Christian Scott stars again as Mets snag Tuesday night win over Columbus, 6-3

Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets received yet another strong start from their ace young pitcher. Christian Scott, the top pitching prospect in the New York Mets minor-league system, tossed his longest Triple-A outing as the Mets snagged a 6-3 win over the Columbus Clippers on a pleasant Tuesday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Syracuse now owns a 6-4 record in ten home games so far this season. J.D. Martinez finished the day 1-for-4 for Syracuse with an RBI.

Early on, it looked like Scott might be destined for danger. He gave up a two-run home run with one out in the top of the first, as Kyle Manzardo took him deep to put Columbus (8-13) in front, 2-0.

From there, the Clippers could do absolutely nothing against Scott. The former Florida Gator retired the final 18 batters he faced in order, racking up eight more strikeouts during that time. Scott now has 34 strikeouts combined in his first four Triple-A outings. He finished with a flourish, retiring the final two batters he faced via a swinging strikeout. Scott’s final line: six and one-third innings (a new Triple-A career-high) with just one hit allowed, two earned runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts on 85 total pitches.

While Scott held the Clippers offense down, the Syracuse (11-9) offense thundered along. The Mets smacked four home runs in the game – José Iglesias got the scoring party started in the bottom of the second, hitting a two-out, two-run homer after Trayce Thompson had walked to extend the inning as Syracuse tied the game, 2-2. It was Iglesias’ second home run of the season, both of which have come at NBT Bank Stadium.

Luke Ritter tacked on a solo shot in the fifth, but the true home-run hitter of the night for the Syracuse Mets was Jiman Choi. He hit a pair of solo home runs that sailed well beyond the right-field fence, with one coming in the fourth and another coming in the sixth. The pair of home runs were the first this season for Choi.

In the bottom of the eighth, the crowd at NBT Bank Stadium got to see what they came to see. J.D. Martinez, the six-time All-Star who played the first game in his optional assignment with Syracuse on Tuesday night, came to the plate with Luisangel Acuña on second base and one out. Martinez promptly got a pitch he liked and laced a sharp single into center field, scoring Acuña to give Syracuse its sixth and final run of the ballgame. The Mets finished the game with five hits – remarkably, each one of them produced a run.

After Scott ceded the scene in the seventh, the bullpen got the game to the finish line for the Mets. Eric Orze, Yacksel Ríos, and Dedniel Núñez tossed the final two and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on one hit (a Johnathan Rodriguez home run) with two walks and four strikeouts. Núñez earned the save with a scoreless ninth, continuing what has been an über-impressive start to the season. In seven and one-thirds combined innings in seven relief appearances, the right-hander has yet to allow a run on just two hits with three walks and 12 strikeouts.

Syracuse is home all week against the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, the Columbus Clippers. Game two of the six-game series is scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday with right-hander Dom Hamel scheduled to start for the Mets.