Here is the rest of my interview with Lynn Worthy, who covers the Binghamton Mets as the regular beat writer for the Press & Sun Bulletin. Lynn provides some great insight on

Which player’s performance has impressed you the most thus far and do you believe it will eventually translate well in the majors?

The most impressive so far would have to be Rafael Montero because of the command he’s displayed. Cesar Puello’s recent play has made it a close call, but Montero has performed so well all season. While his stuff isn’t at the level of Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler, he has consistently demonstrated remarkable control beyond what I saw from either Harvey or Wheeler at this level.

It’s a very interesting question to consider how well Montero’s actual stuff translates to a major-league level. I’m not sure. I would tend to think his margin for error will be even smaller against those hitters. There could be a real possibility of him getting hit hard at times. This certainly isn’t an exact comparison, but Collin McHugh had tremendous success and command of multiple pitches in Binghamton and also pitched well at Triple-A. His first start in the big leagues was also stellar, but he has also been hit hard at times.

Montero’s command will be a big plus, and I do think he’s shown a strong ability to work through a lineup a second or third time and keep hitters off-balance. On several occasions he has racked up the majority of his strikeouts after the first time through the lineup. It will be interesting how he gets used if/when he does reach the big league level.

Joe D. – Sandy Alderson spoke very highly of Montero on Monday during his WFAN interview, and we may see him skip a Triple-A assignment and jump straight to the big league team.

“Montero went up and pitched one game at Triple-A, and pitched very well. He’s got 23 or 24 straight scoreless innings at Binghamton. There has been some conversation. Look, he won’t need to go to Triple-A, but very soon we’ll either decide to leave him at Binghamton or promote him to Las Vegas. If we decided to leave him at Binghamton, you could probably infer from that that he could join us directly from Binghamton.”

Is there a player you’re most excited to see promoted to Binghamton from the lower levels?

I’m very interested to see righthander Noah Syndergaard pitch. It looks like, based solely on statistics, that he is another strike-thrower. His strikeout to walk ratio seems impressive. He’s been a highly-touted prospect in both the Mets system and the Blue Jays system prior to the trade.

I’m also curious to see the power Aderlin Rodriguez has in person. I’m not sure how soon he’d be promoted. When it does happen, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to Eastern League pitching. Specifically, can he make adjustments when pitchers get an idea of what his strengths and weaknesses are. The pitchers certainly make adjustments in the Eastern League.

Joe D. – Syndergaard has been making quite a name for himself since joining the Mets and more than one scout has told me he will ultimately be the prize from the Dickey trade and not Travis d’Arnaud. Syndergaard was the only pitcher from a very talented St. Lucie rotation to be named to the FSL All Star game.

With players like Puello, Leathersich, Montero, and Verrett getting a lot of attention, which B-Mets player is flying under the radar and impressing you with their play?

Darrell Ceciliani has really hit well as of late. He batted just .228 in April, but he was just under .300 in May and is hot lately. He is an exciting player at the plate because he has good speed and can blast balls into the gaps for doubles or triples. He has made some mistakes on the bases (getting picked off), and he does strike out. He is also just an energetic guy who definitely has fun playing the game.

Allan Dykstra has tremendous power as a left-handed hitter. He works counts well and draw a lot of walks. Though he’ll strike out a lot too. If he would go the other way once in a while, I think he’d be a nightmare.

Wilfredo Tovar’s defense has been eye-opening since he got here. His offense shows flashes at times, but those are flashes that come and go.

Satish - Wilfredo Tovar is quite the young player. He is the most talented defensive player in our system but has trouble mustering even below-average offensive skills. If he can find his way with the bat, he would immediately jump into real prospect status in my eyes. Otherwise, I can’t say that I’m that crazy about him right now. I’m also on the fence about Allan Dykstra, but in a bit more of a positive fashion because he has shown consistent flashes of talent. His ’11 season saw him slug 19 home runs and 22 doubles in 475 plate appearances, resulting in a .474 slugging percentage. His numbers this year have improved on that, with eight home runs and 17 doubles already through only 209 plate appearances. Although you usually hope for more power from a first baseman, prospects like Dykstra or Jayce Boyd could turn out to be solid stop-gaps until we get a player of that caliber.

