Mets Minors Recap: Hamel Twirls Gem, Williams Shines in Brooklyn Debut
TRIPLE-A
Syracuse Mets (43-58) 5, Worcester Red Sox (54-48) 4
- SS Jonathan Arauz 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, BB, .773 OPS
- LF Ronny Mauricio 2-for-5, 2B, RBI (57), .838 OPS
- DH Luke Voit 2-for-4, R, HR (15), 2 RBI (43), BB, 1.035 OPS
The Syracuse Mets escaped with a 5-4 extra-innings win over the Worcester Red Sox at NBT Bank Stadium Tuesday night.
The Mets’ lineup had a difficult task facing off against rehabbing Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale. The 34-year-old lefty tossed two innings and allowed one hit. Ronny Mauricio secured the lone hit off the seven-time All-Star when he punched a double down the first base line in the first inning. The 22-year-old switch-hitter later forced extra innings with a clutch two-out game-tying base knock in the ninth, knotting the game at 3. Mauricio notched his 26th two-bagger and 57th RBI of the season.
Ronny Mauricio with a double off Chris Sale.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 1, 2023
In the fifth, Luke Voit cranked a 383-foot two-run jack over the right-center field fence to put Syracuse up 2-1. The 32-year-old slugger has seven homers in his last nine games for Syracuse. Voit added a base hit in the ninth inning.
Luke Voit has homered again for Triple-A Syracuse, his 7th home run in his last 30 at-bats.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 2, 2023
26-year-old Luke Ritter delivered the walk-off game-winning hit, giving the Mets a 5-4 win in ten innings. Ritter is hitting .248 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 47 games with Syracuse.
Luis Arauz collected a pair of doubles in the contest and scored twice. The 24-year-old infielder is hitting .244 with 14 doubles, three triples, 14 homers, and 49 RBIs in 395 plate appearances.
- RHP Eric Orze 3 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K, 6.50 ERA
- RHP Dennis Santana (W, 4-3) 2 IP, H, R, 0 ER, BB, 6 K, 4.25 ERA
Syracuse went with a bullpen game, and right-hander Eric Orze received the start. Orze permitted one run on two hits and a pair of walks in three innings. The lone run was a solo jack by Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela in the top of the first. The 25-year-old reliever struck out three and has 52 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings.
Still holding onto a 2-1 lead, Sean Reid-Foley entered the eighth frame with a runner on base and then faced a rehabbing Trevor Story, who hammered a two-run shot, giving the Sox a 3-2 edge.
Dennis Santana pitched two innings and picked up his fourth victory. Santana allowed just one unearned run and racked up six punchouts.
DOUBLE-A
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (48-48) 2, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (43-50) 0
- SS Luisangel Acuña 0-for-4
- 1B JT Schwartz 4-for-4, RBI (25), .746 OPS
- 3B Jose Peroza 1-for-4, RBI (49), .803 OPS
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies blanked the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2-0 Tuesday night at Mirabito Stadium.
Cleanup hitter Jose Peroza’s base knock in the first inning plated Rowdey Jordan to give Binghamton a 1-0 early lead. The 23-year-old Venezuelan native has 77 hits on the season; 33 have gone for extra-base hits.
23-year-old lefty-hitting JT Schwartz delivered a run-scoring base knock in the third inning, extending Binghamton’s lead to 2-0. The 2021 fourth-round pick collected four hits in the contest and recorded his third multi-hit game since his return from injury for the Rumble Ponies. Schwartz is 9-for-16 with five RBIs during that span.
Luisangel Acuña was making his organizational debut after the trade for Max Scherzer. Acuña went 0-for-4 on the night. The 21-year-old shortstop slashed .313/.377/.453 with 34 extra-base hits, 51 RBIs, 42 stolen bases, and a .830 OPS for the Texas Rangers Double-A affiliate.
- RHP Dominic Hamel (W, 5-5) 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 4.43 ERA
- LHP Matt Minnick 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1.38 ERA
- RHP Trey McLoughlin (S, 1) 1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2.61 ERA
Dominic Hamel tossed his second consecutive solid outing Tuesday night. He scattered two hits and three walks over 6 1/3 scoreless frames against New Hampshire. Hamel retired twelve batters in a row until a one-out walk in the sixth ended his evening. The 24-year-old hurler recorded seven punchouts and generated 16 swings and misses on the evening. Hamel now has 117 strikeouts across 89 1/3 innings for Double-A Binghamton, good for 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Dominic Hamel. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Southpaw Matt Minnick entered the game for Hamel in the sixth and retired the final two batters by strikeout. Minnick threw 1 2/3 hitless innings and fanned three in total. Trey McLoughlin pitched the final frame in relief and recorded his first save of the season. He permitted a two-out double but stranded the runner on second base to preserve the 2-0 win.
