Mets Minors Recap: Sproat Sparkles for Syracuse

Friday was good for most Mets and their minor league clubs. Top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat tossed six shutout innings to lead Syracuse to a 3-0 victory over Buffalo Friday in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Zach Thornton fired six shutout innings of one-hit ball for Brooklyn in a 5-0 win over Aberdeen. The feel-good comeback story of Matt Allan hit a bump in the road. He gave up his first runs in six years and St. Lucie lost 14-9 to Tampa. Mets affiliates won four of five on Friday.

Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons (4-11) 0, Syracuse Mets (8-9) 3

Box Score Game 1

• CF Drew Gilbert 0-for-3 (.286 OPS)
• 1B Joey Meneses 1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI (11) (.881 OPS)
• 2B Niko Goodrum 2-for-3, 2 2B (3), R, RBI (.930 OPS)
• RF Gilberto Celestino 1-for-3, HR (2) RBI (7) (.851 OPS)

Gilbert is 1-for-7 in two games at Syracuse after going 9-for-24 with two homers in a six-game rehab stint at St. Lucie. Meneses leads the International League in doubles with 12.

• RHP Brandon Sproat (3.31 ERA) 4 H, BB, K (76 pitches, 52 strikes)
• LHP Génesis Cabrera (7.50 ERA) IP, 2 K, SV (2)

Sproat, 24, earned his first win with his longest and best outing of the season in his fourth start. He held the Bisons to four singles. He has struck out 12 and walked seven in 16 1/3 innings.

Buffalo Bisons (4-12) 5, Syracuse Mets (9-9) 11

Box Score Game 2

• 1B Jon Singleton 2-for-2, 2 HR (4) 4 RBI (9), 2 BB (.987 OPS)
• LF Billy McKinney 2-for-4 HR (1) RBI (4) (.702 OPS)
• CF Gilberto Celestino 2-for-4 HR (3) 2 RBI (9) (.913 OPS)

Syracuse smashed four homers and broke open a 6-4 game with a five-run fifth to sweep the doubleheader and get back to .500. SS Donovan Walton was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a walk.

• RHP José Ureña (1.23 ERA) 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K (49 pitches, 36 strikes)
• RHP Tyler Zuber (7.11 ERA) 0.2 IP 4 ER, 5 H, K
• LHP Anthony Gose (1.23 ERA) 1.1 IP, H, ER, 2 K
• RHP Sean Reid-Foley (10.38 ERA) IP, 2 H, 2 K

Ureña threw four scoreless innings. The 33-year-old who pitched to a 3.80 ERA over 109 innings for the Rangers last year in 33 appearances (nine starts) has given up one earned run and fanned seven in 7 1/3 innings.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (5-6) 6, Reading Fightin Phils (5-8) 5

Box Score

• SS Jett Williams 1-for-4, 3B, 2 R, BB (.831 OPS)
• C Francisco Alvarez 0-for-5, R, K (.857 OPS)
• DH Ryan Clifford 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K (.598 OPS)
• CF Nick Morabito 1-for-5, R, K (.495 OPS)
• LF Alex Ramírez 1-for-3, 2 RBI (3), SB (5) (.471 OPS)

Williams’ first triple of the year equaled his total from last season. Alvarez was hitless in five at-bats and had his third passed ball in as many games with Binghamton. He caught a runner stealing for the third time during his rehab.

• RHP Joander Suarez (0.00 ERA) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 K
• RHP Cameron Foster (4.50 ERA) 1.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K, W
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz (1.93 ERA) 3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 4 K, SV

Suarez, 25, has thrown 8 2/3 scoreless innings to start the season with nine strikeouts. De La Cruz has fanned 13 in 9 1/3 innings.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (9-4) 5, Aberdeen IronBirds (6-7) 0

Box Score

• 3B Jacob Reimer 2-for-3, HR (2), 3B, RBI (12) (1.145 OPS)
• C Chris Suero 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 SB (4) (1.263 OPS)
• CF Carson Benge 1-for-5, RBI (4) (.785 OPS)
• C Ronald Hernandez 1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SB (4) RBI (6) (.592 OPS)

Three Cyclone pitchers threw a combined one-hitter while striking out 11 and walking two. Brooklyn is in first place.

• LHP Zach Thornton (0.00 ERA) 6 IP, H, 8 K, W
• RHP Anthony Nunez (0.00 ERA) 2 IP, BB
• RHP Saul Garcia (0.00 ERA) IP, BB, 3 K

Thornton, a fifth-round pick in 2023, hasn’t given up a run in three starts, covering 16 innings. The 23-year-old has struck out 22, and his WHIP is 0.44.

Low-A

Tampa Tarpons (7-6) 14, St. Lucie Mets (6-7) 9

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing 1-for-4, BB, RBI (15) (1.103 OPS)
• SS Colin Houck 1-for-4 HR (2), BB, RBI (7) (.732 OPS)
• 3B-SS Jeremy Rodriguez 2-for-5, R (.690 OPS)
• 2B Marco Vargas 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.972 OPS)
• LF-3B Kevin Villavicencio 2-for-4, HR (1), 2B (1), RBI (2) (1.500 OPS)

Houck homered off the scoreboard, Villavicencio hit his first of the year, and Ewing added an RBI single. Ewing, 20, is 18-for-45 for a .400 batting average. Vargas is hitting .370 (10-for-27).

• RHP Matt Allan (2.25 ERA) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (49 pitches, 24 strikes)
• RHP Channing Austin (8.10 ERA) 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K
• RHP Christian Rodriguez (9.82 ERA) IP, 3 ER, H, 4 BB
• RHP Hunter Hodges (0.00 ERA) 2 IP, 5 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud (12.27 ERA) IP, H, 3R, 2 ER, 3 BB, K

Allan, the 2019 third-round pick who returned to action this season after losing six years to injuries, had pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings entering Friday. He was one of four St. Lucie pitchers to give up multiple runs. Hodges was the only bright spot on the mound.

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