Who was your favorite player that you’ve covered and do you maintain friendships with many of the players that you get to cover?

The players who have been here for multiple years or who have been here for an entire season usually get to be fairly friendly. In some cases, I may drop a line to via social media to the guys who have gone on. I’m not sure if I have a favorite guy, but there are several I’ve enjoyed just talking to about things that weren’t directly related to their own play.

I’d list Rob Carson, Greg Peavey, Erik Turgeon (now retired) and Reese Havens among those. Mark Cohoon is back here this season, and he’s a great guy to cover. McHugh was always good to talk baseball and pitching with. I’m sure I’m forgetting some.

Looks like Travis Taijeron is off to a nice start, but wow… Cesar Puello is on fire. What can you tell us about him?

Cesar Puello has been in one of those stretches where he hasn’t missed his pitch many times, if any. He had a three-game series here against Trenton where he went 7-for-12 with two doubles, four home runs, eight RBI, four runs scored, and only ONE strikeout.

He’s had several reporters like myself ask him about the reports that he could possibly face suspension because of Biogenesis, but he hasn’t let any of it distract him. He regularly talks about being faithful and reading the Bible. I believe one time I saw him carrying a Bible in the clubhouse.

He talked to me a few times about working on getting on top of the ball more instead of upper cutting, and allowing the strength in his legs and lower body to generate power.

He really seems locked in to the point where he is looking for a particular pitch or location, and he’s not giving in and chasing other pitches early in the count as he may have done earlier in the season.

Satish - Puello enjoyed perhaps the best week of his MiLB career last week when he crushed six home runs in just 25 at-bats. He posted a .600 average, going 15-for-25, with three doubles, six home runs, and 15 RBIs. He also stole three bases. Puello’s recent hot hitting has catapulted him to the front of our outfield prospect corps. By the way, Puello is day to day with a bruised finger after being removed from last night’s game in case you were wondering why he was pulled.

* * * * * * * * * *

I want to thank Lynn for taking some time to answer a few questions for us. Follow him on Twitter at @PSBLynn and make sure to read his daily coverage of the B-Mets at the Press & Sun Bulletin or PressConnects.com.

Mark Hale of the New York Post spoke with Zack Wheeler who told him that he;s ready for the challenge that awaits him.

“Overall, I feel like I’m ready,” Wheeler said. “My past two starts, I haven’t been happy with my command, especially my last start. In the fifth inning I started to leave a lot of balls up. It happens. You just need to find the command and feel more comfortable with your mechanics.”

Ready or not, Wheeler is on his way and will finally make his debut on June 18th.

I reached out to Lynn Worthy of the Press & Sun Bulletin, who was kind enough to answer several questions for me about the Double-A Binghamton Mets who he does a great job covering. I’ll be posting his insights throughout the day along with some of my thoughts.

Oddly enough (not really), my first question to him was regarding a pair of former B-Mets… I think some you may have heard of them…

You were fortunate enough to see both Matt Harvey in 2011 and Zack Wheeler in 2012 pitch for the B-Mets. What are some of their similarities and differences? And based on your own observations how do they compare?

The obvious similarities were how hard they threw (hitting 96 miles per hour regularly), the fact that they were highly-touted prospects before they got here, and how after a few starts opposing hitters just started jumping on the first fastball they saw from each of them. For that matter, that all applies to Jeurys Familia when he was here too.

Harvey wasn’t as consistently dominant in Binghamton as Wheeler was. Remember Harvey came here during his first pro season, and he came after starting the season at St. Lucie. He made 12 starts in Binghamton, and in several starts he didn’t make it late into games because of his pitch count. He’d have rough innings where he would walk batters early in games because – as he even admitted – he would try to establish all his pitches right away.

Harvey actually only threw more than five complete innings twice with the B-Mets. He hit 10 strikeouts once. He didn’t record a win until his seventh start. He would have starts where he’d struggle a little early and then be overpowering an inning later.

He was very intense. I still recall talking to him after his final start – he went just three innings, gave up four runs and walked four – and he wanted no part of talking about the season as a whole. All he could do was boil over his last start.

Wheeler began the season here, and he was dominating almost right away. He made 19 starts here and went five innings or more in 16 of them. At times he struggled to command certain pitches, but he still seemed to find a way to get guys out. He rarely got hit hard. He only gave up two home runs, and one came in his last start in Binghamton.

