Mark Vientos played a key role in both of the Triple-A Syracuse Mets’ wins on Saturday, continuing his hot start to the 2024 season. Vientos is now hitting .333 with a 1.049 OPS across the early parts of the Triple-A season.

Mark Vientos. Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (3-3) 4, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3-3) 2 in 7 Innings

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Joey Lucchesi had to battle at the start of the first game of the doubleheader. After the Mets stranded Mark Vientos on first base, Lucchesi forfeited two runs via a walk and sacrifice fly while allowing some loud contact. But, the 30-year-old left-handed pitcher, as would the Syracuse lineup, found his groove. The Mets would score four unanswered runs to win the seven-inning opener of the doubleheader.

Mark Vientos would headline the game with his second home run of the year. The round-tripper would also be his sixth and seventh RBIs of the young season – he leads the Syracuse Mets in both categories.

  • LHP Joey Lucchesi: 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 4 K
  • LHP Dedniel Núñez (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 4 K
  • RHP Yacksel Ríos (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB

Syracuse’s pitching staff bounced back after a dreadful night where they allowed 15 walks to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hitters. Lucchesi really settled in after the first inning trouble, displaying his notable “churve” pitch. Núñez was solid again out of the bullpen, earning himself his first win of the season. 

Syracuse Mets (4-3) 9, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3-4) 6 in 8 Innings

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  • 3B Mark Vientos: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB
  • LF Trayce Thompson: 1-for-3, R, 4 RBI, K
  • SS Yolmer Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
  • CF Luisangel Acuña: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB

The nightcap of the doubleheader began with a scare when top prospect Drew Gilbert left the game in the top of the first with an apparent injury. He legged out an infield single but immediately was moving around gingerly, so the trainer and manager came out. Gilbert stayed in the game before going to second on a wild pitch and immediately leaving. 

The RailRiders would jump on the Mets again early when Jose Rojas hit a two-run home run. These would be the only runs scored until the top of the seventh inning, where Syracuse put a five-spot behind the work of Trayce Thompson, Jiman Choi, and Yolmer Sanchez. The Mets would blow the save in the bottom half of the frame after four consecutive walks and a game-tying Caleb Durin single. But the Mets would carry their offensive momentum from the previous inning into extras, where they put up four runs on SWB’s Josh VanMeter. 

The RailRiders, needing another late-game comeback, scored only one in the final frame, giving the Mets a sweep of the doubleheader. 

The second half of the doubleheader was a bullpen game for Syracuse. Nate Lavender acted as the opener for the Mets, going an inning and a third and giving up two runs and three walks. Tyler Jay would take on the middle relief role and succeed, going three and a third innings of no-run ball. David Griffin held down the seventh and eighth innings to earn his first win of the year.

Kevin Parada. Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (1-1) 3, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1-1) 9

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Binghamton would jump on the Fisher Cats early, as five of the first seven batters got on base with singles or walks. Matt Rudick and JT Schwartz brought in runs to put the Rumble Ponies up 3-0. Trouble with his pitch location in the top of the third caused starting pitcher Troy Miller to surrender the three-run cushion quickly, but the young Binghamton lineup picked up their pitcher with two runs in the bottom of the frame to give them a 5-3 lead after two. 

It would be all Binghamton the rest of the way. In the bottom of the fourth, a Kevin Parada single and three walked-in Rumble Ponies scored four more runs. Binghamton worked a total of 11 walks in the game on top of their nine hits. 

  • RHP Troy Miller 3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, K
  • RHP Junior Santos (W, 1-0): 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB
  • RHP Wilkin Ramos: 3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, K

Aside from the second inning when the Fisher Cats got the first four batters on base, Troy Miller successfully earned ground balls or easy flyouts for his defense. Junior Santos came in from the bullpen and stole the show, throwing three innings and not allowing a hit. His pitch mix created a plethora of weak contact that the Binghamton defense thoroughly enjoyed. Wilkin Ramos finished the final third of the game, yielding only two hits and a strikeout. 

William Lugo. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (0-2) 2, Wilmington Blue Rocks (2-0) 4

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It was a starting pitching duel as both teams combined for one hit through the first four innings. The game opened up more once the teams brought in arms from their bullpens. William Lugo kicked off the scoring in the top of the fifth inning with a run-scoring double that scored two runs due to a throwing error by the Blue Rocks.

Wilmington countered in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run knock of its own by Murphy Stehly. 

Brooklyn had the opportunity to take a late lead in the top of the ninth but failed to convert with runners on second and third. Wilmington punished the Cyclones for not taking their chance. After the leadoff hitter drew a walk, Jared McKenzie hit a two-run, walk-off bomb, sending Brooklyn to 0-2 on the year.

In four innings of work, De La Cruz pitched efficiently and precisely, throwing only 59 pitches with a strike percentage of 68%. Jordan Geber faced a little more resistance in his three innings on the mound, surrendering the two-run single in the sixth that tied the game at two. Simon pitched the eighth and ninth innings, conceding two walks and the walk-off two-run home run.

Nick Morabito. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

Daytona Tortugas (1-1) 6, St. Lucie Mets (1-1) 2

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St. Lucie was the final game to wrap up Saturday evening. Port St. Lucie took a 2-0 lead in the third inning after a Jesus Baez RBI triple and Vincent Perozo walk. Daytona would tie the game in the fifth with a two-run Carter Graham single. The Tortugas would put up a four spot in the seventh inning and take the lead for good. 

St. Lucie had some encouraging signs in the loss. J.D. Martinez was on base twice in the game and notched his first hit as part of the Mets organization in the bottom of the third inning. Top-30 prospect Nick Morabito carried over his hot start from game one of the season to game two. He was on base three times and showed off his plus speed by snagging his first base of the season. 

Wyatt Hudepohl, a 2023 fourth-round draft pick out of UNC-Charlotte, got his first professional start against the Daytona Tortugas and showed his elite upside. Known as a strikeout pitcher in college, Hudepohl demonstrated his devastating power curve and mid-90s fastball en route to striking out six Tortugas. The continued development of his other pitches, namely his splitter and cutter, will be interesting to follow. 

The bullpen was unable to hold Daytona off the board. Ovalles and Garcia gave up most of the damage after allowing walks to compound into rallies.