Rochester (4-9) 5, Syracuse (7-7) 4 Box Score

It was a rough start last night for the Mets offense as each of the first seven batters struck out to start the game leading to a total of eleven strikeouts through the first five innings. The Mets would break through in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a two run home run from Travis Taijeron to cut the Red Wings lead to 4-2. The Mets would continue to chip away with a run in the top of the seventh inning on a bases loaded RBI single by Adeiny Hechavarria to pull within one. David Thompson would tie the game in the top of the eighth inning with a solo home run to left center field.

  • RHP Chris Mazza: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB | 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
  • LHP Daniel Zamora: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K | 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
  • RHP Eric Hanhold: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, Loss | 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP

With yesterday’s original scheduled starting pitcher, Drew Gagnon, called up for service in Queens, Chris Mazza was promoted from (AA) Binghamton to make his first start of the year. Mazza only allowed a walk through his first 3.1 innings of work before hitting a batter and allowing two runs to score on three straight singles in the top of the fourth inning. Mazza would allow two more runs to score in the fifth inning on a home run by Luke Raley after a fielding error by David Thompson and a errant throw by Danny Espinosa on a double play attempt. He would settle back in though with a 1-2-3 inning with 2 Ks in the sixth to end his night.

Daniel Zamora appeared in relief of Mazza and was superb, striking out three of the five batters he faced. Even though he faced three right handers during his appearance, Zamora would not be allowed to face the right handed Wilin Rosario as Eric Hanhold was summoned from the bullpen to face him with the score tied 4-4. The move did not work out though as Rosario launched an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall to give the Red Wings a 5-4 lead. Hanhold would strike out the next two batters to finish his night but ended up taking the loss.

New Hampshire (6-7) 10, Binghamton (4-4) 4 Box Score

With the team down 4-0 after the top half of the third inning, Andres Gimenez would open the scoring for the Rumble Ponies with an RBI double to drive in Sam Haggerty for his second RBI of the young season. The Ponies would tack on three more in the fourth inning, the first of which came on an RBI single by Kevin Kaczmarski driving in Arismendy Alcantara from second base. The next batter, Braxton Lee, would follow up with a two run double to left field to bring home Dario Pizzano and Kaczmarski to tie the game up at 4-4. The Ponies offense would struggle to drive in runs the rest of the game as the team combined to go 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position the rest of the way.

  • LHP David Peterson: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 3 BB, Loss | 0-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
  • RHP Ryder Ryan: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R | 0-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
  • RHP Zack Jones: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB | 1-0, 11.25 ERA, 2.00 WHIP
  • RHP Matt Blackham: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K | 0-0, 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP

Peterson was a ground ball machine to start the game as he generated six straight ground ball outs to open up the game. Things unraveled in the third inning though as some of those ground-balls started finding holes. Peterson wasn’t helped by his defense either as a throwing error by Sam Haggerty and a fielding error by Joshua Palacios allowed two runs to score followed by both of those batters scoring on a two RBI single by Santiago Espinal to give the Fisher Cats an early 4-0 lead. Peterson would pitch into the sixth inning before handing off an inherited runner to Ryder Ryan but the runner would score on a passed ball by Patrick Mazieka to tack on one more unearned run to Peterson’s ledger and give the Fisher Cats a 5-4 lead.

Zack Jones would follow Ryan, tossing a clean seventh inning, but, things would fall apart for him in the eighth inning. A single, two walks, and another defensive miscue on a fielder’s choice would allow a run to score leading to him being pulled with the bases loaded in favor of Matt Blackham. Unfortunately, the first batter he would face, Santiago Espinal, would clear the bases with a grand slam to left field extending the Fisher Cats lead to 10-4. Blackham would strike out five of the next seven batters he would face.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMN

St. Lucie (8-6) 7, Fort Myers (9-5) 2 Box Score

  • CF Desmond Lindsay: 1-for-4, R, HR (1), RBI (5), 3 K | .222/.340/.333
  • LF/3B Blake Tiberi: 1-for-4, R, 3 RBI (8), BB, K, 2 SB (3) | .386/.451/.523
  • 3B/1B Todd Frazier: 1-for-2, R, HR (1), 3 RBI (8), 2 BB | .216/.326/.297

All of the St. Lucie scoring came in the bottom of the fourth inning with Desmond Lindsay kicking things off with a one out solo home run to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. After two singles and walk loaded the bases, Blake Tiberi would drive all three runners in with a double to left field to extend the lead to 4-0. Another walk would put two runners on for the rehabbing Todd Frazier who would proceed to launch one to deep left center field for a three run home run to cap off the scoring giving the Mets a 7-0 lead.

  • RHP Kyle Wilson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K, 2 BB, Win | 1-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
  • RHP Yeizo Campos: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB | 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
  • RHP Briam Campusano: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB | 1-1, 2.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP

Wilson bounced back nicely from his poor start last time out, shutting out Fort Myers for five innings last night while allowing only four base-runners. Campos and Campusano both provided two innings of work each to close out a pretty easy victory for the Port St. Lucie team.

Columbia (6-7) 2, Rome (5-8) 1 Box Score

Ronny Mauricio had himself a fantastic day at the plate racking up four hits on the night including a triple in the top of the fifth inning which turned into a run when Walter Rasquin drove him in on an RBI single. It’s Mauricio’s second four hit game this week and his fifth multi-hit game this season as he continues to perform as one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League. Rasquin would drive in the second run of the game in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI single to score Jose Miguel Medina from third to give the Fireflies a 2-0 lead. Mark Vientos started the game at 3B but was removed in top of the fifth inning for pinch hitter Wagner Lagrange. While no reason was given, Vientos did fail to run out a double play in the third inning.

  • RHP Jaison Vilera: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 K, 0 BB, Win | 1-1, 6.28 ERA, 1.60 WHIP
  • LHP Andrew Mitchell: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, Hold (1) | 0-0, 1.42 ERA, 1.58 WHIP
  • RHP Bryce Hutchinson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB, Hold (2) | 1-0, 4.32 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
  • RHP Ezequiel Zabaleta: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB, Save (3) | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.71 WHIP

Four Fireflies pitchers combined to hold the Braves to one unearned run on only five hits and no walks allowed. Jaison Vilera bounced back from the worst start of his career last time out producing his best start of the 2019 season with six shutout innings.