New York Mets Minor League Report: Zach Thornton's Short Start May Mean Spot Start In NY

The joke wrote itself Wednesday evening: Zach Thornton got yanked while pitching a perfect game. What has happened to the game we love? Thornton won't be upset about it, because the quick hook lined him up to return to New York.

The major-league club has not named a starter for Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Thornton can fill that spot on three days' rest after throwing just 30 pitches in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Norfolk. And, he can do it after looking impressive. The left-hander struck out five of the six batters he faced,

If Thornton is recalled this weekend, the question then becomes: is he coming up to stay? He has made two previous trips to The Show for spot starts, both against the Philadelphia Phillies. His second outing was good: one run, seven strikeouts over six innings. But his Triple-A numbers aren't great (4.30 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 11.0 percent walk rate, 4.3 percent home run rate in 37 2/3 innings), so maybe this will be just another day trip. 

Or, with Kodai Senga and Tobias Myers mired in long relief and the Mets able to give young players a look in the second half, this may be the 24-year-old Thornton's big chance.

The rundown of Wednesday's affiliate action:

Syracuse split its doubleheader, winning Game 1, 9-3, and losing Game 2, 3-2. The teams made up Tuesday’s rainout. Christopher Morel drove in five runs in the opener with a two-run home run and a bases-loaded double. Ryan Clifford supplied the offense in Game 2 with a two-run homer in the first inning.

Binghamton pitchers allowed 21 hits in a 13-4 loss to Hartford. The Rumble Ponies trailed, 12-1, after five innings. Jose Ramos and Nick Lorusso homered in the losing effort.

John Bay’s RBI single in the first was Brooklyn’s only offense in a 4-1 loss to Wilmington. Starter Jose Chirinos allowed two runs over five innings.

St. Lucie failed to protect a two-run lead in the late innings and lost, 5-4, to Jupiter. The Hammerheads scored three in the seventh to go in front. Trey Snyder was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Mets..

DSL Mets Blue topped the DSL Marlins, 8-7, in eight innings. The winning run scored on a passed ball as Royner Bravo drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth. Dayron Oramas came in from third. Oramas finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Starter Leyvi Rodriguez threw three hitless innings.

Mets Transactions

• New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.
• New York Mets designated RHP Matt Seelinger for assignment.
• New York Mets placed RHP Austin Warren on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm strain.
• New York Mets recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Syracuse Mets.
• New York Mets selected the contract of RHP Xzavion Curry from Syracuse Mets.

Morel Breaks Out In Opener; Clifford Contributes

Before Wednesday, Morel was 2-for-13 with six strikeouts for Syracuse since signing a minor-league deal with New York on July 1. He’s working to get back to the majors after being released by the Miami Marlins on June 26.

Christian Arroyo opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first. The Mets also got RBIs from Clifford and Cristian Pache.

Ryan Lambert worked a scoreless fifth and sixth in relief. Dedniel Nunez gave up a pair of runs in the third as he made his first rehab appearance with Syracuse. The parent club moved him up from Binghamton this week. Nunez has made five rehab appearances overall, spread out over St. Lucie, Binghamton and Syracuse.

The Mets were four outs away from a sweep in the nightcap, until Matt Turner served up a two-run double to Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the bottom of the sixth. Clifford homered in the top of the first to put the Mets ahead, 2-0.

Yonny Hernandez followed Clifford's blast with a single. That turned out to be the Mets' last hit in the game. Joe Jacques and Joey Gerber each threw two scoreless innings in a bullpen game.

Binghamton Buried Early At Hartford

The Yard Goats got starter Max Green for six runs in the second inning, and from there, the rout was on. Green allowed eight hits, including a home run, over 2 2/3 innings. Zack Peek and Gabriel Rodriguez dug the hole deeper by combining to allow six more runs in the fourth and fifth. Shortstop Wyatt Young was brought on to work the eighth. He allowed Hartford's final run.

The offense got contributions from Ramos, Lorusso, JT Schwartz (3-for-5), and Luis Robert Jr. (2-for-4, run scored), who stayed in New York state to continue his minor-league rehab. Robert (back) played eight innings in center field in his Binghamton debut. He was in Syracuse last week.

Brooklyn Fails To Build On Early Lead

The Cyclones managed just the one run despite collecting eight hits and two walks. Brooklyn hitters struck out 12 times as they left nine runners on base. Corey Collins and Daiverson Gutierrez had two hits apiece, while Mitch Voit went 1-for-5 from the leadoff spot.

Chirinos gave the Cyclones length, but he was erratic, walking five over his five innings. He allowed two hits and struck out three. Hoss Brewer, Bryce Jenkins and Josh Blum each tossed a scoreless inning in relief, but Hunter Hodges surrendered two runs in the seventh.

St. Lucie Rally Canceled Out By Late Collapse

Before blowing a late lead, the Mets erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the second and single runs in the third and sixth. Branny De Oleo's RBI single and Jeremy Rodriguez's RBI groundout tied the game, 2-2, in the second. Snyder put the Mets ahead in the third with an RBI single. He scored the Mets' fourth run on an error after stealing second base in the sixth. 

The Mets' middle relief was excellent until Joel Lara surrendered three runs in the seventh. He had worked two scoreless frames before that, following scoreless outings by Tyler McLoughlin (1 1/3 hitless innings, three strikeouts) and Joel Díaz (two innings, two strikeouts).

Antonio Jimenez reached three times and stole a base from the leadoff spot.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

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

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