Christian Scott, Blade Tidwell Continue Strong Starts to Season

Sunday was a great day for the Syracuse Mets, who swept their doubleheader with the Columbus Clippers to end the week on a high note. It wasn’t a great day for the rest of the Mets’ affiliates, who all lost their respective games. Binghamton and Brooklyn struggled on the offensive side, while St. Lucie’s loss was more attributable to their pitching woes.

The standout performances on Sunday came from two of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, Christian Scott and Blade Tidwell. Both continue to string together impressive outings, which continued in their respective games on Sunday. Tidwell might still be a little bit away from the majors, given he’s 22 years old and in Double-A, but Scott could be in the majors soon should he continue to pitch the way he has been.

Triple-A

Game 1: Columbus Clippers (10-15) 4, Syracuse Mets (13-11) 5

BOX SCORE

RF Ben Gamel: 2-for-3, 3B (1), R, RBI (11), K

3B Rylan Bannon: 1-for-2, HR (5), R, 2 RBI (11), BB, K

SS Jose Iglesias: 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI (9), R

The first game of the doubleheader between the Mets and Clippers looked like it would be a Syracuse loss after Columbus went ahead with two runs to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning. With minor league doubleheaders still being just seven innings per game, the Mets would have two chances to tie or take the lead, but they only needed the bottom of the sixth to go back in front. Rylan Bannon and Jose Iglesias clocked a pair of two-run homers to flip the score, going from down 3-1 to up 5-3. Columbus added a run in the top of the seventh but ultimately lost 5-4.

RHP Christian Scott: 4 2/3 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 2 K

RHP Grant Hartwig (W, 2-0): 1 1/3 IP, 2 R (0 ER), H, 2 BB, 2 K

RHP Cole Sulser (S, 1): 1 IP, ER, H, 0 BB, 2 K

Syracuse only needed three pitchers to get through seven innings, and Christian Scott started and got the Mets through four 1/3. He allowed a first-inning homer to MLB Pipeline’s no. 53 prospect, Kyle Manzardo, though he settled in and got through the rest of his outing without allowing another hit. His strikeout numbers weren’t where they usually are, striking out just two in his outing, but he was still dominant otherwise. Scott’s ERA through five starts is now 3.20.

Grant Hartwig and Cole Sulser combined for the final two 1/3 innings, with Hartwig grabbing the win and Sulser notching his first save of the season. Hartwig allowed two runs to score, though both were unearned. Sulser also allowed a run to score on a solo home run but limited the damage otherwise and held on for the save.

Game 2: Columbus Clippers (10-16) 6, Syracuse Mets (14-11) 8

BOX SCORE

SS Luisangel Acuña: 2-for-3, HR (2), R, 3 RBI (8), K

CF Trayce Thompson: 2-for-4, R, RBI (15), K

DH Carlos Cortes: 2-for-3, HR (1), R, 4 RBI (4), K

Like the first game of the doubleheader, the Mets had to come from behind for the win. They fell into an early 3-0 deficit, with Max Kranick allowing two first-inning home runs. The deficit didn’t last long, as Carlos Cortes hit a grand slam for his first home run of the season in the bottom of the third. Columbus tied up the game in the top of the fourth, but a two-run homer from Luisangel Acuña and an RBI single from Trayce Thompson put the Mets ahead again, this time by three.

Acuña added his third RBI of the game with a single in the fifth to extend the Mets’ lead even further, and that’s all the Mets would need to secure the win. The Clippers added two more runs in the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough to avoid getting swept in the doubleheader.

RHP Max Kranick: 3 1/3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 7 H, 0 BB, 0 K

RHP Yacksel Ríos (W, 1-1): 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, K

RHP Shintaro Fujinami: 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K

RHP Eric Orze (S, 1): 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Kranick struggled, allowing seven hits, including two home runs in three 1/3 innings pitched. That put the Mets in an early hole, and Kranick was lucky enough to avoid the loss due to the Mets’ comeback. Yacksel Ríos recorded his first win of the season, taking over for Kranick and throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Shintaro Fujinami’s early season struggles continued, as he only recorded one out. He allowed four baserunners (two hits and two walks) and allowed two runs to score, which raised his season ERA to a whopping 15.88 in eight games. Eric Orze, however, locked down the save with 1 2/3 perfect innings, striking out three in the process.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (10-10) 1, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (9-12) 2

BOX SCORE

DH Alex Ramírez: 0-for-4, 2 K

1B JT Schwartz: 1-for-3, BB, SB (1)

RF Brandon McIlwain: 1-for-4, HR (1), RBI (5), K

It was a quiet offensive game for the Rumble Ponies, who only mustered across one run. That came on a Brandon McIlwain solo shot, his first of the season. It was an uncharacteristically quiet game for Alex Ramírez, who didn’t record a hit and struck out two times. Kevin Parada also went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, but for him, it’s more concerning considering his ugly start to the year. He now has a .596 season OPS in addition to poor defense.

