Minor League Report: Sweeney Shines For Buffalo; Binghamton and St. Lucie Lose

Mets Minors 5.19.2011

BUFFALO 5, INDIANAPOLIS 1:

Brian Sweeney shut out the Indians for six innings, helping the Bisons to a 5-1 win in Indianapolis Thursday. Sweeney allowed just one run, a solo homer by John Bowker in the seventh inning. He left after that inning, allowing four hits and striking out four with no walks. After three starts with Buffalo, Sweeney is 1-2. Valentino Pascuccui went 2-for-2 with three walks and three RBI, including a two-run double in the first inning off of Indians starter Sean Gallagher. In the third, Gallagher allowed a double to Luis Figueroa before an RBI single by Michael Fisher. The pitcher loaded the bases, walking Pascucci and hitting Herd catcher Mike Nickeas in the wrist. Raul Chavez then replaced Nickeas at first and caught the final seven innings. Gallagher avoided major harm in the third, getting Jesus Feliciano to ground into an inning-ending double play. Fisher, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, added his second RBI of the day with a solo shot off of Gallagher in the fifth. Gallagher left after five, allowing four runs (all earned) on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Sweeney helped his own cause with a sixth-inning double off of reliever Dan Meyer, but was caught in a rundown when Figueroa grounded out to end the inning. Kirk Nieuwenhuis went 2-for-4, scoring twice. After Pascucci scored Nieuwenhuis in the seventh, the Bisons again left the bases loaded, but held on for the victory with relievers Dale Thayer and Justin Hampson shutting out the eighth and ninth, respectively. The Bisons close their eight-game road trip Friday night in Indianapolis, looking for a win to salvage a split with the Indians. BOX

NEW HAMPSHIRE 7, BINGHAMTON 2:

Brad Holt labored through four innings with a career-worst eight walks to take his second straight loss. The defeat gave New Hampshire a sweep in the three-game series. The B-Mets have now lost four straight and seven of eight overall. New Hampshire (25-14) tallied three runs in the first. Holt retired the first two hitters of the frame, but walked Anthony Gose to extend the inning. Gose stole second, was wild pitched to third and scored on a Holt balk to give the Fisher Cats a quick 1-0 lead. Holt eventually walked Mike McDade and Moises Sierra, which brought Ricardo Nanita to the plate. Nanita dropped an RBI single into center to score McDade, and Sierra would follow on a throwing error by catcher Jean Luc Blaquiere, which made it 3-0 New Hampshire. John Tolisano increased the lead to four runs with a solo homer to right-center in the second inning, his first of the year. Holt ran into trouble again in the third after walking Gose and McDade. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position and Gose scored on a Nanita sacrifice fly to right, which upped the lead to 5-0. Binghamton (13-24) got on the board in the fifth against the Eastern League leader in ERA, Rey Gonzalez, who started for the Fisher Cats. Carlos Guzman and Blaquiere singled to start the inning. Lorenzo Scott moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Jordany Valdespin followed and brought Guzman in to score with a sac fly to left, which cut the deficit to four runs. Holt exited after four innings to his third loss. He was charged with five runs (four earned) on two hits. Brandon Sage replaced him and gave up two more runs in the last of the fifth on a two-run homer from Sierra. Gonzalez tossed his seventh consecutive quality start for his fifth win. The righty worked six innings and allowed a run on four hits. The B-Mets got their final run against the bullpen with a two-out rally in the eighth. Brahiam Maldonado doubled off Evan Crawford to start it. After Crawford walked Allan Dykstra, Eric Campbell looped a broken-bat RBI single to center which chased home Maldonado, who was 2-for-4 in the game. Binghamton went a disappointing 1-6 on its seven-game road trip, but returns home Friday for a 7:05 p.m. game with the Harrisburg Senators. Left-hander Robert Carson (1-4, 3.96) will start for the B-Mets. BOX

TAMPA 6, ST. LUCIE 4:

Michael Powers dropped to 1-4 after surrendering two seventh-inning runs that broke a tie. Matt den Dekker and J.B. Brown had three hits apiece for St. Lucie. Brown drove in three runs. BOX

Compiled from team reports.

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