Mets' Jonah Tong goes four scoreless innings in Opening Day start for Triple-A Syracuse
One day after the Mets began their season, Jonah Tong was on the hill for Triple-A Syracuse's Opening Day as they took on the Worcester Red Sox at Polar Park. After a bit of a bumpy first inning in which he walked two, the right-hander settled down and looked good in his four innings of work, where he allowed no runs on one hit and those two free passes. The youngster also struck out four, including three of the last four batters he faced, but his outing was done following 73 pitches (42 strikes).
Tong featured his usual fastball/changeup combo while also throwing in some cutters and curveballs as he continues to work on adding to and refining his repertoire. His fastball reached as high as 97 mph, but was typically around 93-95 mph. The 22-year-old got better as the game went on, retiring the final eight batters he faced.
Had it not been for a first inning that saw him throw 33 pitches, Tong would've been able to pitch deeper into the game and possibly get the win. Nevertheless, Tong left the game with a 2-0 lead after Jose Rojas hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning.