With call-up on horizon, Dominic dominating at Vegas

Every Lucas Duda home run and every Dominic Smith at-bat seem to bring the 22-year-old closer to Citi Field.

It appears to be only a matter of (rapidly shrinking) time the Mets’ No. 2 prospect makes his major league debut, with the team floundering and likely selling at any moment. With Duda, a free agent at season’s end, likely on his way out, Smith is celebrating the occasion by turning what may be his last days at Triple-A Las Vegas into a party.

In 17 July games entering Saturday, the 2013 firstround pick was 28-for-72 (.389) with five home runs and 18 RBIs. In Smith’s past 33 games, he had a hit in all but one. Every Triple-A Las Vegas statistic comes with the caveat that the Pacific Coast League is a hitter’s haven, but the lefty is sizzling at the right time.

Tony DeFrancesco has been an unfortunate wit- ness to Smith’s rise.

“He’s pretty close [to major league ready], if not ready now,” said the manager of the Fresno Grizzlies, whom Smith torched in a four-game series this week. “He’s been swinging the bat pretty well. Dominating this league. ... Definitely a guy who looks like one of the top hitters in this league.”

DeFrancesco was impressed with how selective Smith has become, with 33 walks to 66 strikeouts entering Saturday.

“We tried to pitch him in, but he likes it out over the plate,” DeFrancesco said. “Very disciplined hitter, very smart. You gotta attack him.”

On the year, Smith was slashing .336/.391/.553 with 13 home runs, one shy of his career best set last year.

Mets Double-A Binghamton right-hander Chris Flexen was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on July 13. He lost the no-hit bid by allowing a homer and bowing out after eight innings.