Mets call up Jonah Tong five strong innings in MLB debut vs Marlins

Jonah Tong made his major league debut Friday night for the New York Mets, pitching five innings and striking out six as New York routed the Miami Marlins 19-9 at Citi Field, a rapid rise that gives the Mets a fresh option in a tight National League East and wild-card chase. The 22-year-old right-hander from Ontario, Canada, was summoned from Triple-A Syracuse less than a week before MLB rosters expand, filling a vacancy created when starter Frankie Montas was placed on the 60-day injured list with a UCL injury.

Tong, a seventh-round pick by the Mets in the 2022 draft, arrived in New York after a dominating minor-league season in which he led all pitchers with 179 strikeouts in roughly 113 2/3 innings and posted a 1.43 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. In two Triple-A starts he logged 11 2/3 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and three walks, prompting the club to call him up ahead of the Sept. 1 roster expansion.

"Its everything I ever dreamed of," Tong said after the game, adding that he felt overwhelmed by the moment but focused on making pitches. Manager Carlos Mendoza called the outing "very good" and said Tong earned the start while...