Ronny Mauricio. Photo by Serena Spencer

TRIPLE-A: Syracuse Mets (46-64) 7, Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (52-57) 8, BOX SCORE (Final/10)

The Syracuse Mets lost in heartbreak fashion Friday night as the bullpen blew multiple leads late in the contest and fell 8-7 in extra innings to the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio combined for three homers on the night. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning Baty led off the frame and swatted a solo dinger. It was his second homer in as many games. The 23-year-old third baseman struggled in 86 games with the big club hitting .216/.289/.331 and is looking to get back on track in Triple-A, where he had success early in the year.

Ronny Mauricio cranked a 408-foot solo shot in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2. With the score still tied in the eighth, Mauricio stepped up to the dish and slugged his second round-tripper of the game, an opposite-field three-run homer giving Syracuse a 5-2 lead. The 22-year-old switch hitter is now up to 19 long balls and has also extended his hit streak to seven games. He is 9-for-31 (.290) with three homers, six RBIs, and three walks during that span and is making the case to get called up soon.

Right-hander Hunter Parsons took the mound in extra innings after pitching a scoreless ninth. The RailRiders tied the game immediately, with Franchy Cordero leading the onslaught against the Mets’ pitching staff all game. Cordero collected his third hit driving in both runners, and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. He went 3-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs.

William Woods allowed three hits and one walk in two scoreless innings. The 24-year-old right-hander was lights out in July for Double-A Binghamton. Woods posted a minuscule 1.00 ERA and 0.56 WHIP in seven games with five saves and ten punch-outs.

DOUBLE-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (53-52) 0, Somerset Patriots (62-42) 9, BOX SCORE

The Somerset Patriots right-hander Drew Thorpe (Yankees’ No. 5 prospect) threw eight scoreless frames with nine strikeouts against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies lineup as the Patriots topped the Rumble Ponies 9-0 Friday evening.

The Ponies looked like they would jump to an early lead in the first when Luisangel Acuña led off the game with a single and immediately swiped two bags to get into scoring position. Thorpe then went on to strike out the side and end the threat. The 21-year-old speedster has struggled in 39 at-bats since being acquired, hitting .179 with a .478 OPS, one extra-base hit, and six stolen bases.

Thorpe retired 20 batters in a row until a two-out base knock by Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh, but he was thrown out at second base attempting to stretch it into a double. The 23-year-old infielder is 3-for-24 with a homer and six RBIs in eight games with Binghamton.

  • RHP Luis Moreno (L, 7-5) 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 4.91 ERA

The Somerset lineup knocked around Luis Moreno Friday night. The 24-year-old right-hander surrendered seven runs on nine hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings. Moreno also served up two homers, a two-run dinger to designated hitter Josh Breaux, and a three-run jack to first baseman Ben Rice.

HIGH-A: Aberdeen IronBirds (50-53) 0, Brooklyn Cyclones (53-52) 5, BOX SCORE

Joander Suarez and Ryan Clifford propel the Brooklyn Cyclones to a 5-0 win over the Aberdeen IronBirds Friday night at Maimonides Park. The Cyclones scored all five runs with two outs.

Clifford got the Cyclones on the scoreboard by blasting a solo homer deep over the right-center wall in the first inning. The 20-year-old outfielder added an RBI base knock in the fifth and drew a walk in the contest. Clifford is hitting just .207 with two homers with four RBIs and has struck out an alarming 17 times in 33 plate appearances since joining High-A Brooklyn.

In the second inning, Drake Osborn smashed his ninth home run of the year. Osborn also single in the fifth and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The 25-year-old backstop has swatted three home runs in his last five games.

Alex Ramírez belted a two-run triple into the right-center field gap in the fifth inning, increasing the Cyclones’ lead to 4-0. The 20-year-old outfielder leads all Cyclones hitters with 48 RBIs. Ramírez is slashing a subpar .242/.332/.348, with a .680 OPS in 97 games.

 

  • RHP Joander Suarez (W, 4-9) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 11 K, 5.27 ERA
  • RHP Brendan Hardy (S, 1) 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K, 1.77 ERA

Cyclones starter Suarez tossed a gem Friday night against Aberdeen. The 23-year-old right-hander hurled six scoreless frames scattering three hits and one walk. Suarez racked up eleven strikeouts and generated 20 swings and misses on 95 pitches in the terrific outing. He has registered 11.8 strikeouts per nine in 19 appearances this year.

Brendan Hardy spun three hitless frames in relief with two punchouts and issued one free pass. The 23-year-old right-hander notched his first save of the year. Hardy boasts a 1.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 28/9 K/BB ratio in 14 games for High-A Brooklyn.

LOW-A: Palm Beach Cardinal (55-48) 3, St. Lucie Mets (36-69) 6, BOX SCORE

A four-run fourth inning catapults the St. Lucie Mets to a 6-3 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals Friday evening at Clover Park, snapping a five-game losing streak.

With the game scoreless heading into the fourth inning, second baseman Kevin Villavicencio yanked a double into left field, plating the first two runs. The 19-year-old infielder extended his hit streak to seven games and is 10-for-26 (.385) with four extra-base hits and seven runs batted in that span.

