Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Newly promoted prospect, Jake Mangun had three hits for the Syracuse Mets while Mark Vientos continued his torrid May with a two hit performance that included a home run as the Mets rolled in a 7-3 win over Rochester. Meanwhile, five St. Lucie Met batters bashed five home runs in an 8-6 win over Dunedin.

Rochester Red Wings (27-17) 3 vs. Syracuse Mets (15-27) 7    BOX SCORE

  • CF Jake Mangum: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, .299/.373/.425
  • DH Daniel Palka: 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR (10), 3 RBI, .216/.319/.496
  • 3B Mark Vientos: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR (6), 2 RBI, .223/.313/.464

The Syracuse Mets jumped all over the Red Wings early and often in this one. Daniel Palka got things started right away in the first inning with a three-run home run. The Mets would add on run in the second and then in the fifth inning, Khalil Lee would lace an RBI double into left field to extend the Met lead to 5-0. Mark Vientos continues to have a hot month of May as he added a two-run home run in the seventh, his sixth on the season as the Mets rolled over Rochester 7-3.

It’s safe to say that Vientos is out of his early season slump. Coming into May he was hitting a woeful .164 and had an OPS of just .569. That’s not the case as May comes to a close though. Vientos has an average thus far of .277 and an impressive OPS of .945. He’s also homered in five of his 46 at bats in May. Jake Mangum also enjoyed success in this game with a three-hit performance. In his brief two game period with Triple-A Syracuse he’s proved that he’s earned his promotion with a .571 batting average to date.

  • RHP Connor Grey: (W, 3-1) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.03 ERA
  • LHP Locke St. John: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.55 ERA
  • RHP R.J. Alvarez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 2.93 ERA

On May 5th, Connor Grey had a miserable start against Lehigh Valley. In just 3 1/3 innings he was knocked around for six runs on seven hits and three walks. He saw his ERA balloon to 7.52. Since that start, Grey has looked like a totally different pitcher and in the 17 innings that have followed he has yet to give up a run which included six shutout innings in this game with Grey being awarded with the win. Grey also had excellent control of the ball today allowing no walks while also striking out two.

R.J Alvarez also had another solid game as he saw his ERA drop below three by games end. His one and 2/3 innings scoreless innings helped seal the deal in Syracuse’s 7-3 victory.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (13-27) 1 vs. Reading Fightin Phils (18-23) 5  BOX SCORE

After a 4-3 win in their series opening game in Reading, the Rumble Ponies couldn’t keep the momentum going in this game as their bats went flat against Reading pitching. Super prospect Francisco Álvarez had one of the Rumble Ponies three hits with a double in the ninth. Luke Ritter would collect the other two hits for Binghamton and also drove in their only run of the game with a fourth inning double as the Rumble Ponies would fall in Reading 5-1

  • RHP David Griffin: (L, 0-3) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 9.42 ERA
  • LHP Nate Fisher: 2.1 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 4.05 ERA
  • RHP Willy Taveras: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO, 3.48 ERA

The Binghamton pitching turned in a similarly lackluster game as the Binghamton offense. Starter David Griffin wouldn’t make it out of the third inning before allowing Reading to tack on two runs on four hits and two walks. Relievers Nate Fisher and Willy Taveras would keep the Rumble Ponies in the game, giving up a combined one earned run in 4 1/3 innings but the offense couldn’t keep up and the Rumble Ponies saw the Fightin Phils even up the series at a game a piece.

Game 1 F/8: Brooklyn Cyclones (18-19) 11 vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods (23-16) 9    BOX SCORE

  • LF Rowdey Jordan: 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, .244/.347/.370
  • DH Jose Mena: 4-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR (2), 4 RBI, .315/.351/.438
  • C Nic Gaddis: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, .207/.287/.305

The Brooklyn Cyclones first game, in their 21-year history, in the Central Time Zone was a wild slugfest. In game one of their doubleheader the score might have been even larger had it been a traditional nine inning game. Nevertheless, the Cyclones still managed to put up 11 runs, thanks in large part to Jose Mena. Mena torched the Hot Rods pitching all day tallying four hits, including a double and a home run and drove in four. Rowdey Jorden would also have a multi-RBI performance and Nic Gaddis would lace two doubles in helping the Cyclones take the matinee of their doubleheader in Bowling Green 11-9.

Other notable facts from Brooklyn’s offensive explosion. Eight of the nine Cyclones batters would score a run, six of them would have multi-hit games and as a team would gather 16 hits.

  • RHP Oscar Rojas: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.26 ERA
  • LHP Cam Opp: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1.86 ERA
  • RHP Jordan Yamamoto: (H,2) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 6.75 ERA
  • RHP Hunter Parsons: (W, 3-0) 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1.45 ERA

While the Cyclones offense was clicking on all cylinders a trio of Cyclone pitchers would have unusually bad performances on the mound. First, Oscar Rojas who came into this game with a sparkling 2.45 ERA, only lasted one inning, tied for his shortest start on the season. He gave up three runs in his brief one inning outing today which was as many runs as he allowed in his pervious two starts combined.

Next, usually reliable reliever, Cam Opp would struggle with his control as he allowed three walks but still managed to limit the damage to only one earned up and kept his ERA below two. Finally, Hunter Parsons would register his first blown save of the season when he gave up three runs in the seventh to allow Bowling Green to tie the game up. He would settle down in the eighth though and earn himself and the Cyclones a win.

Brooklyn Cyclones (18-20) o vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods (24-16) 8   BOX SCORE

The Cyclones seemed completely out of gas in their nightcap against Bowling Green. Their offensive reign in game one washed away in game two as Brooklyn was only able to scratch out one hit and wouldn’t get a runner past first base over seven innings in what was an ugly 8-0 loss to the Hot Rods.

  • LHP Nick Zwack: (L,0-1) 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 3.00 ERA
  • RHP Garrison Bryant: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 4.21 ERA

While Nick Zwack took the loss in the box score it wasn’t exactly a poor performance in his third start with the Cyclones. Only one of the three runs he surrendered was earned and despite allowing five hits he managed to dance around danger throughout his start and his command was solid as he wouldn’t allow a walk and struck out three Hot Rod batters. Garrison Bryant would come in in relief for Zwack. He wouldn’t have nearly as good of a performance as he allowed the flood gates to open, giving up five runs on six hits as the Bowling Green offense would pick up where their left off in game one in an 8-0 drubbing of the Cyclones.

St. Lucie Mets (27-14) 8 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (18-23) 6   BOX SCORE

Five Met batters would connect for home runs as a St. Lucie power surge would overwhelm Dunedin all game long. Stanley Consuegra and Jack-Thomas Wold would get the long ball party started by going back-to-back in the fourth innings and in the sixth, Fernando Villalobos would slug his first Single-A home run. Oddly enough every one of the Mets home runs were solo shots but it was still enough offense to hold back the Blue Jays in an 8-6 win over Dunedin.

Raul Beracierta hit a solo home run as well, his second of the season and the right-hander is now hitting .303 for the year.

  • RHP Luis Moreno: (W, 3-0) 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 2.88 ERA
  • RHP Nate Jones: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.82

Luis Moreno has been lights out through the month of May. With six innings of no earned runs given up in this game he’s lowered his ERA for May to a dominant 0.86. While the Met offense would play long ball all night against the Blue Jays, Moreno would frustrate Blue Jay batters over the course of his six innings allowing them just four hits while striking out three as he earned his third win on the season and remains undefeated so far.

Nate Jones would make the game a little dicey in the ninth when he allowed the Blue Jays to score three runs but he wouldn’t give up the lead entirely as the Mets held on for their Florida State League best 27th win.