Mets Fans Get to See that Tong,and He Doesn’t Disappoint in 19-9 Win Over Fish

Mets 19, Marlins 9 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets Record: 73-62

Mets Streak: W1

Mets Last 10: 6-4

WP: Jonah Tong (1-0) LP: Eury Perez (6-4)

Seat On The Korner: Jonah Tong

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Jonah Tong gets our Seat on the Korner tonight. Ralph Kiner always cherished interviewing players after memorable debuts, and tonight would be no exception. Tong, who has dominated the minor leagues this season with a 1.59 ERA, 0.922 WHIP, and a staggering 14.3 K/9 over 102 innings in Binghamton, showcased his poise and promise in his first major league start. While not as overpowering as his Generation K 2.0 counterpart Nolan McLean, Tong was effective despite long delays between innings, pitching five innings of six-hit ball, allowing four runs—only one earned—after two costly Mets errors in the fifth. He struck out six without issuing a walk, throwing 97 pitches, 63 for strikes, good for a 64.9% strike rate. Tong’s arsenal—featuring a deceptive low-to-mid-90s fastball, a sharp mid-70s curve, a low-to-mid-80s slider, and a fading changeup—translated well under the bright lights, giving Mets fans a tantalizing glimpse of the future.

Need To Know:

• Jonah Tong made his long anticipated Major League debut. He is currently ranked the number 44 prospect in baseball and the number four

  prospect in the Mets system according to MLBPipeline.com.

• He became the seventh player (sixth pitcher) to make his MLB debut with the Mets this season, joining Hayden Senger, Alex Carrillo, Justin Hagenman, Jonathan Pintaro, Blade Tidwell, and Nolan McLean.

• Tong is the 44th pitcher the Mets have used this season which is a franchise record.The previous high was 42 in 2021.They are only trailing the 2024 Miami Marlins by one (45) for the most pitchers used by a team in a single season.

• At 22 years old and 71 days Tong is the youngest pitcher to start for the Mets since Jenrry Mejía (20 years old and 339 days) on September 15, 2010 and the youngest Mets starting pitcher to make their Major League debut since Jon Niese (21 years old and 311 days) made his debut on September 2, 2008.He is one of 12 pitchers in franchise history to make his Major League debut as a starter at age 22 and 71 days or younger.

• Tong was born in Markham, ON and is the 12th player born in Canada to play a game for the Mets. He is the eighth Canadian to pitch for the team in franchise history and the third this season (Jared Young 6/15 and Zach Pop 7/6).He is the third Canadian to start a game for the Mets and the first since 1962 (also: Ray Daviault, 1962 and Ken MacKenzie, 1962).

• While I was hoping Tong's entrance music was going to be Sisqo's Thong Song, he went with Burn It to the Ground from his fellow countrymen Nickelback.

• Juan Soto, who entered the night hitless in his last six at-bats (0-for-6) and 0-for-4 in the series, stepped up with Francisco Lindor in scoring position in his first at-bat and launched a 398-foot, 104.4 mph home run to right field, extending his streak to 7-for-7 with runners in scoring position. A streak that came to an end in the second inning.

  
  

• One game after his 10 game hitting streak came to an end, Mark Vientos hot homestand continued as he went 2-4 with a home run he is now hitting .388 (7-18), 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI

• It took Marlins starter Eury Perez 34 pitches to record his first out as the first five Mets batters to face him reached base safely. Juan Soto hit a two-run homer. Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run homer. After get Starling Marte and Brett Baty out on hard hit balls, he was pulled from the game after 39 first inning pitches.

• The Mets exploded for five runs in the first inning before recording an out, then added seven more in the second inning after the first two outs had been made.

• The first two innings lasted 1 hour and 2 minutes: the Mets sent 20 men to the plate and scored 12 runs, while the Marlins sent just 7. Jonah Tong threw 26 pitches; Marlins pitchers combined for 91.

• With tonight’s win, Jonah Tong joins Nolan McLean as the first pair of Mets pitchers to earn a victory in their major league debuts in the same season.

• Luis Torrens Home Run in the 8th inning gave every Met Starter a hit.

• The 19 runs were the most runs scored by the Mets at home in their history.

• With the 19-5 lead headed into the top of ninth , Carlos Mendoza opted to save a pitcher by using Luis Torrens it did not work out so well as he went 1/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, 2 home runs.

Turning Point:

It’s not often you can pinpoint the turning point of a game before a single out is recorded in the bottom of the first inning, but that’s exactly what happened here. After Jonah Tong breezed through a perfect top of the first, the Mets wasted no time staking him to a commanding lead. Francisco Lindor set the tone with a leadoff walk and a steal of second, then Juan Soto crushed a two-run homer to right-center. Pete Alonso followed with a single, Mark Vientos worked a walk, and Brandon Nimmo blew the game wide open with a three-run blast. Just like that, before the Marlins could exhale, it was 5-0 Mets—and the avalanche was only beginning.

'

Three Things:

FInding Nimmo

On nearly any other night, Brandon Nimmo would have earned the coveted Seat on the Korner with Ralph, but with Jonah Tong making headlines in his major league debut, Nimmo will have to settle for a spot in our “Three Things” section tonight. Nimmo turned in a stellar performance, collecting two hits—both home runs—to power the Mets offense. Since August 11, Nimmo has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 starts, going 19-for-50 over that stretch for a scorching .380 batting average, with three home runs, three doubles, 14 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. His consistency and power have been a driving force for the Mets’ late-season push.

Scoreless Frame Alert: Helsley’s Fifth of the Year

The Mets’ ongoing effort to get Ryan Helsley back on track may have seen a glimmer of progress tonight. Things didn’t start smoothly, as Connor Norby greeted him with a double, but Helsley bore down and showed flashes of his All-Star form. He induced Troy Johnston to ground out to Pete Alonso, moving Norby to third with one out, then got Eric Wagaman to fly out to shallow right before Francisco Lindor and Alonso combined for an outstanding defensive play to retire Joey Wiemer. It was only Helsley’s fifth scoreless outing in 12 appearances as a Met, but after a rocky stretch since being acquired from the Cardinals, this clean inning offers a sliver of hope that he can regain his dominance. Can this be the outing that rights the ship? Time will tell, but for now, it’s a step in the right direction..

Hey Siri Whats Happening in Port St. Lucie

The Mets’ rehab assignments in Port St. Lucie told two very different stories on offense. Jesse Winker is still searching for his first hit of the stint, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, marking his fourth punchout in his last five at-bats. He was lifted for José Siri in the sixth, and Siri wasted no time making an impact. In the bottom of the sixth, Siri lined a single to left at 73.4 mph exit velocity, moving Sam Robertson to third base. He came through again in the eighth, scorching a 95.9 mph ground ball single to right, driving in Robertson and reaching second on a throwing error, a sequence that pushed St. Lucie’s lead to 6-4. While Winker’s bat has yet to find life, Siri’s strong contact and hustle were bright spots in the rehab watch.