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Mets’ Lower Levels Pitching Excels In Victories

By Matt Mongin

April 27, 2024 No comments

The Brooklyn Cyclones and St. Lucie Mets were carried to victories by their pitching staffs. The Cyclones staff, led by starter Jordan Geber, combined for one hit and one walk allowed in nine innings pitched while striking out nine Wilmington batters. St. Lucie’s pitching combined to allow three hits and three walks, while striking eight batters in their nine innings of work. St. Lucie’s starter, Zach Thornton, led the charge en route to lowering his season ERA to 4.26. 

Triple-A

Columbus Clippers (10-14) 7, Syracuse Mets (12-11) 5

BOX SCORE

  • CF Ben Gamel: 2-for-3, 2 R, HR (5), 2B, RBI (10), BB (.1.003 OPS)
  • 3B Rylan Bannon: 1-for-3, R, HR (4), RBI (9), BB, 2 K (.845 OPS)
  • DH Mark Vientos: 1-for-5, R, HR (5), 3 RBI (22), 2 K (.923 OPS)
  • 2B Luisangel Acuña: 1-for-4, R, 3B, BB (.590 OPS)

The Clippers lit up Syracuse pitching early, scoring runs in the first three innings of the ballgame, but the Mets would tie up the ballgame after a Mark Vientos three-run blast. Columbus would soon take a two-run lead after runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but Syracuse battled back, hitting two solo homers by Ben Gamel and Rylan Bannon. A Jhonkensy Noel eighth-inning homer put the game outreach for Syracuse, handing them their 11th loss of the season. 

Top pitching prospect Mike Vasil’s struggles continued after his condensed outing against Columbus. After giving up two early runs, Vasil was pulled after throwing 70 pitches in only two innings of work. The University of Virginia alumni has a 10.91 ERA on the season, a far cry from his career 4.62 ERA. 

The Mets bullpen struggled to keep runs off the board, allowing five runs in seven innings. On the brighter side, Danny Young had a clean inning and two-thirds of work, lowering his season ERA to 1.13. 

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (9-9) 5, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (8-11) 3 In 10 Innings

BOX SCORE

The Binghamton offense converted runs when needed in their Friday night win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Led by Rowdey Jordan and his four hits, the Rumble Ponies scored runs in the third and sixth innings via a Matt Rudick homer and Kevin Parada sacrifice fly. Although his OPS and average do not reflect it, Parada has been productive in bringing home runs. The 22-year-old catcher has nine RBI on the season, good for second on the Binghamton team. The Fisher Cats would put up runs in the sixth and eighth innings, sending the game to extras where the Rumble Ponies jumped all over the host. Binghamton put up three runs, giving them a 5-3 lead, which would be too harsh for the Fisher Cats to come back from.

Aside from a home run in the sixth inning, Suarez was overwhelmingly effective in his outing. Although he didn’t have his usual strikeout numbers, Suarez earned plenty of outs via groundballs or weak contact resulting in easy flyouts. The bullpen conceded three runs, two of which were earned, allowing the Rumble Ponies’ offense to lead the way to victory. Wilkin Ramos earned the interesting stat of receiving the win for the game and a blown save without giving up a hit or run. 

High-A

Wilmington Blue Rocks (12-7) 0, Brooklyn Cyclones (10-9) 3

BOX SCORE

On a night when the pitching staff shined, the Cyclones’ offense produced enough to earn themselves a victory. Brooklyn opened the scoring in the fifth inning after William Lugo worked a walk that brought in Junior Tilien. This set up a run scored by Kevin Villavicencio after a Blue Rocks wild pitch. Brooklyn added to its lead in the next frame when Junior Tilien brought home Drake Osborn with a sacrifice fly. 

The Cyclones’ combined one-hitter was the highlight of the night. Geber, Banks, and Lawson were all excellent, allowing only two baserunners all night. The pitching staff struck out nine Wilmington batters and garnered tons of soft contact, which led to easy outs for the Cyclones’ defense. 

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (9-10) 2, Daytona Beach Tortugas (4-10) 0

BOX SCORE

Although the Mets accumulated seven hits on the night, St. Lucie only managed to bring two runs home against the Tortugas. But, with fantastic pitching performances coming from Zach Thornton and the St. Lucie bullpen, two runs were all they needed. The Mets scored their lone two runs in the second inning after a throwing error by Daytona’s shortstop brought home Christopher Suero and Cuevas. 

Nick Morabito’s performance was nothing short of impressive. He continued to dominate Low-A pitchers at the plate and showcasing his above-average defense in centerfield. Morabito’s three hits in the game raised his triple slash line to an outstanding .387/.506/1.038. His consistent performance is a testament to his skill and dedication. Top prospect Marco Vargas also made a triumphant return from injury, hitting two singles and snagging two bags in his first game since April 11th. 

Marco Vargas, Photo by Ed Delany of Mets Minors

  • RHP Zach Thornton (W, 1-0): 5 IP, 0 ER, H, 2 BB, 6 K (44 of 71 pitches for strikes)
  • RHP Jawilme Ramirez: 3 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, K 
  • RHP Alan Perdomo (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, K

Zach Thornton and the St. Lucie staff controlled this Friday evening battle with Daytona Beach. Allowing only three hits and three walks, the Mets pitching staff limited the Tortugas’ momentum with timely strikeouts and an excess of ground ball putouts. 

 

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Written by mattmongin

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