Mets prospect Jonathan Santucci delivers best start of Double-A season, Jonah Tong shaky in Syracuse

Jonah Tong got off to a bit of an up-and-down start to the Triple-A season, but he’s shown some positive signs over his first two starts to open May.

The Mets’ top pitching prospect allowed just two runs over 5.0+ innings on Friday.

Tong struck out two batters to brush off a one out walk in the top of the first, then worked around a leadoff hit and another free pass en route to a scoreless second.

He breezed through the top of the third for his first clean inning of the night, before using a routine double-play ball right at the second baseman to evade a leadoff walk in the fourth.

Tong struck out the side in the fifth, but Rochester was finally able to get to him as he returned to the mound with 81 pitches in the sixth, when Christian Franklin led off the inning with a homer to left-center.

The righty walked the next batter on seven pitches, bringing his up-and-down night to an end.

Carlos Guzman entered and completely melted down for Syracuse, giving up four runs in the inning, adding another onto Tong’s line and putting Hartford in front for the first time.

The 22 year old’s line closed with two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out eight over 5.0+ innings.

Tong has given up just three runs (one earned) in 11.0 innings thus far in May.

Santucci delivers best start of year

Lefty pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci has gotten off to a rough start with Double-A Binghamton, but he put together easily his best outing of the season on Friday.

Santucci pitched into the seventh for the first time in his career, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven batters across 6.1 innings of work.

The southpaw retired the first seven batters before allowing a one out double in the top of the third. He quickly settled back into a groove, again setting down the next seven in order before giving up a single in the fifth.