It seems to me that Wheeler fluctuated more in sharpness and command of his off-speed pitches. He threw some curveballs and sliders that were absolutely nasty at times, and other starts they were just okay. However, he seemed to be able to adjust within the game and get through five, six, seven innings. Even on bad days, he jammed hitters and broke bats.

When you looked at Wheeler, he didn’t give off the intensity that Harvey did. However, Wheeler always seemed confident in his stuff even when he didn’t have his best.

I want to thank Lynn for taking some time to answer a few questions for us. Follow him on Twitter at @PSBLynn and make sure to read his daily coverage of the B-Mets at the Press & Sun Bulletin or PressConnects.com.

Eric who? Eric Campbell, a 6’2, 230 pound utility infielder/outfielder, had a bounce back season in Binghamton last summer. A 2008 eighth round draft pick out of Boston College (finished his sophomore season in 2007 as the team leader in eight different offensive categories) was the B-Met offensive player of the year and the MVP of the 2012 Eastern League All-Star game. Campbell hit .297 last year in Binghamton with 9 HRs and 50 RBIs.

A solid contact hitter, Campbell was promoted to AAA Las Vegas and has been to the plate 119 times this year, sporting a .293 batting average with 6 home runs and 28 RBI’s. Campbell has a good eye at the plate, walking 18 times against only 25 strikeouts so far this season. Campbell provides a solid replacement at several positions. He’s found playing time for the 51s at first base, third base and in left field.  Campbell, a right-handed batter, hits lefties well, batting .377 against southpaws so far.  The 51′s utility man holds a .392 on-base-percentage.

Like every minor leaguer, Campbell has his sights set on reaching the major leagues some day.  In a piece published by “The Day,” Campbell tells Vickie Fulkerson, “There are days when you wonder if its the right career path, but it’s definitely been worth it.  That’s why I’m doing it.  Nobody signs up for this to play in Triple-A.  You just hope you stay healthy and keep producing,”

For Campbell, it’s all a matter of being ready when you get your chance.  As a utility player, that means much of his efforts are focused on being prepared. “You really just do the same thing every day,” he told Fulkerson. “If you do, and an 0-for-10 shouldn’t really bother you.  You have some 400-500 at bats to turn it around.  You spend a little more time in the cage.  You have to have confidence.  If any type of doubt creeps in, then you’re done.  You have to believe in yourself.”

Photo Credit: Gordon Donovan

Rafael Montero was absolutely amazing today as he continued his stretch of dominance over the entire Eastern League. Montero breezed through his start against the Altoona Curve with seven more shutout innings, allowing just two hits and a walk over that span. He struck out six and dazzled anyone watching as he spun a gem.

Over his last three starts in AA, Montero has pitched a combined 20.o innings, allowed just eleven hits and four walks, and struck out eighteen. The most impressive thing, however, is that he has not allowed a single run over those twenty innings. Yes, Montero has not allowed a run since his May 21st start with the 51s and is basically knocking on the door for a promotion.

By the way, Cesar Puello continued his ridiculously hot play today — 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs, two runs — and is honestly starting to impress every person on the planet at this point.

Whether the Mets want him to skip Vegas or not is up to them, but Montero is just scary good at this point. He improved to 7-3 with the win today and lowered his AA ERA to 2.43. Montero is likely a candidate to replace Wheeler in the AAA rotation when he gets called up next week, so keep an eye on that one, folks…

By the way, if you enjoy shooting pool checkout these great deals on Billiard Supplies at Ball Sports.

More from Binghamton

OF Cory Vaughn was placed on the DL today with what Lynn Worthy has called a “right elbow strain.” Not much has been made about it, so I can only hope that the injury isn’t too serious and we will see him back in AA soon. In 192 ABs this season, Vaughn posted a .288/.370/.447 slash line with six home runs, seven doubles, one triple, and 31 RBI. He had also stolen eight bases.

To take his place on the roster, OF Travis Taijeron was called up from Single-A. Taijeron was rocking a .303/.396/.564 line in St. Lucie with 20 2Bs, nine homers, and a triple in 188 ABs. Taijeron enjoyed a very successful debut in AA today, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run, two RBI and three runs scored.

