The Mets’ farm system had a little of everything on July 2: a tight late loss in Syracuse, a rough night in Binghamton, a blowout win for Brooklyn, another shutout against St. Lucie, and a clean finish in the FCL.
Syracuse was right there with Worcester before the Red Sox found the final punch in a 6-5 game. Worcester grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second after a scoreless first, but Ben Rortvedt doubled and Cristian Pache followed with a ground out to swing it to 2-1.
Worcester answered with a 3-2 lead in the third, and the score stayed there until the fifth, when Vidal Brujan reached on a fielder’s choice and a run crossed to tie it at three. Both clubs plated two in the seventh, and both Mets runs came on a Nick Morabito single.
Worcester then pushed across the deciding run in the ninth. Syracuse got two singles in the bottom of the inning, but couldn’t find the hit to extend the game.
Morabito finished 1-for-5 with two RBI and four strikeouts, while Ben Rortvedt went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Cristian Pache added a triple and an RBI, and Ji Hwan Bae was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and an error.
On the mound, Zach Thornton worked 5.2 innings and allowed three hits and three runs, two earned, with four walks and four strikeouts. Jefry Yan took the loss after giving up the ninth-inning run.
Binghamton’s 8-4 loss to Chesapeake was much less competitive than the final line suggests. The Rumble Ponies were down early after Chesapeake scored three in the first, one in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth to build an 8-2 cushion after four innings.
Binghamton got on the board in the first on Nick Lorusso’s home run, then added another in the third when Lorusso sacrificed in a run. JT Schwartz drove in runs in the eighth and ninth, but that was the extent of the comeback.
Schwartz was the loudest bat in the lineup, going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Lorusso finished 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, and Nick Roselli was 3-for-4 with a run. Brendan Girton was tagged for eight runs in four innings, while Brian Metoyer, Carlos Guzman and Zach Peek kept Chesapeake quiet over the final five frames.
Brooklyn put together the cleanest offensive showing of the day, rolling past Frederick 13-7. The Cyclones took the lead in the second after a scoreless first, scoring once on a throwing error and again on a Trace Willhoite single.
Frederick got one back, but Brooklyn kept stacking runs. Yohairo Cuevas homered in the fourth, then the fifth inning blew the game open.
Brooklyn loaded the bases, Cuevas drew a walk to force in a run, and Willhoite followed with a grand slam.
The Cyclones kept going late, adding two in the eighth and three in the ninth, with Cuevas and Mitch Voit both homering in the final push. Frederick answered with four in the eighth and two in the ninth, but the margin was already gone. Willhoite drove in five runs with a grand slam and a single, while Cuevas homered and scored multiple times in the big night.
St. Lucie was shut out for the second straight day by Tampa, this time 6-0.
The Mets managed just four hits, all singles, and drew two walks. They left seven on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
It was a bullpen game, and Jose Guevara and Elwis Mijares allowed all six runs, with one of them unearned.
Branny De Oleo had two of St. Lucie’s four hits, and Trey Snyder added a hit and a stolen base.
On the mound, Guevara took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, in four innings. Mijares gave up three more runs, two earned, in 1.2 innings.
In the FCL, the Mets blanked the Nationals 2-0 in seven innings. Vladi Gomez reached base and swiped two bags, giving him steals No. 23 and 24.
Josmir Reyes drove in a run, while AJ Salgado scored and Wyatt Vincent also stole a base. Eris Albino earned the win with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six.
Franyel Diaz handled the final two innings for the save.
Yonatan Henriquez and Yohairo Cuevas were named Star of the Night, and Brendan Girton was the GOAT of the Night.
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