Mets' Baty bangs out first four-hit game

Ten days after his first career three-hit game, Brett Baty raised the bar.
The second-ranked Mets prospect banged out four hits, scored three times and drove in a run as Rookie Advanced Kingsport routed Johnson City, 15-6, on Monday at Hunter Wright Stadium.

Gameday box score
Baty lofted a single to right field in the first inning off Jose Moreno (3-5) and scored on a knock by Andres Regnault. MLB.com's No. 84 overall prospect beat out an infield hit to shortstop against the right-hander in the second and crossed the plate on a two-run homer to left field by fifth-ranked Francisco Alvarez as the Mets took a 4-2 lead.
In the third, Baty walked to load the bases, but was left stranded. Facing righty Wilberto Rivera with one down in the fifth, he flied out to left.
In the sixth, the No. 12 overall pick in this year's Draft stroked a two-out triple to center off righty Blake Drake that chased home Gregory Guerrero to extend Kingsport's lead to 13-5. Alvarez followed with a single that plated Baty.
The left-handed hitting third baseman capped his night with a leadoff single to center against righty Alex Gallegos in the eighth.
"I want him to be even more aggressive at the plate," Mets hitting coach Mariano Duncan told MiLB.com earlier this month. "As a 19-year-old, he's strong mentally. He comes to the ballpark ready to try to get better.
"What I teach is to prepare for the future. Brett is a really fast learner. He won't be in the Minor Leagues too long. He has the potential and a good idea about the strike zone. He also has power to the opposite field, and I love that about him."
After going 7-for-20 (.350) with four-extra base hits and eight RBIs in five Rookie-level Gulf Coast Leagues games, Baty was promoted to the Appalachian League on July 2.
After beginning 0-for-15 at Kingsport, he is batting .217/.328/.434 through 40 games. The Texas native has three multi-hit efforts in the last 10 games, including a three-hit night against Pulaski on Aug. 16.

"I've been in the game a long time and coached a lot of good hitters," said Duncan, a 12-year Major League veteran who debuted in 1985. "That's what I talk to Brett about: Don't look at the batting average, look at going to the plate and competing, having a plan."
Regnault, Alvarez and Scott Ota had three knocks for the Mets, who pounded out 20 hits. Ota finished a double shy of the cycle.
Benito Garcia (2-4) earned the win in relief after scattering three hits and whiffing six in 3 2/3 innings.
Cardinals No. 23 prospect Mateo Gil chalked up three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Kevin Vargas posted three hits for the second straight game.