John Bernhardt, one of our esteemed writers at MetsMinors.Net, co-hosts a radio show called “Tip Off” every Friday morning at 8:00 AM.

John comments on the site under the moniker “B-Mets Fan” and always provides great insight – and you might also know him for his excellent work charting some of our pitching prospects in AA this season.

His guest this week is none other than myself… That’s right, I’m jumping on the show to talk about the world of blogging, my own life, and most importantly – Mets Minors…

You can tune in through many avenues to check out what looks to be a fun exchange between John, his co-host Dawg, and myself. I’ll be on from 8:15 – 9:00 AM for you early birds out there who want to give it a listen.

• You can stream the show live by going here or here. John recommends the second link.
• For those of you who want to catch it later on in the day, you can use a free service on this website to have it recorded and sent to your email for your listening convenience.
• And for those of you in the Binghamton area, you can tune in to 91.3 FM WIOX Radio.

Hope you tune in…

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas edged out Fresno, 6-5.
• Binghamton shut out Trenton, 8-0.
• St. Lucie was shutout by Lakeland, 5-0. 
• Savannah dropped Lexington, 9-2.

Prospect Pipeline

• ESPN has included the names of the other 20 players believed to potentially be facing MLB discipline, and Mets top-hitting prospect Cesar Puello as well as Ex-Met Fernando Martinez are among those included.
• Cesar Puello also continues to tear the covers off of baseballs. In last night’s victory, Puello was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homerun, and three RBI…I really hope this PED thing blows over because Puello was just starting to make believers out of all the doubters again.
• In his last twelve games, Kirk Nieuwenhuis has walloped seven home runs and raised his average from a season low of .188 to .241 in that span. Captain Kirk batted leadoff today and immediately got his team on the board with a solo home run off former Met Boof Bonzer to give Vegas the early 1-0 lead. (Joe D.)
• Mets have announced that RHP Jeurys Familia will undergo right elbow surgery tomorrow at the Hospital for Special Surgery to remove bone spurs and loose bodies. Familia was initially diagnosed with biceps tendinitis yesterday and was examined by team doctors today, so this elbow surgery is kind of a surprise. The starter turned reliever complained that he doesn’t feel any pain, but was unable to extend his arm fully in his delivery and has been on the disabled list since May 12. Familia posted a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings pitched for the Mets this season. There is no timetable for his return. (Joe D.)
• Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki, Jayce Boyd, Gabriel Ynoa, and Bret Mitchell will all represent the Savannah Sand Gnats in the 2013 South Atlantic All-Star Game. Also joining the players will be the Gnats Manager Luis Rojas, and pitching coach Frank Viola.
• Righthander Noah Syndergaard, second baseman T.J. Rivera and outfielder Dustin Lawley have been selected to represent the St. Lucie Mets for the Florida State League All-Star Game to be played on June 15 game at Dunedin. (Joe D.)
• Erik Goeddel tossed seven shutout innings and the offense provided 14 base hits behind him as the Binghamton Mets beat the Trenton Thunder, 8-0, Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium. Goeddel tossed a season-high seven innings and allowed only two hits as he won his fourth consecutive decision.
• Jack Leathersich pitched an inning last night and struck out two more opposing hitters. That gives him 51 strike outs in 27.1 innings this season.

Stat Lines of the Day

Cesar Puello: 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 HR. 3 RBI, 1 R

Erik Goeddel: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 4 K

Transactions

Tim Peterson assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from Savannah Sand Gnats.

Quote of the Day

Terry Collins on the impending Zack Wheeler call-up:

“I hope everybody understands if and when this guy comes, he’s not going to be the savior. There’s a lot of pieces that have to work. One guy is not going to turn this around for us. It takes 25.”

And Collins regarding who will be the odd man out when Wheeler is called up:

“Everybody expects this to happen, and I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Collins said about Wheeler. “When the time comes, it’ll probably be if someone’s not pitching well. If everybody’s pitching good and this kid comes, then we’ll have to make a decision on who would fit best someplace else.”

MMN Comment of the Day

This comment was left in response to the news about Puello’s possible PED suspension:

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas shut down Fresno, 8-0.
• Binghamton had the day off.
• St. Lucie dropped to Lakeland, 2-1. 
• Savannah had the day off.

