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The Mets’ top pitching prospect was back on the struggle bus Wednesday.
Jonah Tong, the team’s No. 2 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline, allowed five home runs, including back-to-back-to-back shots, over five innings for Triple-A Syracuse against Columbus.
Tong got out of the first inning on just 12 pitches and later recorded his first strikeout in the second against Guardians No. 1 prospect and No. 33 overall Ralphy Velazquez. The 23-year-old then saw Kody Huff swing and miss on a 97-mph fastball to finish two perfect innings.
Tong’s fast start came to a screeching halt in the third, however.
After opponents whiffed on eight of their first 14 swings, they missed on just three of his next 30.
New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong reacts as he walks back to the dugout after being pulled from the game in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Jason Szenes for The New York PostIn the third, Dayan Frias homered on an up-and-in 0-2 fastball that opened the floodgates.
An inning later, the Clippers rattled off three consecutive homers, each over 385 feet, off the bats of George Valera, Kody Huff and Milan Tolentino.
In Tong’s fifth and final frame, Velasquez got revenge, barreling a fifth home run off the right-hander.
Jonah Tong allowed five homers, including back-to-back-to-back shots this afternoon.
His final line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Triple-A ERA sits at 5.46.#LGM pic.twitter.com/xOkmlHY0Pv
Tong finished his outing having allowed six runs (five earned), five hits, a walk and a hit by pitch with three strikeouts.
His Triple-A ERA rose to 5.46.
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The difficult outing brings an end to Tong’s successful three-game stretch. He had given up just three runs with 18 strikeouts in his last 14 2/3 innings entering Wednesday’s start.
Tong has allowed 33 runs and 12 home runs on 49 hits and 25 walks in 47 2/3 innings over 10 starts with a 5.29 ERA and a 1.552 WHIP since returning to the International League at the beginning of June after a stint with the big league club,
He was recalled to the Mets in late May, pitching mainly in bulk relief. After a rough outing in which he allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings, he was sent back to Triple-A.
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