High-A Brooklyn Cyclones infielder Jesus Baez went 6-for-8 with a two-run homer and a three-run homer, a double, and seven RBIs combined in a doubleheader sweep Friday of Jersey Shore. Baseball America ranked the 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic 92nd on its prospect list before the season.
In Binghamton, Jonah Tong gave up two runs in four innings and struck out six Flying Squirrels. The 21-year-old who entered Friday leading the Eastern League in strikeouts has fanned 65 in 38 innings.
Jesus Baez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Triple-A
Rochester Red Wings (14-32), Syracuse Mets (21-27)
Postponed
The game was postponed due to bad weather and will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Double-A
Richmond Flying Squirrels (12-29) 4, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-16) 5
1B Ryan Clifford, 0-for-3, BB, 2 K (.797 OPS)
CF D’Andre Smith, 2-for-5, 2 RBI (3), SB (2), R, K (.675 OPS)
LF Alex RamÃrez, 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI (8), SB (14), R, BB (.594 OPS)
Smith walked off Richmond with a two-run single. This was the conclusion of a game that was suspended Wednesday due to bad weather in the sixth inning. RamÃrez, 22, is 8-for-18 with three doubles and a home run over a five-game hitting streak.
Since his promotion from Brooklyn, where he fanned 23 in 11.2 IP, Ross has picked up where he left off with four strikeouts in three scoreless innings.
Richmond Flying Squirrels (13-29) 6, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-17) 1
CF Jett Williams, 1-for-4, K (.893 OPS)
1B Ryan Clifford, 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K (.784 OPS)
LF Nick Morabito, 2-for-4, 2 K (.758 OPS)
Clifford and Williams have been hot in May. Clifford entered Friday hitting .305/.379/.559 with four homers and 16 RBIs this month, while Williams was slashing .294/.429/.529 with two homers and six doubles.
Morabito entered Friday tied for second in steals in the Eastern League with 15, and here is a clip of him being humbled in a spot for Morabito convenience stores.
RHP Jonah Tong (2.37 ERA) 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, xxL
Tong has allowed three earned runs in four starts in May, which included a 13-strikeout, 6.2-perfect inning performance two weeks ago.
High-A
Brooklyn Cyclones (28-13) 10, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (15-25) 1
3B Jesus Baez, 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI (17) (.698 OPS)
LF Carson Benge, 0-for-2, 2 R, BB, K (.969 OPS)
CF Eli Serrano, 2-for-3, 3 RBI (27), R (.807 OPS)
RF A.J. Ewing, 3-for-5, RBI (8), 2 R (.943 OPS)
DH Estarling Mercado, 3-for-4, 2 R (.891 OPS)
Ewing’s three hits, including this RBI single, raised his batting average to .351. He’s technically cooled off since being promoted from St. Lucie, where he hit .400 in 65 at-bats.
This was Santucci’s second good outing in a row after a rough start to the season for the 22-year-old drafted in the second round out of Duke last year. He’s struck out 11 and given up one run on four hits over 10 innings combined in his last two starts.
Brooklyn Cyclones (29-13) 9, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (15-26) 3
CF Carson Benge, 1-for-3, 2B, R (.973 OPS)
SS Jesus Baez, 3-for-3, 2 HR (5), 5 RBI (22) 3 R, BB (.790 OPS)
3B Jacob Reimer, 0-for-3, 2 R, K (1.020 OPS)
DH A.J. Ewing, 2-for-4, 2 SB (17), R (.945 OPS)
Reimer came into the game leading the South Atlantic League in OPS. Benge, last year’s first-round draft pick, entered Friday fifth in the league in OPS and is hitting .313.
RHP Nate Dohm (6.35 ERA) 2.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K, HR
Dohm made his second start for Brooklyn after being promoted from St. Lucie (3.18 ERA over seven starts). The 2024 third-round pick from Mississippi State University gave up three earned runs in three innings in his first outing.
Low-A
Jupiter Hammerheads (19-24) 2, St. Lucie Mets (23-20) 11
SS Colin Houck, 0-for-3, SB (6), 2 R, 2 BB, E (7) (.700 OPS)
CF Simon Juan, 2-for-4, HR (4) 2B, 3 RBI (16), K (.633 OPS)
3B Trey Snyder, 2-for-3, SB (16), 2 BB (.744 OPS)
1B Vincent Perozo, 2-for-4, HR (1), 4 RBI (13), 2 R, K (.838 OPS)
Perozo and Juan’s homers were back-to-back. Houck, 20, a 2023 first-round pick from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., is still looking to find his stride, but his OPS is up 90 points from last year when it was .610 in 471 plate appearances for St. Lucie.
Mercedes has the stuff to pile up the strikeouts (89 in 65 IP last year for St. Lucie), but needs to work on his control.
Rookie Ball Florida Complex League
FCL Nationals (8-8) 12, FCL Mets (6-8) 0
Guzman, 20, who leads the FCL Mets in hitting, is 12-for-34 (.353 batting average) with three doubles and a home run in 11 games.
Rodriguez, 20, was the lone bright spot on the mound. The Venezuelan has struck out seven and walked two in 7.1 IP.