Prospect Pipeline

• Travis d’Arnaud was seen yesterday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York for follow up on his fractured toe. Travis was cleared to begin weight bearing rehabilitation, but will remain in a boot for the next week.
  
• After only two rehab appearances, Mets prospect Luis Mateo has found himself back on the DL this evening. Mateo, since returning from the DL on May 30th, has made two appearances. He allowed two hits in a scoreless inning on the 30th, but he ran into some trouble in his last outing on June 2nd. He allowed four runs off four hits, including a home run, and a walk.
• The unmistakable traits of Noah Syndergaard‘s blistering fastball were on display once again Monday — only the fourth time at Tradition Field — and his latest showcase for the St. Lucie Mets offered more promise for the future. Reaching a top speed of 96 mph, the prized prospect mixed his fastball with a devastating changeup for five strikeouts over five innings but his winless streak extended to four games during a 2-1 loss to visiting Lakeland. Syndergaard, hailed as the No. 3 prospect in the rapidly improving farm system by MMN, allowed six hits — five of them singles — and two runs as his record dropped to 2-3 on the year. For more on Syndergaard’s performance, check out Bill Passonno’s great recap on MMN.
• Travis Taijeron is smoking hot. Last week’s Florida State League Player of The Week was 3-for-4 with another homerun last night. We did a Prospect Spotlight on Taijeron on MMN yesterday — you can check it out here.
• Carlos Torres twirled a gem last night, going the distance and racking up 11 strikeouts as he thoroughly dominated the Fresno hitters. Torres needed just 107 pitches for the complete game, 72 of which were strikes. The righty gave up just three hits on the night, and allowed zero walks on his way to his fifth win of the season. His 11 strikeouts are a season high, and marks the third time this season he has had double digit strikeouts in a game.
• Francisco Pena had another multi-hit game yesterday. He’s been raking since his call-up to Vegas.
• Congratulations to Luis Cessa for being named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week. Gabriel Ynoa picked up MMN’s Pitcher of the Week honors while Josh Satin got the nod as MMN’s Player of the Week.

Stat Lines of the Day

Carlos Torres: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K

Eric Campbell: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB

Travis Taijeron: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Transactions

RHP Luis Mateo is headed back to the DL.

3B Dimas Ponce assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

LHP Carlos Vazquez assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

Quote of the Day

“I’ve got to wear the boot still,” Travis d’Arnaud told The Post, adding that he’s unsure of a time frame for its removal.

“A couple of weeks ago when I found out it was still broken it was real tough to take,” d’Arnaud said. “But there was nothing I could do except go home and relax and make sure my foot healed, and that’s what I did.”

MMN Comment of the Day

Today’s comment comes from MMN reader “Dave In Spain,” who points out what the Mets should focus on in this year’s draft.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas snuck by Fresno, 3-2.
• Binghamton shutout New Hampshire, 7-2.
• St. Lucie split their doubleheader against Charlotte, 7-3, 5-3. 
• Savannah shut down Kannapolis, 7-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• A day after Mets prospect Zack Wheeler rebounded with a solid performance for Las Vegas, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the Mets are considering a variety of factors in setting a date for Zack Wheeler’s major league debut and he could arrive on the next homestand.
• Gabriel Ynoa tossed the South Atlantic League’s first 9-inning complete game this season, retiring 19 of the first 20 batters he faced and holding the Intimidators off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. Ynoa (7-2) earned his league-leading seventh win, allowing a run on five hits while striking out four and walking none. It’s the second-straight game the Sand Gnats did not walk a batter.
• Travis Taijeron blasted three home runs in yesterday’s double header for St. Lucie. He has now lifted his season average over the .300-mark, going 15/33 with four home runs and 11 RBI over the last 10 games. His OPS over those ten games — an eye-popping 1.413. Head over to MMN to check out a Prospect Spotlight on Taijeron.
• Cesar Puello keeps on keeping on. He smacked three more hits yesterday, two of which were for extra bases (home runs and double). This kid really looks like a viable outfield option for the Mets, and fans should start to get excited when they hear Puello’s name. Puello was the subject of a new feature over at MetsMinors.net called Boom or Bust? Boom or Bust is a feature on MMN where we ask our writers to sound off on whether or not they think a particular Mets prospect will be a boom…or a bust. “Where the MMN writers stop being polite…and start getting real…MMN’s Boom or Bust?” — check it out today!
• Jack Leathersich pitched one inning yesterday and surprise, surprise, he struck out another hitter.
• Brandon Nimmo had another multi-hit game yesterday. He now has a four game hitting streak.
• Jayce Boyd = future first baseman of the New York Mets. The Mets have to speed this kid through the system. Coming out of a big-time college program, Florida State, where he raked, he should have started 2013 with St. Lucie at the least. He is an advanced college hitter, and I would push him straight to Binghamton. The guy is hitting .350 this year and through 56 games, has more walks than strike outs…wow.
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis has shown some signs of life, hitting five homers in his last ten games — but in 32 games with Las Vegas he is hitting a paltry .232 with 34 strikeouts.