HIGH-A
Jersey Shore BlueClaws (51-45) 6, Brooklyn Cyclones (48-48) 3
- SS Jett Williams 1-for-2, R, RBI (1), 3 BB, SB (1), 1.800 OPS
- CF Alex Ramirez 2-for-4, 2 RBI (45), .699 OPS
- LF Rhylan Thomas 2-for-4, R, .813 OPS
The Jersey Shore BlueClaws beat the Brooklyn Cyclones 6-3 Tuesday evening as Jersey Shore scored four unearned runs in the sixth inning.
Jett Williams had a terrific game, reaching base four times in his High-A debut. He went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, three walks, a run scored, and swiped a base. In the fifth inning, with the Cyclones trailing 2-0, Williams drove in a run with a two-base knock to pull Brooklyn within a run at 2-1. The 19-year-old shortstop has walked 72 times in 80 games, and his on-base percentage is up to .427.
Jett Williams' first hit as a Cyclone is a @TDBank_US double to put us on the board!
Later in the frame, Alex Ramírez pulled Brooklyn in front on a two-run single. We're all knotted up, 3-3, in the 6th.#AmazinStartsHere #LGM pic.twitter.com/rnXnsCDL0a
— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) August 2, 2023
The next batter Alex Ramírez struck a two-run single to give Brooklyn a 3-2 advantage. Ramírez recorded his team-leading 44th and 45th RBIs. The 20-year-old extended his hit streak to six games and is hitting 12-for-26 with one homer and seven RBIs during that span.
- RHP Robert Colina 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 3.27 ERA
- RHP Dylan Hall (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, K, 1.69 ERA
The BlueClaws jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning against Brooklyn starter Robert Colina. The 22-year-old settled down and hurled five innings yielding two runs on seven hits. Colina did not issue a walk and stuck out seven batters. The right-hander is coming off a strong July, registering a 1.72 ERA in five appearances, and has a 10.7 K/9 this season for Brooklyn.
Dylan Hall replaced Colina in the sixth and was hurt by his defense, a pair of errors from second baseman D’Andre Smith and a wild pitch led to four unearned runs from the BlueClaws.
Bailey Reid and Sammy Tavarez combined to toss 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief and fanned six batters.
LOW-A
Daytona Tortugas (41-53) 11, St. Lucie Mets (33-63) 2
- CF Nick Morabito 1-for-4, R, HR (1), RBI (1), 1.250 OPS
- 3B Wilfredo Lara 1-for-4, 2B, .790 OPS
- 1B Yeral Martinez 2-for-3, R, .733 OPS
The St. Lucie Mets dropped their fourth straight game Tuesday night as Daytona Tortugas blew them out, 11-2.
Making his St. Lucie debut, leadoff hitter Nick Morabito launched a home run over the left-center field fence in his first at-bat. The 2022 second-round pick slashed .324/.437/.432 with eight extra-base hits, eleven stolen bases, and a .869 OPS in 135 plate appearances for the FCL Mets. Morabito came up to the plate in a critical moment trailing 4-1 in the third inning, with nobody out and runners on the corner but grounded out into a double play that drove in the Mets’ final run.
20-year-old Yeral Martinez was the lone Mets hitter to record a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 with a run scored. He laced a single in the third inning, came around to score on Morabito’s double play ground out, and added a base knock in the eighth. Martinez owns a .733 OPS with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 63 games for St. Lucie.
Third baseman Wilfredo Lara extended his hit streak to seven games in the sixth inning when he drilled his 13th two-bagger of the year. The 19-year-old is 10-for-23 with four extra-base hits, seven RBIs, and five runs scored during that span.
- RHP Layonel Ovalles (L, 2-5) 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, 7 K, 5.26 ERA
- RHP Christopher Vasquez 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, K, 5.05 ERA
The Tortugas lineup jumped all over Mets starter Layonel Ovalles in the first two frames scoring four runs. Ovalles allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and one walk in five innings. The right-hander generated 16 swings and misses and fanned seven on 87 pitches. The 20-year-old in 18 appearances (15 starts), has registered a 5.26 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Right-hander Christopher Vasquez struggled in relief, surrendering five runs on six hits, issuing a pair of walks, hitting two batters, and balking. The 22-year-old owns a 5.05 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and 40/34 K/BB ratio across 46 1/3 innings.
Florida Complex League
FCL Mets (23-13) 8, FCL Marlins (21-16) 3
- SS Marco Vargas 1-for-4, RBI (21), .898 OPS
- DH Willy Fanas 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB, .752 OPS
- CF Simon Juan 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI (14), BB, .545 OPS
In Game One of the doubleheader, the FCL Mets exploded for four runs in the second inning. One of the Mets’ prized prospects acquired at the trade deadline, Marco Vargas, capped off the inning and struck a two-run base hit to give the Mets a 4-1 lead. Vargas finished the afternoon 1-for-4. The 18-year-old infielder is 4-for-9 with two RBIs in his first two games for the Mets.
