Mets' Baty records first three-hit game

Brett Baty chalked up a career first on Friday night.
MLB.com's No. 84 overall prospect recorded his first three-hit game -- homering and doubling twice -- and scored three times as Rookie Advanced Kingsport thumped Pulaski, 6-1, at Calfee Park.

Gameday box score
The second-ranked Mets prospect reached base four times, drawing a leadoff walk in the first inning against Ken Waldichuk (0-2) before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Andres Regnault. He ripped a one-out double to left field off the left-hander in the third and came around again on Regnault's RBI single.
Facing reliever Elvis Peguero in the fourth, the 19-year-old third baseman flied to left to end the inning. With one out in the seventh, he doubled to right against the righty but was stranded.
Baty's one-out dinger over the center-field wall in the ninth off right-hander Nelson L Alvarez was his fifth since being promoted from the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League on July 2.
"His first double was a laser to the third-base side, then he hit a bullet over first base and the home run was to straightaway center," Mets hitting coach Mariano Duncan said. "As a young hitter using all of the field, I cannot ask for more. He's shown he's going to be a great hitter."
After posting a .350/.480/.650 slash line in five GCL contests, the left-handed hitter was sent to the Appalachian League. Friday marked his seventh multi-hit effort and he's batting .192/.317/.417 in 33 games with Kingsport.
"Brett has been here about five weeks and he's shown me he's gonna be a monster," Duncan said. "We made a little bit of a change to his approach and it's starting to pay off. He's hitting [.192], but that is not what I see. He's getting better and better.
"I've been in the game a long time and coached a lot of good hitters. That's what I talk to Brett about: don't look at the batting average, look at going to the plate and competing, having a plan."
The Texas 6A Player of the Year hit .615 with 19 long balls and 50 RBIs during his senior year at Lake Travis High School in Austin. He understands success and Duncan is determined to keep Baty focused.

"I want him to be even more aggressive at the plate," the 12-year Major League veteran said. "As a 19-year-old, he's strong mentally. He comes to the ballpark ready to try to get better.
"What I teach is to prepare for the future. Brett is a really fast learner. He won't be in the Minor Leagues too long. He has the potential and a good idea about the strike zone. He also has power to the opposite field, and I love that about him."
Cole Kleszcz had two hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth, for the Mets.
Kingsport starter Christofer Dominguez (3-3) gave up one hit and three walks across six innings, striking out five, for the win.