Stat Lines of the Day

Gabriel Ynoa: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 ER, 4 K

Travis Taijeron: 3-for-5, 2 BB, 3 HR, 3 RBI

Cesar Puello: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB

Transactions

No transactions to report.

Quote of the Day

Zack Wheeler, the Mets’ top pitching prospect, is “getting close,” to making his major league debut, assistant general manager John Ricco said Sunday.

“We’ve talked about a lot of different dates, this window over the next couple of weeks,” said Ricco, who made the trip to Miami with the Mets. “I couldn’t rule out anything at this point. We’re kind of getting close, I would imagine.” “I haven’t talked to (Mets GM) Sandy (Alderson) yet, not sure, but it was a good outing,” Ricco said. “I don’t know what that means yet.” “I haven’t talked to (Mets GM) Sandy (Alderson) yet, not sure, but it was a good outing,” Ricco said. “I don’t know what that means yet.”

Tweet of the Day

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas took down Reno, 7-0.
• Binghamton was defeated by New Hampshire, 8-7.
• St. Lucie had their game rained out. 
• Savannah defeated Kannapolis, 6-2.

Prospect Pipeline

• Welcome to June, everybody! One man who really wanted it to stay May forever was Jack Leathersich, who had an absolutely amazing month statistically. I’m sure it did wonders for his confidence, and Joe D. keeps comparing him to Billy Wagner, which is looking more realistic by the day. Anyway, Leathersich made ten appearances in May that spanned 12.1 IP. He recorded two saves, allowed just five hits for a .116 BA against, and rocked a 3/27 BB/K ratio. Yeah…if my math is right, that turns out to be a 20.15 K/9 rate. Talk about making a name for yourself…
• Jamie Hoffmann had a grand slam in the fifth inning of last night’s 7-0 win for the Las Vegas 51′s. The 26-year old outfielder is batting .303 with a .369 on-base and four stolen bases.
• Beck Wheeler and Bret Mitchell are both having excellent seasons with ERAs under 1.20 for both of them (1.19 and 1.13, respectively.) Mitchell also had an impressive month of May, as he made ten appearances that spanned 11.2 innings with allowing a single earned run. He recorded seven saves, allowed just five hits for a .125 BA against, and struck out 17.
• Logan Verrett struggled yesterday for the first time in a long time – and allowed eight runs over 5+ innings, including a go-ahead grand slam. Should you be worried? No, not really. Everyone is allowed a bad start here and there and Verrett is still having a great year.
• Jenrry Mejia suffered another setback in his rehab, according to Mike Puma of the NYP. We last saw Mejia look to work his way back to AAA as a starter by rehabbing in St. Lucie.
• Jeurys Familia also had to deal with a setback in his rehab, while Scott Atchison may need season ending surgery. The door is open for a mix of relievers from our minor leagues that might range from David Aardsma to Leather Rocket.
• Kevin Plawecki stole a base last night
• Brandon Nimmo added another hit in a 1-for-4 performance and is looking to get back on track from his minor injuries.
• Wilmer Flores was named as a honorable mention to BA’s Hot Sheet with a .406/.406/.625 slash over the past week. He was also discussed in Mitch P.’s Prospect Spotlight here.
• Maikis De La Cruz had a nice game for Savannah yesterday, as he had three hits, including a home run. He also drove home three runs.
• Rylan Sandoval was promoted to Las Vegas (AAA) to replace Omar Quintanilla. This was surprising considering Josh Rodriguez, who doubled again last night to increase his ongoing hitting streak to 17. As Matt M. mentioned in his post yesterday, it could just be a matter of age.
• Domingo Tapia takes the mound for St. Lucie today after the rainout last night – and Rafael Montero takes the mound for Binghamton later as well.

