Mets Farm Report: July 1st, 2011 – Matt Harvey Shines

Buffalo Bisons 0 – Leigh Valley IronPigs 2

Not that he ever really went away, but Chris Schwinden is back and has been at his best recently. Schwinden was perfect the first time through the order. He didn’t give up his first hit till there was one out in the 4th inning. It was the 5th inning, however, when the IronPigs really threatened to score. They loaded the bases on three singles with one out, but it was Schwinden who came up huge with a strikeout and then got out of the inning with the fly out. Schwinden was perfect in his last two innings with three strikeouts. Mike O’Connor got the loss, but it was really Ryota Igarashi who blew the game. O’Connor was supposed to get the lefty out to start off the 9th, but failed to do his job and walked him. Igarashi came in and threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt and the runner moved up to third base. A lineout and walk later and the IronPigs hit a scorcher to Val Pascucci who couldn’t pick the extremely difficult play enabling the runner scored. Raul Chavez then tried to throw behind the runner, but threw the ball into the outfield and a run came in to score. So while Igarashi was on the mound for two runs none of them were earned against him and his scoreless streak continues.

The Bisons got two on in the 1st when Michael Fisher singled and Nick Evans walked, but Pascucci and Jesus Feliciano failed to drive anyone in. Feliciano choked again in the 5th following singled from Evans and Pascucci by grounding into a double-play to kill their only other threat of the game.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Michael Fisher: (1-for-4, K)
• Nick Evans: (2-for-3, BB)
• Chris Schwinden: (7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 SO, 6:4 GO:AO, 65%)

Stars of the Game: 1. Chris Schwinden (13pts) 2. Nick Evans (46pts) 3. Michael Fisher (26pts)

Binghamton Mets 4 – Bowie Baysox 3

This is more of the type of start I except to see from Matt Harvey and it was nice to see him respond from the poor outing against Bowie last time with this great start. It was really just a two batter sequence that ruined his night from being perfect. He walked a batter early in the 2nd inning and then gave up back-to-back two-out doubles to plate the only two runs against him. Harvey left with the lead intact and a chance to win. It was also nice to see him hold Joe Mahoney hitless after he had three doubles off him last game. It was the ever popular leadoff walk that came around to haunt Jeff Kaplan and deny Harvey his first win. The batter was sacrificed to second, moved to third on a groundout, and then came in to score on a two-out single. It was Josh Stinson who would get the win with a nice rebound performance.

Salomon Manriquez had a big two-out double in the 1st inning to score Jordany Valdespin and Matt Den Dekker who had opened things up with back-to-back singles. Valdespin then put the B-Mets back on top in the 5th with a bases loaded single to score Jean Luc Blaquiere. Blaquiere then scored the winning run of the game on Raul Reyes‘s pinch hit walkoff double.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Matt Den Dekker: (1-for-2, R, BB, HBP)
• Jordany Valdespin: (2-for-4, R, RBI, CS)
• Josh Satin: (1-for-4, 2 K)
• Allan Dykstra: (0-for-4, K)
• Matt Harvey: (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 5 SO, 8:2 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Raul Reyes (19pts) 2. Salomon Manriquez (14pts) 3. Jordany Valdespin (45pts)

St. Lucie Mets 0 – Fort Myers Miracle 0 (Suspended)

Suspended after first inning.

Savannah Sand Gnats 3 – Augusta GreenJackets 2

These games off poor command are occurring too consistently lately for Taylor Whitenton for me to believe they are a fluke. He has still been getting good results even with all the walks, but outside of Low-A that is going to be a tough trend to keep up. And with that said the command didn’t cause any runs today. Joe Bonfe was the root cause of the only run by committing an error to make it first and second and no outs. A sac bunt and ground out later and a run is on the board. It was actually Todd Weldon‘s command troubles that caused the second run. A man got on because of an error by Luis Nieves, but Weldon was able to quickly get two outs. With the two outs, however, he walked two men and hit a batter to score a run.

In the 2nd the Gnats took the early lead with three consecutive singles from Albert Cordero, Sam Honeck, and Joe Bonfe as well as a groundout from Alonzo Harris to score two. Wilfredo Tovar drove in a run with a single, but on the play Darrell Ceciliani made a mistake getting thrown out trying to go first to third and that was all the Gnats would get.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Darell Ceciliani: (1-for-3, BB)
• Wilfredo Tovar: (1-for-4, RBI)
• Albert Cordero: (1-for-4)
• Taylor Whitenton: (W, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 6:5 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Sam Honeck (12pts) 2. Darrell Ceciliani (34pts) 3. Taylor Whitenton (11pts)

Brooklyn Cyclones 3 – Hudson Valley Renegades 1

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Javier Rodriguez: (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, K)
• Brian Harrison: (2-for-4, RBI, K)
• Travis Taijeron: (0-for-3, 3 K)
• Marcos Camarena: (4.1 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 3 SO, HBP, 6:3 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Brian Harrison (6pts) 2. Javier Rodriguez (17pts) 3. Jeremy Gould (1pt)

Kingsport Mets 15 – Elizabeth Twins 10

Talk about a slugfest. Jonathan Kountis might be the worst pitcher in the entire organization.

Top prospect performances (Boxscore):

• Alex Sanchez: (2-for-5, 2 RBI)
• Tillman Pugh: (1-for-5, HR, R, RBI, 3 K)
• Jeff Glenn: (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, K)
• Greg Pron: (1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K)
• Camden Maron: (1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, K)
• Brett Mitchell: (5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 4:3 GO:AO)

Stars of the Game: 1. Dustin Lawley (5pts) 2. Camden Maron (10pts) 3. Brett Mitchell (4pts)

GCL Mets (OFF)