Kranick pitches for Syracuse in series-opening romp over RailRiders
Former Valley View star Max Kranick made a homecoming Tuesday, pitching for the Syracuse Mets in a 12-1 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the opening game of a seven-game series at PNC Field in Moosic.
Kranick worked two scoreless and hitless innings in relief, striking out two.
The righthander relieved starter Jose Butto to begin the bottom of the seventh inning and hit the first batter he faced, T.J. Rumfield. But after getting Carlos Narvaez to pop out, he got Taylor Trammell to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and end the inning. He then pitched a perfect eighth inning.
He threw 19 pitches, 10 for strikes.
After being designated for assignment by the New York Mets on May 6, Kranick cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse on May 11. He made two relief appearances before Tuesday.
This was the first time Kranick faced the RailRiders in 27 career Triple-A games.
Butto stymied the RailRiders with six shutout innings on two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
After scoring a run in the top of the first on an RBI groundout by Rylan Bannon, Syracuse erupted for five runs in the top of the second against Will Warren. Luisangel Acuna and Jose Iglesias had RBI singles and Bannon hit a three-run home run to make it 6-0.
Luke Ritter's three-run home run to left field off Warren in the fourth extended the Mets' lead to 9-0. Warren allowed nine earned runs on six hits in four innings to see his record fall to 3-3. He walked four and struck out the same.
Acuna's sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth off Yerry De Los Santos gave Syracuse a 10-0 lead. In the sixth, Ji Man Choi's two-run home run off Art Warren made it 12-0.
The RailRiders avoided being shut out in the bottom of the ninth. Jon Duplantier replaced Kranick and was greeted by a leadoff single from Brandon Lockridge. After Lockridge was wild-pitched to second, Caleb Durbin walked. Oswald Peraza singled to score Lockridge.
Duplantier settled down and got a double play and a strikeout to end the game.
The teams meet again Wednesday at 11:05 a.m. Syracuse's Joey Lucchesi (2-1, 2.58 ERA) faces the RailRiders' Edgar Barclay (3-2, 5.84) in a matchup of lefthanded pitchers.