Catcher Fernando Villalobos struck a sacrifice fly making it 3-0. Outfielder Jefrey De Los Santos completed a four-run inning by ripping an RBI two-bagger giving the Mets a 4-0 edge.

De Los Santos then capped off the scoring in the ballgame with a 346-foot two-run jack in the seventh, his fifth homer of the year. The 20-year-old lefty hitter has a .205/.351/.357 slash line with 14 extra-base hits and a .708 OPS on the year.

Saul Garcia pitched a solid Friday night against the Cardinals, picking up his fourth win. Garcia allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 5 1/3 frames. The 20-year-old right-hander racked up five strikeouts in the outing. Garcia has posted a 5.19 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and an impressive 12.9 K/9.

Miguel Alfonseca notched his second save, tossing two scoreless frames, permitting a hit and a walk. Alfonseca fanned four and made an outstanding behind-the-back play to end the ballgame. The 23-year right-hander has not allowed a run in three appearances this month (5 2/3 innings.)

 

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL Marlins (23-22) 4, FCL Mets (27-17) 8, BOX SCORE

Ronald Hernandez drove in four runs Friday afternoon by going 1-for-1 with a double and drew a pair of walks. The 19-year-old backstop hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and belted a bases-loaded clearing double in the third, giving the Mets a 4-0 lead. Hernandez has a solid .833 OPS with nine walks to five strikeouts in eight games with the Mets.

2023 third-round pick Nolan McLean clobbered a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his first professional hit and extended the Mets’ lead to 6-2. McLean also drew a walk in the seventh and struck out twice in the contest. The 22-year-old slugger slashed .250/.379/.532 with nine homers, 29 RBIs, and a .911 OPS in 153 plate appearances at Oklahoma State.

Lorenzo Cedrola is rehabbing in the FCL and went 2-for-4 with a walk and scored a pair of runs. The 25-year-old outfielder has been out of action since early June and is 4-for-11 in three games.

Right-hander Ernesto Mercedes yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits over 3 2/3 frames. He finished with three punchouts and issued five walks. The 19-year-old Dominican native is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and eight strikeouts and six walks in two appearances (one start) in August.

21-year-old right-hander Brett Banks made his professional debut in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out in an 8-4 game. Banks retired the final two batters of the frame on four pitches by strikeout and flyout. The 2023 eleventh-round draft pick posted a 1-3 record with a 4.23 ERA, eight saves, 10.3 strikeouts per nine across 38 1/3 innings at UNC Wilmington.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE: DSL Rangers Blue (17-28) 4, DSL Mets Blue (20-24) 8, BOX SCORE

In the bottom of the first inning, Jostyn Almonte blasted a grand slam over the left field fence to give the DSL Mets Blue an early 4-0 advantage. The 20-year-old outfielder has a 1.012 OPS with a pair of doubles, three jacks, and twelve RBIs in 30 plate appearances this month.

With the Mets Blue leading 5-4, they added three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Branny De Oleo knocked in two runs with a base hit. The 18-year-old middle infielder collected a pair of hits in the contest and is 10-for-23 with two doubles and five RBIs during a five-game hit streak. Cleanup hitter Daiverson Gutierrez plated the final run with an RBI sacrifice fly. The 17-year-old catcher out of Venezuela finished 1-for-2 and drew a pair of walks in the game. Gutierrez signed a 1.9 million bonus in the 2023 International Free Agency period is hitting a mere .199 on the season but has shown good walk and strikeout rates with 20 BB to 28 Ks in 44 games.

22-year-old southpaw Brayhans Barreto tossed four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. Barreto fanned seven batters and issued four walks. The Venezuelan lefty is 1-2, with a 4.85 ERA and a 12.1 K/9 in 26 innings this season.

Frelianderson Seijas fired 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. The 18-year-old right-hander scattered two hits and struck out three. Seijas has allowed 40 base runners across 18 1/3 inning leading to a 6.38 ERA and a 2.02 WHIP on the season.

 

DSL NYY Bombers (21-24) 2, DSL Mets Orange (19-27) 3, BOX SCORE

The DSL Mets Orange held on to a 3-2 win over the DSL NYY Bombers Friday afternoon. The Mets Orange took an early lead of 3-0 in the first two innings. In the first frame, Julio Zayas got the Mets on the scoreboard with an RBI sacrifice fly. The 17-year-old backstop is tied for fourth in the DSL with 39 RBIs.

Two batters later, Randy Guzman laced a two-out base knock plating the second run. The 18-year-old outfielder is 4-for-12 with one double, one homer, three RBIs, and four walks in his last five games.

Anthony Baptist knocked in a run in the second inning with a one-out base hit. The 17-year-old speedster signed for seven figures in January 2023 out of the Dominican Republic is hitting .256/.439/.423, a .862 OPS, seven extra-base hits, and swiped eight stolen bases in 107 plate appearances.

19-year-old Edgar Moreta hurled five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk to earn his fourth victory. The right-hander also fanned six in the outing. Moreta has registered a 3.59 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 45/17 K/BB ratio in 12 starts.

Arlison Rodriguez fired the final four scoreless frames picking up his second save. The 20-year-old southpaw yielded just one hit and a pair of walks while racking up six punchouts.