings if they want to keep the series from slipping away again.