With the pennant race heating up, the Mets hope to get a big piece back just in time for the stretch run. Max Scherzer made his first start since going down with left oblique irritation 11 days ago. Scherzer looked solid as he cruised through 3 2/3 innings, giving up a run and striking out seven.

Meanwhile, there was more encouraging news in Syracuse as Francisco Álvarez made his first start at catcher since he went down with a left ankle injury nearly a month ago. Álvarez’s previous two starts since returning from his injury were as a DH. In Binghamton, the Rumble Ponies would split their doubleheader with Harford.

Brooklyn and St. Lucie had the night off as both clubs get ready for game two in their respective playoff matchups.

Buffalo Bisons (71-64) 2 vs. Syracuse Mets (56-81) 1 F/10  BOX SCORE

• LF Jake Mangum: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, .302/.365/.433
• C Francisco Álvarez: 0-for-3, BB, .245/.357/.497
• 3B Yolmer Sánchez: 2-for-4, .253/.376/.405
• RF Khalil Lee: 2-for-4, .217/.334/.375

Syracuse was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Buffalo through most of this game. The Mets were held off the scoreboard until the eighth inning when a Jake Mangum RBI-double drove in Travis Jankowski to tie the game at one. That would be all the runs the Mets would be able to score as they lost in ten innings 2-1.

Jake Mangum continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the Mets system in September. Since the month began, Mangum is batting .357 with a .928 OPS and has driven in eight runs with four stolen bases. His progress was derailed this season as he missed most of the summer with a back injury, but he looks determined to finish his season strong.

• RHP Max Scherzer: 3.2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, BB, 7 SO, 2.45 ERA
• LHP Sam Clay: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.69 ERA
• RHP R.J. Alvarez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.86 ERA

Max Scherzer made what he hopes to be his only rehab start before going back up to the big club. He looked as dominant as ever as he got off to a sensational start, striking out two and retiring the side in order in the first on 12 pitches. He gave up a leadoff home run in the second, but that was the only bump in the road for Scherzer as he settled down to strike out seven Bison batters and had his command working all night, throwing 41 of his 59 pitches for strikes.

Rehabbing @Mets hurler Max Scherzer made his @SyracuseMets debut:
3.2 IP
3 H
1 R
1 BB
7 K
59 pitches; 41 strikes pic.twitter.com/I0Owons38x

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 14, 2022

After Scherzer was taken out with two outs in the fourth, Sam Clay and the rest of the Syracuse bullpen would follow his lead and shut down Buffalo’s offense through the next five innings. The Bisons would finally break through in the tenth with an RBI single off Locke St. John, who wound up being the losing pitcher in a 2-1 defeat.

Game One: Hartford Yard Goats (74-58) 6 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (51-80) 2 F/7   BOX SCORE

• 2B Wyatt Young: 1-for-3, BB, .274/.371/.392
• RF Rowdey Jordan: 1-for-3, R, 2B, .247/.350/.369
• C Hayden Senger: 2-for-3, R, HR (5), 2 RBI, .247/.317/.362

The Binghamton offense was held scoreless through the first six innings as they managed to get just two hits off Hartford pitching. Down 6-0 heading into the seventh inning, the Rumble Ponies finally came alive with a leadoff double from Rowdey Jordan. Hayden Senger would follow up with a two-run home run as Binghamton would avoid the shutout in a 6-2 seven-inning loss.

• RHP David Griffin: (L,1-7) 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 2 SO, 5.28 ERA
• RHP Hunter Parsons: 2 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, SO, 5.11 ERA
• RHP Michael Krauza: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA

After twirling five no-hit innings in his last start, David Griffin would fall back to earth in this one. Griffin would last three innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. He did have more control in this start than his last one, allowing just one walk, as opposed to the five free passes he issued in his previous outing.

Hunter Parsons and Antonio Santos wouldn’t fare much better in relief as they would give up three more runs in their three combined innings of work. Michael Krauza would finish the night with a scoreless sixth inning. Krauza, who was signed two months ago to a minor league contract, has progressed through the Mets system nicely. The 25-year-old out of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, has pitched 5 2/3 innings with Double-A Binghamton without surrendering a run and striking out eight.

Game two: Hartford Yard Goats (75-58) 4 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (51-81) 3 F/7   BOX SCORE

• LF Zach Ashford: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, .245/.313/.361
• DH Ronny Mauricio: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, .253/.291/.462
• 3B Luke Ritter: 1-for-3, RBI, .206/.313/.364

The Binghamton offense would get off to a much better start in the nightcap of their doubleheader. Ronny Mauricio would lace a double in the first, his 26th of the season, and was driven in on a Luke Ritter sacrifice fly to give Binghamton an early 1-0 lead. In the second inning, the Rumble Ponies would strike for two more runs on a two-run single from Zach Ashford. But from there, the Binghamton offense would stall and they were held off the scoreboard for the remaining five innings as Hartford would sweep the doubleheader with a 4-3 victory.

Jefrey De Los Santos would make his Double-A debut in this game at second base. The 19-year-old has spent his first two seasons with the Met organization in the Dominican Summer League and the Florida Complex League. De Los Santos would also collect his first Double-A hit and run in this game going 1-for-2 with a walk.

• RHP Alex Valverde: (L,2-8) 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 5.79 ERA
• RHP Joe Zanghi: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, SO, 3.00 ERA

Valverde’s first five innings in this game went as smoothly as possible. Despite allowing five hits, he would only give up one run and struck out six as he appeared to be heading to one of his best starts of the season. It would all fall apart for him in the sixth inning. After retiring the first batter, the next three would reach base on two hits and a walk which cut the Binghamton lead to 3-2.

Joe Zanghi would come in relief of Valverde and couldn’t stop the bleeding as he’d give up two more runs, all charged to Valverde to give Hartford the lead. The Rumble Ponies wouldn’t rally and suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Yard Goats.