Mets Minor League Report: Zach Thornton Dazzles With Syracuse

Zach Thornton tossed six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts as Syracuse routed Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8-2 behind home runs from Yonny Hernández and Ben Rortvedt. R.J. Gordon allowed six runs in Binghamton's 7-3 loss to Somerset, though Jacob Reimer and Chris Suero homered. Noah Hall worked four innings of two-run ball as Brooklyn beat Rome 8-5, paced by Corey Collins and Ronald Hernandez. Cam Tilly's five relief innings could not save St. Lucie from a 9-7 loss.

Mets Transactions

• New York Mets signed free agent LHP Max Green to a minor league contract.
• New York Mets sent 1B Jared Young on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.
• New York Mets sent 2B Andy Ibáñez outright to Syracuse Mets.

Thornton's Nine Strikeouts Lead Syracuse Past Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Zach Thornton turned in a fantastic start to anchor an 8-2 Syracuse victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Thornton pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine.

The offense backed him with a three-run second inning. Yonny Hernández opened the scoring with a solo home run, his second of the year. Cristian Pache came around to score on a Ben Rortvedt single, and Nick Morabito followed with a single of his own to plate Rortvedt and make it 3-0. Pache extended the lead with a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth of the season.

Syracuse broke the game open with four more runs in the seventh. Rortvedt led off the frame with a solo homer, his first of the year. Christian Arroyo singled home Jihwan Bae, and Hernández reached on a throwing error that allowed Ryan Clifford and Arroyo to score.

Morabito led the offense with three hits in five at-bats, driving in one. Pache went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Rortvedt also collected two hits and finished with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Hernández added a home run and an RBI.

Luke Jackson surrendered both Scranton runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two walks and striking out one. Mike Baumann and A.J. Minter combined for 1 2/3 scoreless innings to close it out. Syracuse left six runners on base.

Reimer And Suero Homer In Binghamton's Loss To Somerset

R.J. Gordon could not finish the second inning as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies dropped a 7-3 decision to the Somerset Patriots. Gordon allowed six runs, all earned, on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out one.

Binghamton struck first when Jacob Reimer led off the top of the first with a solo home run, his third of the season, to put the Rumble Ponies in front 1-0. Somerset answered with a run in the bottom of the first and then sent nine men to the plate in the second, plating five runs to take a 6-1 lead. Gordon was charged with each run before being lifted from the game.

After Gordon's exit, the bullpen kept Somerset largely in check. Zach Peek tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings with a strikeout. Max Green followed with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out two. Gabriel Rodriguez allowed a solo home run in one inning of work while walking three and striking out three. Saul Garcia closed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Late Rally Carries Brooklyn Past Rome 8-5

The Brooklyn Cyclones jumped on the Rome Emperors early and tacked on late in an 8-5 win, scoring eight runs spread across four innings. Starter Noah Hall worked four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, walking five, and striking out four.

Brooklyn struck for two runs in the first when Ronald Hernandez delivered a two-run single. An inning later, Trace Willhoite gave the Cyclones a 3-0 lead with a solo home run, his third of the season, to left field.

Rome chipped away over the middle innings to draw within 3-2, but Brooklyn pulled away in the eighth with three runs. Daiverson Gutierrez singled home Corey Collins, Willhoite drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Nick Roselli singled to plate Colin Houck. The Cyclones added two more in the ninth on a solo home run by Collins, his third of the year, and another RBI single from Hernandez.

Collins finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Hernandez went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Mitch Voit was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Houck added a double in the win.

Tanner Witt, Dakota Hawkins, Bryce Jenkins, and Hoss Brewer combined for four scoreless relief innings. Joe Charles ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing three runs in 1/3 of an inning before Danis Correa retired both batters he faced to end it. Brooklyn left nine runners on base.

Benson Drives In Four As St. Lucie Falls To Jupiter

JT Benson powered the St. Lucie offense, but the Jupiter Hammerheads outslugged the Mets 9-7. Benson went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBI.

Jupiter led 4-0 by the third inning before St. Lucie answered with three runs in the bottom of the third. Simon Juan opened the frame with a solo home run, his third of the season. Francisco Toledo followed by reaching base, and Benson made it a one-run game with a two-run shot to left center, his fifth long ball of the year.

The Mets took their first lead in the fifth with four runs. With Francisco Toledo and Elian Peña aboard, Jared Young singled home Toledo to tie the game at four. Benson followed with a ground-rule double down the right-field line, his tenth of the season, plating Peña and Young. AJ Salgado capped the frame with an RBI single to bring home Benson and make it 7-4.

Jupiter scored once in the sixth, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth to retake the lead. Cam Tilly logged five innings following Hurtado, allowing one earned run on four hits, walking three, and striking out one. Daviel Hurtado opened with two innings, was charged with four runs, three earned, on five hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. Tyler McLoughlin took the brunt of the late damage, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings while striking out three.

Salgado went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Toledo was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Juan added a home run and an RBI. St. Lucie left ten runners on base.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Carson Benge: DNP
2. A.J. Ewing: DNP
3. Jonah Tong: DNP
4. Elian Peña: 0-for-3, BB, K
5. Jack Wenninger: DNP
6. Ryan Clifford: 0-for-5, K
7. Jacob Reimer: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, 3 K
8. Nick Morabito: 3-for-5, RBI, K
9. Mitch Voit: 2-for-4, BB, 2 K
10. Jonathan Santucci: DNP
11. Chris Suero: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, SB
12. Zach Thornton: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
13. Wandy Asigen: DNP
14. Will Watson: DNP
15. Eli Serrano III: 1-for-4, 2 K
16. Randy Guzman: DNP
17. Ryan Lambert: DNP
18. Dylan Ross: DNP
19. Antonio Jimenez: DNP
20. R.J. Gordon: 1 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR

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