Willy Fanas went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Fanas belted his ninth two-bagger of the season in the third inning. The 19-year-old outfielder is tied for seventh in the FCL in doubles. Fanas is hitting .236/.309/.436 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 123 plate appearances.
- RHP Jonah Tong 1 IP, 0 H, R, 3 BB, 2 K, 9.45 ERA
- RHP Jorge Rodriguez (W, 2-0) 3 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 4 K, 2.45 ERA
- LHP Gregori Louis (S, 2) 3 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K, 2.55 ERA
Jonah Tong took the mound Tuesday afternoon and tossed one inning. The 20-year-old hurler struggled with his command as he faced six batters, yielded one run on no hits, issued three walks, and struck out a pair. The 2022 seventh-round pick has recorded 15 punchouts in 6 2/3 innings.
21-year-old Jorge Rodriguez earned his second win. Rodriguez struck out four in his three innings of work. The Dominican Republic native owns a 2.45 ERA, 1.14 WHIP with 28 punchouts in 22 innings.
FCL Mets (24-13) 2, FCL Marlins (21-17) 1
- 2B Marco Vargas 0-for-1, 2 BB, .898 OPS
- RF Simon Juan 2-for-2, BB, .577 OPS
- 1B Carlos Oviedo 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI (6), .716 OPS
- C Andriel Lantigua 1-for-2, RBI (5), .771 OPS
In the fourth inning, back-to-back base hits from Carlos Oviedo and Andriel Lantigua gave the Mets a 2-1 lead they would not give up.
Marco Vargas drew a pair of walks in Game Two. Vargas exhibits excellent plate discipline for a young hitter. He has 40 BB/22 K in 130 at-bats. He leads the FCL with 40 free passes and is third with a .460 OBP.
Outfielder Simon Juan had a fantastic doubleheader. The 18-year-old went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and walked twice. Juan has struggled mightily with a .217 average this season, but he is 6-for-15 in his last four games.
- RHP Wilson Esterlin (W, 1-1) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 2.88 ERA
- RHP Cristofer Gomez (S, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1.35 ERA
Right-hander Wilson Esterlin hurled five frames and permitted one run on three hits to notch his first win of the year. The 18-year-old issued two free passes and racked up five strikeouts. Esterlin holds a 1-1 record with a 2.88 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and held opposing hitters to a .175 average in nine appearances (eight starts).
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE
DSL Rangers Red (15-16) 5, DSL Mets Blue (14-16) 1
- 2B Branny De Oleo 1-for-5, RBI (17), .847 OPS
- LF Jostyn Almonte 3-for-4, R, 2B, SB (13), 1.010 OPS
- DH Reniel Diaz 1-for-4, R, HR (2), 3 RBI (8), .633 OPS
Reniel Diaz clubbed a three-run jack in the sixth inning for the DSL Mets Blue on Tuesday, breaking a 1-1 tie. The 17-year-old is hitting .207/.313/.366 with two homers and ten RBIs in 25 games.
20-year-old outfielder Jostyn Almonte collected three hits and stole his 13th bag. Almonte continues his hot hitting coming off the heels of a strong July, slashing .315/.457/.500 with a .957 OPS.
- RHP Lucas Gordillo 3 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 4 K, 1.93 ERA
- LHP Franklin Gomez (W, 2-3) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 3.00 ERA
Franklin Gomez hurled a gem Tuesday afternoon. In relief, the 18-year-old southpaw tossed six scoreless innings, scattering four hits and fanning six. Gomez has registered a 2.84 ERA, 1.18 WHIP with 55 strikeouts over 38 innings.
DSL Rockies (23-16) 14, DSL Mets Orange (17-23) 4
- DH Anthony Baptist 1-for-4, R, .922 OPS
- RF-CF Enderson Asencio 2-for-4, R, 2B, .709 OPS
- 1B-3B-RF Yohenny Mata 1-for-3, RBI (6), 3B, BB, .697 OPS
Enderson Asencio recorded a multi-hit game for DSL Mets Orange Tuesday. He went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. The 17-year-old outfielder has reached base safely in nine straight games. During that span, he is hitting .281 (9-for-32) with four extra-base hits, nine RBIs, and seven walks.
- RHP Francisco Mercado (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 4.86 ERA
- LHP Arlison Rodriguez 2.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.82 ERA
There were no bright spots on the Mets Orange staff. Five pitchers combined to surrender 14 runs on 16 hits, five walks, and two home runs.
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