Darin Gorski has a knack for starting fast. In his previous outing, the left-hander tossed five no-hit innings. Tuesday evening, he was at it again, breezing through Williamsport’s order hitless through 3 1/3.
The rest of the performance, well, that’s another story.
The Mets’ 22nd-round pick out of Kutztown University (Pa.) was shredded for six hits and five earned runs across the final two innings and took the loss, the first decision of his brief pro career, in the Cyclones’ unsightly, 10-4 loss at KeySpan Park.
The southpaw allowed a ringing solo home run to Sebastian Valle in the fourth and four consecutive hits in the fifth. Gorski said the round-tripper didn’t bother him. The repeated line drives were far more worrisome.
“They hit some good pitches and a couple of them I left over the plate,” he said. “They were aggressive and they swung the bat well.”
Manager Pedro Lopez felt Gorski didn’t follow the same game plan in the final two frames that had enabled him to retire 10 of the first 12 batters he faced. He left pitches up in the zone, instead of locating them knee-high, and paid the price.
“They made adjustments quicker than he did,” Lopez said.
Lopez said he may have gone to Wes Wrenn in the fifth had the right-hander been properly warmed up. Then again, the first-year manager likes to see his young players face difficult situations, if only to see how they handle adversity.
“In the hard times, it shows what you got,” he said.
Although Gorski was tagged with five earned runs, he seemed to handle the shelling well. He spoke to reporters afterward, offering no excuses. He won’t be starting next time, but that’s just part of the alternating in the last slot of the Cyclones’ rotation the club has resorted to with him and Wrenn.
Notes: First baseman Sam Honeck (groin) will run the bases prior to tomorrow’s game and, if all goes well, will be in the starting lineup, batting third, Lopez said. … Lopez said he has been told by Mets brass that shortstop Angel Berroa and infielder Andy Green will only be in Brooklyn through Thursday. Berroa, claimed off waivers by the Mets on July 11, and Green, who is rehabbing a broken finger, will likely report to Triple-A Buffalo at that point. The Cyclones are the only club currently playing; every other classification is in their respective All-Star breaks. … Infielder Matt Bouchard, who was leading Brooklyn with a .408 batting average, will have season-ending hip surgery Friday. … Cyclones pitchers were charged with a season-high five wild pitches. … Right-hander Brandon Moore (3-0, 0.62 ERA) gets the nod in the second game of the series tomorrow at 7 p.m.