RHP Blade Tidwell (L, 1-3): 6 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

RHP Nolan Clenney: 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, K

LHP Daniel Juarez: 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K

It was also a quiet offensive game for the Fisher Cats due to a fantastic performance from the Binghamton pitching staff led by Blade Tidwell. The Fisher Cats grabbed the win despite scoring two runs on just two hits, all of which came off Tidwell. Tidwell pitched six 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned). In addition to the two hits he allowed, he walked two and struck out nine. He drew the loss, and while his 1-3 record on the season would insinuate a rocky start, Tidwell sits with a dazzling 1.69 ERA through four games.

Nolan Clenney and Daniel Juarez finished off the game, each throwing a scoreless 2/3 innings. Both lowered their season ERAs to 4.50 with their efforts.

High-A

Wilmington Blue Rocks (13-8) 5, Brooklyn Cyclones (11-10) 1

BOX SCORE

2B Junior Tilien: 1-for-3, BB, K

1B Mateo Gil: 2-for-3, HR (2), R, RBI (5)

CF Omar De Los Santos: 2-for-3, 2 SB (13)

Like the Rumble Ponies, the Cyclones scored just one run, which came on a solo shot from Mateo Gil. That gave them almost no chance at victory against the Blue Rocks, who scored five runs. Gil’s home run was his second of the season, and he added another hit to raise his season OPS to .742.

Omar De Los Santos also had a productive game for the Cyclones, adding two hits in what has been an otherwise poor offensive season. Where De Los Santos has excelled, however, has been with stealing bags. That’s his specialty, and his two in this game brought him up to 13 on the year, which leads the Mets organization.

RHP Nolan McLean: 3 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, 2 K

RHP Ben Simon (L, 2-2): 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K

RHP Diosmerky Taveras: 1 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K

RHP Jeffrey Colon: 1 IP, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, 0 K

RHP Joey Lancellotti: 1 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, K

RHP Dakota Hawkins: 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 2 K

Two-way prospect Nolan McLean started this game for Brooklyn and pitched really well, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing just two baserunners. He’s been impressive both on the mound and at the plate this year, though one rough outing has his ERA sitting at 3.86 despite his scoreless effort in this game. Ben Simon and Diosmerky Taveras struggled following McLean, with Simon grabbing the loss.

Jeffrey Colon, Joey Lancellotti, and Dakota Hawkins finished off the game for the Cyclones with an inning each. Lancellotti allowed an earned run, while Colon and Hawkins did not. Hawkins has been the most impressive reliever out of this bunch this year, lowering his ERA to 2.31 with his scoreless inning.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (9-12) 7, Daytona Tortugas (12-9) 8

BOX SCORE

SS Diego Mosquera: 2-for-5

2B Marco Vargas: 0-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, K, SB (4)

1B Christopher Suero: 1-for-5, 2B (6), R, K

RF Estarling Mercado: 1-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI (5), R, K

The St. Lucie Mets also lost their game on Sunday, though they produced more on the offensive front than Binghamton and Brooklyn. The team scored seven runs but recorded just three RBIs due to errors and wild pitches by the Daytona pitching staff.

Estarling Mercado recorded his first home run of the season, while Marco Vargas had a solid game with two runs, three walks, and a stolen base. The Mets held a 7-2 lead at the seventh innings stretch but allowed six runs in the final three innings, including two in the ninth to get walked off. Those two runs came on a throwing error by the first baseman Suero.

LHP David Peterson: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K

RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 10 K

RHP Juan Arnaud: 1 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K

RHP Jack Wenninger (L, 1-1): 1 1/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 3 H, 0 BB, K

David Peterson made his first rehab start of the season and was phenomenal, throwing two perfect innings and recording five strikeouts. Peterson will continue to make rehab starts as he moves towards a potential return to the major league club. Ernesto Mercedes followed Peterson in this game and threw two innings for St. Lucie. He allowed two runs but struck out ten to combine with Peterson for 15 through six innings.

The rest of the game was a struggle for the Mets, with Juan Arnaud allowing a run in one inning of work, and Jack Wenninger imploding for four earned runs allowed in one 1/3 innings pitched. Wenninger recorded the loss in an unexpected performance from him, considering he threw six innings and struck out ten while allowing one hit earlier this week. That didn’t matter in this game, though, as he was tagged to end the game and give the Mets the loss.

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