Jose Butto, Photo: Ed Delany

AAA: Worchester Red Sox (9-4) 0 vs. Syracuse Mets 1 (2-10) Game 1. F/8

After a freak April snowstorm postponed the previous game, Syracuse’s bats seemed to be stuck in a deep freeze as they struggled to muster up anything offensively all afternoon in game one of their doubleheader. Thanks to the extra inning rule, the Mets started the eighth inning with Quinn Brodey on second base. From there the Mets used small ball to get him home. A sacrifice bunt by Wyatt Young advanced Brodey to third and then a Travis Blankenhorn sacrifice fly brought him home as Syracuse was able to walk off in game one and snap their six-game losing streak.

Thomas Szapucki made his second start of the season and rebounded nicely from his rough first start. Szapucki got off to a sour start giving up a hit to the first batter he faced and then walking the next on four pitches. He settled down quickly after that striking out the side to end the inning and firing off a perfect second before Adonis Medina came in in relief. Medina picked up where Szapucki left off pitching two shutout innings of his own as he continued to dazzle since being signed by the Mets earlier this month. Andrew Mitchell, Eric Orze and Stephen Nogosek kept the shutout going combining to throw four scoreless innings on route to the win.

AAA: Worchester Red Sox 2 (9-5) vs. Syracuse Mets 4 (3-10) Game 2. F/7

  • SS Wyatt Young: 2-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB, .280/.455/.280
  • DH Daniel Palka: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR (3) , 3 RBI, 2 SO, .276/.344/.690
  • C Nick Meyer: 2-for-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, .261/.393/.435

Coming into today, the Syracuse Mets had only one win through their first eleven games. Today, they doubled that, winning both games of their doubleheader. After falling behind 2-0 in the first, the Mets rallied back in the third with singles from both Nick Meyer and Wyatt Young before Daniel Palka ripped his third home run of the season to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. In the sixth, Nick Meyer would add on an insurance run with an RBI double as Syracuse was able to sweep their doubleheader against first place Worchester.

  • LHP Rob Zastryzny: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 3.00 ERA
  • RHP Trey Cobb: (W 1-0) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 6.00 ERA
  • LHP Alex Claudio: (S, 1) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 1.50 ERA

Normally a reliever, Rob Zastryzny was given the start in the nightcap for Syracuse. He got into trouble in the first inning, giving up two singles and a walk which eventually led to two runs scoring, one of them unearned on a Zastryzny error. After that, Zastryzny was able reel it in over his next two innings of work as he shut Worchester down including a perfect third inning to end his night. Trey Cobb and Alex Claudio were able to keep the Red Sox off the board the rest of the night, allowing Syracuse to comeback and seal their doubleheader sweep.

AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies 6 (4-6) vs. Portland Sea Dogs (5-6) 1

Is there a team in the Mets Minor League System more exciting to watch right now than the Binghamton Rumble Ponies? Well, as long as Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty keep producing fireworks at the plate every night,  you’ll be hard pressed to find one. Álvarez got the scoring started for Binghamton in the fifth with a towering shot deep into left field which would’ve been a home run in most other ballparks, but it fell victim to Portland’s own version of the Green Monster and resulted in a two-run double which tied Álvarez for the Eastern League lead in RBIs with 12.

Brett Baty, through the first ten games of the season is flirting with .400 as he got his average up to .395. In the eighth Manny Rodriguez provided some insurance runs with a two-run home run, his first of the season as the Rumble Ponies rolled 6-1

  • RHP Jose Butto: (W 1-1) 5.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 0.66 ERA
  • RHP Yeizo Campos: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2.70 ERA
  • RHP Joe Zanghi: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1.42 ERA

While most of the talk is about Binghamton’s lineup, Jose Butto continues to sizzle in April on the mound. He went 5 1/3 scoreless innings lowering his ERA to a minuscule 0.66 and picked up his first win of the season. Butto worked in and out of trouble all night surrendering five hits and two walks but he was able to keep Portland off the scoreboard all night. Yeizo Campos and Joe Zanghi closed the game out and continued their impressive starts to the season as each of them have an ERA under three.

A+: Brooklyn Cyclones 4 (7-4) vs. Hudson Valley Renegades 3 (5-6) 

The Subway Series of the South Atlantic League continued with a 4-3 Brooklyn victory over the Yankees Single-A affiliate, Hudson Valley Renegades. JT Schwartz carried the load for the Cyclones with a multi-hit game and two RBI game. Schwartz reached base four times overall as he also collected two walks on the night. Perhaps Schwartz’s most important hit of the night came in the top of the ninth when he drove in Matt Rudick to extend the Cyclones lead to 4-2. That run would prove vital as Hudson Valley would score a run in their half of the ninth but couldn’t complete the comeback and the four runs for the Cyclones were enough for the win.

  • RHP David Griffin: 4.0 IP, 3H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR, 1.00 ERA
  • RHP Justin Courtney: (W 1-0) 2 H, 1 R, ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3.38 ERA
  • RHP Josh Hejka: (H,2) 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
  • RHP Reyson Santos: (S,1) 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1.50 ERA

David Griffin made his first start for Brooklyn after being used as a reliever for his first two appearances this season. He was more than serviceable as a starter, pitching four innings, allowing three hits, surrendering just one run and striking out five. He lowered his ERA to an impressive 1.00. From there the bullpen took over. Justin Courtney earned his first win of the season with an inning of relief while giving up a run. Reyson Santos struggled a bit with his command in the ninth as he gave up a run without allowing a hit as he was burned by two walks, but he was able to compose himself enough to nail down the save and the win for Brooklyn.

Alex Ramirez, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

A: St. Lucie Mets 0 (7-4) vs. Jupiter Hammerheads 2 (6-5)

St. Lucie’s offense was held to a rare goose egg as Jupiter shutout the visiting Mets 2-0. The hottest hitter in the Mets system though, Alex Ramirez, still managed to have an impressive night. He turned in another multi-hit game that included a double along with a walk as his average surged to an unreal .500 through his first eleven games of season. Ramirez is all over the league leaderboard including having the most hits with 18 in the FSL.

Shervyen Newton also stroked a double, but those were the only extra base hits on the night for the Mets as despite out hitting Jupiter 7-4, they couldn’t make the hits count in the run column. Newton had three batted balls of at least 95 mph on the night.

A rough third inning ruined Franklin Sanchez’s first start of the season for St. Lucie. He cruised through his first two innings with ease retiring six of the first seven batters he saw. Sanchez unraveled in the third as control issues would creep up as he hit a batter, uncorked a wild pitch and then gave up two singles which resulted in two runs scoring for the Hammerheads. He did, however, reach 99 mph with his fastball. Keyshawn Askew was nearly untouchable though in relief. Throwing four shutout innings, allowing just one hit, no walks, and striking out eight batters in the process. Askew had a 59% whiff rate combined on 29 swings, his fastball was up to 92 mph from an Askew angle.