Ponies' Conlon rides to third shutout of year
A little rest in the middle of the long Minor League season can make a big difference. P.J. Conlon knows just how big."I kind of had a rough last month or so," the Mets' No. 20 prospect said. "Everything felt a little different coming out [tonight], especially my fastball. It
A little rest in the middle of the long Minor League season can make a big difference. P.J. Conlon knows just how big.
"I kind of had a rough last month or so," the Mets' No. 20 prospect said. "Everything felt a little different coming out [tonight], especially my fastball. It was smoother, stronger. That was a big thing, being fresh coming in. Today was the best I've felt in a long time."
Making his first start since July 7, Conlon recorded his third seven-inning shutout of the season, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight, as Double-A Binghamton crushed visiting Akron, 13-0, in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
Gameday box score
"The little break during the All-Star Game and they put me in toward the back of the rotation to give me a little extra rest ... that paid off a lot," the 23-year-old left-hander said.
The whitewash matched the club record for most lopsided shutout win, set on July 29, 1995 against Norwich. Conlon, who lowered his ERA to 3.81, is the first Binghamton hurler to throw three shutouts in a season since Denny Harriger in 1993. The franchise record for most in one year is four, established a year earlier by Bobby Jones.
"I didn't even know that, but hopefully, [I can match or break it]. If it happens again, that means something good is happening for me," Conlon said. "I just have to go out and try to do what I did today, which is mix speeds and throw the fastball where I want it."
The RubberDucks' Eric Haase logged the first hit against the 2015 third-round pick, a ground rule double with two outs in the second, but Conlon struck out the next batter, then shrugged off a third-inning single by seventh-ranked Indians prospectGreg Allen.
"I was more aggressive with the fastball because of my arm feeling the way it did," the University of San Diego product said. "Early on, I noticed I was spotting it well and that gave me confidence in the middle of game, the second time through [the lineup], that I could keep throwing it as long as I commanded it like I was early. That was huge for me."
He also enjoyed a five-run second by the Rumble Ponies, who extended the lead by one in the fourth.
"You feel a lot looser with a comfortable lead," he said. "Every time, your job is to put your team in position to win, so if they're scoring a lot of runs, that makes that job a lot easier. I felt like I could attack a little more freely."
After retiring 11 in a row, Conlon (6-7) had to sit through a bottom of the sixth in which Binghamton sent 11 men to the plate and scored seven more times. Despite the long wait, he didn't worry about having to turn the ball over to the bullpen in the seventh.
"No one really came up to me and said anything like that," he said. "It didn't really cross my mind that they wouldn't let me go back out, but it was a long inning. I just had to make sure I stayed loose."
There was trouble when he finally got back to the bump. Bobby Bradley, MLB.com's No. 80 overall prospect, scorched a leadoff knock up the middle and Indians No. 9 prospectYu-Cheng Chang walked.
"My fastball command wasn't as good as it was all game and my slider as well. I was missing down. The single was 109 [mph] off the bat and then the walk ... " Conlon said. "[Catcher Tomás Nido] came out and it was like, 'All right, I've got to get back to what I was doing, just get a ground ball or something and get out of it.'"
He fanned Haase and induced two straight groundouts, finishing the nightcap in two hours and seven minutes. He threw 71 of 106 pitches for strikes.
Nido, the Mets' No. 9 prospect, was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
The RubberDucks won the opener, 6-3, getting a complete game from Thomas Pannone and two hits from Bradley.
Josh Jackson is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @JoshJacksonMiLB.
Podcast: New Erie identity, new ballparks, new Top 100
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
How clubs across Minor League Baseball are celebrating PLAY BALL Weekend
PLAY BALL Weekend is almost here, and Minor League clubs have put together an exciting calendar of events to celebrate MLB’s youth engagement initiative. Some clubs are hosting youth clinics or other events in their home ballparks while others are bringing the joy of baseball and softball into the local
Here are the weirdest plays and stats from MiLB in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Podcast features first-base promotions for Caglianone, Eldridge
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.