Mets Farm Report: June 29th, 2011 – Evans Goes 5 for 5!

Buffalo Bisons 7 – Leigh Valley IronPigs 5

A couple of pitchers who pitched over 50 innings each for the Mets in 2009 squared off against each other tonight. Ahh, good times.

It was Pat Misch who outdueled Tim Redding for the win, although neither pitched an exceptional game. Misch had the strikeout pitch working early on, but the IronPigs had the longball going for them later on. Misch struckout six over the first four innings (eight total) and had held the IronPigs scoreless, but then in the 5th and 6th innings he allowed two two-run home runs and a solo shot. John Lujan had to come in and finish off the 6th for Misch. Trying to notch the save, Ryota Igarashi got into some trouble with runners on the corner and one out, but proceeded to get a foul pop up to first base and fly out to save the game and extend his scoreless streak to 14.1 innings (10 appearances).

The Bisons won the game with a six run 3rd inning. The first six men to come up in the inning all reached safely and would come around to score. Luis Figueroa singled, Michael Fisher reached on a game changing fielding error, Nick Evans to load the bases, Fernando Martinez brought home the first two with a ground ball right back through the middle, Val Pascucci singled home Evans, and then Jesus Feliciano hit a ground-rule double to get Fernando across. Pascucci would later score on a single and Feliciano on a safety squeeze by Misch. Figueroa added an insurance run in the 7th with a two-out single to score Luis Hernandez.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Michael Fisher: (0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K)
• Nick Evans: (5-for-5, 2B, R) – He is Jose Reyes hot. Hitting .537/.597/.815 in June with an 8:7 BB:K.
• Fernando Martinez: (1-for-5, R, 2 RBI, 3 K)

Stars of the Game: 1. Nick Evans (44pts) 2. Luis Figueroa (7pts) 3. Jesus Feliciano (9pts)

Binghamton Mets 3 – Erie SeaWolves 9

Well here is some bad news. Jordany Valdespin was pulled after just one at-bat today and while there is no official word the games broadcaster was speculating it was injury related. This would be the worst possible time for him to go down, in the midst of a breakout.

Collin McHugh didn’t have his best command today and labored through his 3.1 innings of work. In the 1st he gave up a hit, a walk, and then hit a batter to load the bases. He made it to two outs and no runs scored, but two two-out singles scored three runs to put the B-Mets in a hole. He allowed two baserunners including a walk in the 2nd, two more baserunners including a walk in the 3rd (although it was intentional), and then walked two men in the 5th inning before being pulled for Michael Powers.  Powers induced a double play groundball and McHugh somehow managed to give up no runs in those last three innings despite all the base runners. Things just went downhill when Josh Stinson came in for the 5th. Stinson got clobbered for five runs on five hits and two walks. That was the fat lady singing.

Josh Satin and Allan Dykstra combined for the first run of the game. With two outs Satin singled and Dykstra scorched a double to drive him in. Brahiam Maldonado hit another home run, his 15th of the year. Before the game was out of hand and the B-Mets were down by just one in the 5th, the B-Mets had a possible threat that fell short. Matt Den Dekker worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a balk. Eric Campbell then reached on an error and Satin singled home Den Dekker to tie the game. With two on and no out Dykstra hit a foul pop up and Salomon Manriquez grounded into a double play. As they say and the rest is history.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Matt Den Dekker: (0-for-3, R, BB)
• Jordany Valdespin: (0-for-1)
• Josh Satin: (2-for-4, R, RBI)
• Allan Dykstra: (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB)

Stars of the Game: 1. Allan Dykstra (37pts) 2. Brahiam Maldonado (38pts) 3. Josh Satin (62pts)

St. Lucie Mets vs. Fort Myers Miracle (PPD)

Postponed

Savannah Sand Gnats 5 – Rome Braves 2

Yohan Almonte had a great start and went a season high seven innings. After giving up a double to the third batter of the ballgame he didn’t give up another hit until the 7th inning. In that inning, however, he gave up back-to-back home runs which would be the only blemishes against him. Ronny Morla pitched a perfect 8th and Hamilton Bennett a perfect 9th to save the game.

The offense almost didn’t score enough to get Almonte the win for his terrific start. Almonte got an early lead when Joe Bonfe singled in Aderlin Rodriguez in 2nd inning, but didn’t get another run until the 6th on a wild pitch. Almonte had coughed up that lead the next inning, but fortunately the Gnats mustered out a run the next half inning. Alonzo Harris singled, was sacrificed over by Luis Nieves, Darrell Ceciliani bunted for a single to load the bases, and then Wilfredo Tovar almost hit into a double play but just beat it out and the run was able to score. Jet Butler tripled home A-Rod in the 9th and came home on a Harris sac fly to add on some insurance runs for Bennett.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Darrell Ceciliani: (1-for-4, K)
• Wilfredo Tovar: (1-for-4, RBI)
• Aderlin Rodriguez: (2-for-4, 2 R, K)
• Yohan Almonte: (W, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 3 SO, 10:5 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Yohan Almonte (8pts) 2. Aderlin Rodriguez (37pts) 3. Jet Butler (1pt)

Brooklyn Cyclones 0 – Hudson Valley Renegades 1

Jeff Walters had another very encouraging start, although it did not last very long. He gave up just a single in the 1st and then a walk and hit by pitch in the 3rd, but came out after just four innings. The pitching staffs were going pitch for pitch until Casey Hauptman gave up a leadoff home run in his second inning of work.  The offense’s best chance to score came in the 2nd inning. Luke Stewart hit a leadoff double and Brian Harrison was hit by a pitch, but they had three straight strikeouts swinging to end the inning. The offense didn’t get another runner to second base until there were two outs in the 6th.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Ismael Tijerina: (0-for-4, 2 K)
• Javier Rodriguez: (1-for-4)
• Richard Lucas: (2-for-4, 2 K)
• Brian Harrison: (0-for-3, HBP, K)
• Jeff Walters: (4 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, HBP, 4 SO, 4:2 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Richard Lucas (6pts) 2. Jeff Walters (4pts) 3. Luke Stewart (5pts)

Kingsport Mets 5 – Greeneville Drive 9

This was a much better start for Akeel Morris.  The walks were still a little high and he did throw a wild pitch and hit a batter, but the two earned runs against and eight strikeouts are a lot closer to what is expected out of him.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Tillman Pugh: (1-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB)
• Alex Sanchez: (1-for-4)
• Julio Concepcion: (1-for-4)
• Greg Pron: (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB)
• Akeel Morris: (5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO, HBP, WP, 4:4 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Jeff Glenn (3pts) 2. Tillman Pugh (4pts) 3. Nestor Moreno (1pt)

GCL Mets vs. GCL Cardinals (PPD)

Postponed