Mateo, Thunder slam Yard Goats
TRENTON » Jorge Mateo’s time in the Yankees’ farm system could come to an end any day now.
The organization’s No. 8 ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline’s new mid-season rankings, has been heavily linked as a potential trade chip for the Yankees as they look to strengthen their starting rotation.
If this was in fact Mateo’s last game at Arm & Hammer Park — the Thunder are on the road through the July 31 trade deadline — he made it memorable.
You might end up calling it a grand finale.
Mateo launched a grand slam in the sixth inning and the Thunder completed a three-game sweep against Hartford with an 8-4 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
“He had good swings all day and was missing them by just a little bit,” manager Bobby Mitchell said. “He fouled a couple back and those were better swings than the previous games. He hit a couple fly balls he got underneath, but the timing was good, and when a guy is swinging like that and has that type of power it’s just a matter of time.”
Two of Mateo’s four homers since joining the Thunder have been grand slams. Trenton’s five grand slams this season match the franchise record set during the 1995 and 1999 seasons.
The 22-year-old went hitless in the first two games of the series, but hammered a hanging Edison Frias breaking ball over the left field fence to give the Thunder an 8-2 lead.
Mateo is batting .320/.404/.556 with four homers, 24 RBIs and 10 steals in 26 Double-A games. He’s also shown he’s an option in center field in addition to his regular position at shortstop.
That makes him an attractive trade piece to a rival organization — like say the Oakland Athletics who appear ready to deal starting pitcher Sonny Gray.
“It affects different people in different ways,” Mitchell said, referencing the trade speculation. “Everybody is going to want the guy in the trade. I would. I think he’s electric, and if we trade him, we’re going to get a pretty good player from the other team. … I love him on our team. I think he’s dynamic and causes a lot of problems.”
The Thunder (69-33) maintained a 12.5 game lead over second-place Binghamton in the EL East. As the march toward the playoffs continues, Trenton needs to go 24-14 in its final 38 games to reach 93 victories and surpass the club record of 92 set in 1999.
“It’s doable if we stay focused and keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Mitchell said. “You think there might be some changes, but there have been changes all year long and we continue (to win). The guys who have filled in have stepped up big time.”
Take Wednesday for example.
The Thunder got three hits from Jhalan Jackson and a key two-out RBI single from Dante Bichette Jr. in the first inning.
A seventh-round pick in 2015 out of Florida Southern, Jackson has played well when given a chance since coming up from High-A. He’s hit safely in eight of the last nine games he’s appeared in and improved his average to .395 following Wednesday’s 3-for-4 outing.
“I’m just taking advantage of the opportunities I’m given,” said Jackson, who at 6-4, 220-pounds has the physique of an NFL linebacker. “When I’m in there, I get in there and compete.”
Of course you have to hit to stay in the lineup.
“I have no problem sticking him out there,” Mitchell said. “I think he’s stepped up his game from when he came up from Tampa. He’s in the process of learning and since he came here, he’s kind of dedicated himself to learning not only the hitting, but the rest of the game. He needs to do that because we’re looking for complete ballplayers.”
Brody Koerner (3-2) picked up the win, allowing two runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings.
The Yard Goats (47-55) took three of four from the Thunder in Hartford following the AllStar break and had won nine of 11 entering this series. Ryan Castellani (8-9), the Rockies’ No. 6 prospect, took the loss. He was charged with seven runs (six earned) in 5.1 frames. Castellani left with the bases loaded in the sixth before Mateo greeted Frias with a grand slam.
“You feed off the energy here,” Jackson said. “Everyone on this team is good.”