Brosher sets Cyclones mark with seven RBIs

Brandon Brosher needed a night like this.

The 20-year-old Mets prospect had missed all but seven games last season with a broken right fibula and battled a hand injury sustained in extended spring training earlier this year.

"Of course, there's pressure coming back," Brosher said. "You feel like you might have lost your spot or you're a step behind people, so getting those (feelings) out of the way quickly is very big."

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound catcher erased those doubts with two swings of the bat Sunday. He clubbed a grand slam and a three-run double for a franchise-record seven RBIs to lead Class A Short Season Brooklyn past Williamsport, 9-2, on "Seinfeld Night" at MCU Park.

"It feels pretty good," Brosher said. "I struggled the first couple at-bats (of the season), struck out several times. I'm working, trying to get a feel back since the hand injury. I feel like I'm finally now starting to get back to where my swing was."

The Florida native was 3-for-21 with one home run between the Cyclones and the Rookie-level GCL Mets when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first. A simple observation put him in position to start his night with a bang.

"[Williamsport righty Mitch Gueller] started me out with a fastball for a ball and then he quickly started going to the changeup," said Brosher. "He threw two changeups and both of them were strikes, so I figured if he just threw two in a row for strikes, he's going to go back to it because he feels comfortable. I sat on it and was able to put a good swing on it."

It was the second straight game in which the 2013 36th-round pick homered and the first grand slam belted by a Cyclones player since 2012. One of the top prospects in the Mets' farm system in terms of raw power, Brosher was leading the Appalachian League in home runs for Rookie-level Kingsport before suffering the injury last season.

"It's been something that's kind of eluded me for the most part throughout the beginning of this year," he said of rediscovering his power stroke. "Toward the end of extended spring training, I started to find it again and now the season's here. I feel like I'm really starting to get right back to it, so I'm just going to try to keep getting those same results."

The former first baseman at Frank W. Springstead High School came up in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded again. After staying alive on a curveball with a 1-2 count, Brosher smashed the next pitch into center field for a bases-clearing double.

"It gives me a lot (of confidence)," said Brosher, who belted two homers last June 21 for Kingsport. "I don't want to become a cocky hitter, but confidence is always crucial for a hitter to be successful. It's always those first couple (games) that, once you get them out of the way, everything after that seems to click."

Kevin Canelon (1-1) allowed three hits while striking out six over 4 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Gueller (2-1) gave up four runs on five hits and a walk over five frames.