Mets Prospects Highlights | Jonah Tong combined perfect game | 5/10/25

Jonah Tong is on the mound for Binghamton. 3.38 ERA on the year, as we mentioned. This is his sixth start, 21 and a third innings pitch. Excellent strike out to walk ratio, 38 to 14. The pitch. Got him swinging to Tong on a 96-mile-per-hour heater, and that's out number one. Tong winds, delivers, and that's a check swing. Did he go? Looked like he did. And, yes, he did, says first base umpire. Tong is ready, angled towards the third-base side. Pitch. Got him swinging. Changeup, and Tong strikes out the side, all swinging. Eric Skubel last night, 12 strikeouts. Tigers have won their fifth straight. And the one-two. Strike three called on the inside corner. Panetta goes down. First five retired by Tong. It will be a two-two here. Reyes just gets a piece. No he didn't. He swung and missed. O'Neal tracks it down. Fires the first. In time. End of inning. And Tong, six up, six down, five strikeouts via the K. Here comes the three-two from Tong. Swung on and missed. Strike three. Blew the fastball by Fergus. Tong looks in. A ball and two strikes. The pitch to Prado. Got him swinging on a fastball, and Tong goes back to the gas to strike out Prado. Tong into the windup. One-two pitch. Cole strike three. Top of the zone, and Tong has number eight. Temperature went up dramatically. We were in the mid-50s in game one. The wind as the two-two. Check swing. Did he go? Yes, he did. Jonah comes to the set. Pitch to Panetta. Curve ball perfect on the outside corner. Strikeout number ten. It will be a one-two. Pitch on the outside corner. Strike three on this slider. Everything working for Tong. He has tied his career high with 11 strikeouts, and he is fired up. Eleven have struck out. Two-two pitch. Swung on and missed. Strike three. And Tong goes to the fastball to fan Luis Verdugo for his career high. Twelve punch out. Two balls, two strikes, two outs. Tong winds up. The pitch to Prado. Swung on and missed. Strike three on a slider. Jonah Tong, 13 strikeouts and perfection over six. Jonah Tong has pitched six perfect innings, and he comes out for the top of the seventh having thrown 86 pitches, 54 of them for strikes, for the payoff pitch to begin the seventh. Line by Moore, center field. Morabito back, still back. He runs it down. One out. It will be a three-two pitch. Tong sets, steals to Miller. Ground ball over to Short. Jett has it, throws to first. In time as Schwartz held on. Out number two, and Tong is one out away. Travis Patience waited just an extra tick to make sure that JT held on, and here comes Reed Bryniak with his arm around the catcher O'Neal. Tong is at 99 pitches, and they're going to make the call to the bullpen. Tong will depart much to the dismay of this crowd hoping to witness a perfect game. The pitch to Mendes. On the inside corner, strike three called. The first perfect game in Binghamton franchise history started by Jonah Tong. Six and two-thirds perfect. Innings, no walks, 13 strikeouts, and finished by TJ Shook with the strikeout of Hendry Mendes, and it's a game-two victory for Binghamton. And let's listen in to Matt talk with Jonah live in just a moment as they throw, first the Gatorade, then the water. First perfect game in franchise history combined from these two, Jonah Tong and TJ Shook. Jonah, start with you, 13 strikeouts, one shy of doing it yourself. When Reed came out to take the ball, what did you say to him? I knew it as soon as I looked back, and I'm like, 98 pitches, they said it was 99. I'm like, one more, please. But, like, I get it, bigger picture here, so I'm glad you came in, so. How did you feel throughout that whole start? Pretty calm, not going to lie to you. I didn't really think a whole lot. Thought the sky was nice and blue today. Jerseys are pretty cool, so that's pretty much it. What, like, what goes through your head when you're fanning that many guys? Do you realize what you're doing out there that you haven't allowed a base runner yet? No, I honestly don't really think about it. Can't really think about it. Just go in and keep pitching. What was the mindset like when you're in the dugout and the offense goes up and scores six, you're sitting for a while? It was kind of quick, up and down, pitcher's duel to start the game, but that was a long inning. What were you thinking in there? Well, Jet came up to me, he's like, hey, there's your run, and I was like, sick. And then he kept on going, and he got a hit, and everyone else had a hit, so it was pretty cool to see the guys come up, but, like, I firmly believe we're on the best teams in AA and even baseball, so I think, you know, you just gotta trust the guys, and it was awesome to see. Well, you're leading the Eastern League in strikeouts. Congratulations, Jonah. Thank you, thank you. Happy Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I don't know where you're at, but there you go. Awesome, and TJ, you're coming in to get the last out. What goes through your head as you're coming into a game like that? Honestly, just wanted to get in the zone and hopefully get an out, so ended up working out. Jonah did the majority of the work. It's a pretty cool feeling, though. I saw you get up to warm up a couple of different times. How do you manage doing that? Just gotta read the situation. Just stay ready no matter what. That's kind of what the bullpen is. But, yeah, I mean, we were hoping Jonah could get it done in fewer pitches, but he did a fantastic job, fun to watch, and I'm glad I could shut it out for him. Well, you guys put your name in history book today. First perfect game in franchise history. Jonah Tong and TJ Shook, thanks for the time.