Stat Line of the Day

Jamie Hoffmann: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

INF Reese Havens was added to the 7-Day DL in Las Vegas.

IF Rylan Sandoval was promoted to the Las Vegas 51s from the St. Lucie Mets.

RHP Ryan Fraser will be on the Binghamton roster while Luis Mateo rehabs in St. Lucie.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote is from a new reader on MetsMinors.net who left this comment:

Thanks, Walt!

(Photo Credit: Gordon Donovan)

Satin Is Ready To Hit In The Bigs

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dismantled Reno, 11-1.
• Binghamton topped Altoona, 6-4.
• St. Lucie dropped to Jupiter in 10 innings, 4-3. 
• Savannah split a double header with Kannapolis, 8-2 and 5-4.

Prospect Pipeline

• First Base Watch: Josh Satin had another stellar night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a home run. Wilmer Flores is also heating up,  as he was 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI.
• Rainy Lara made his debut for St. Lucie last night and pitched eight solid innings, but picked up the loss. He scattered four hits and three runs while striking out four.
• Cory Mazzoni did it all in yesterday morning’s game against Altoona. Mazzoni pitched six solid innings, stiking out nine on his way to a no decision. Cory Mazzoni has now struck out 29 batters while only walking eight in 31 innings of work. Mazzoni was also 2-for-2 with a double at the plate.
• Luis Mateo pitched one inning of relief for St. Lucie last night. He gave up two hits but did not allow any runs.
• Brandon Nimmo broke out of his 0-for-27 slump, going 2-for-5 at the plate last night, raising his average to .304.
• Cesar Puello’s two RBI’s were his 30th and 31st tying him with Allan Dykstra for the team lead. Cory Vaughn follows closely behind with 29 and Josh Rodriguez has knocked home 27. (John B.)
• The B-Met outfielders continue to show great speed on the base paths. Two stolen bases push Cesar Puello’s total to a team leading 14.  Puello leads outfield comrades Alonzo Harris and Darrell Ceciliani who have both pilfered 13. Cory Vaughn, the remaining B-Met outfielder has 8. (John B.)
• A 3-for-5 day at the plate improves Josh Rodriguez’s batting average to a team leading .315. Two Cesar Puello hits elevated the outfielder’s average to .300. (John B.)
• After a slow start, Darrell Ceciliani continues to make progress at the plate. His three hits today, including a bunt single, increased his average 9 points to .258. (John B.)
• Jeff Walters has 13 saves in 14 chances, striking out over 1 batter per inning with an ERA of  2.74. (John B.)
• Juan Centeno returned to the Las Vegas lineup after spending some time on the DL. He was 2-for-3 with two RBI in Las Vegas’ blowout victory last night.

Stat Line of the Day

Stefan Sabol: 4-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Transactions

Las Vegas 51s activated C Kai Gronauer from the 7-day disabled list.

Quote of the Day

Wally Backman on Zack Wheeler from Long Island Newsday:

“Once that blister went away, we’ve really seen what Zack is really all about. He threw four starts in a row where it looked like a big-league guy throwing to high school kids at times. I can remember Matt last year coming into the office when he threw two or three great starts and saying, ‘When the [heck] am I going to the big leagues?’ I said, ‘Hey, just keep putting up zeros and they’ve gotta make a decision.’ It was an everyday thing with him. Zack’s a little more laid-back than Matt, but the competitiveness is definitely there.”

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas rocked Reno, 7-1.
• Binghamton dropped a game to Altoona, 8-4.
• St. Lucie split a double header with Jupiter, 4-1 & 7-4. 
• Savannah dropped to Greenville, 5-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• In his second game back from his stint on the DL, Brandon Nimmo was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in last night’s loss. His average has now dipped below the .300 mark for the first time this year (.299).
• The Mets are sending Omar Quintanilla to New York says Andy Martino via Twitter. The 31-year old was pulled from the Las Vegas 51s game tonight following the injury to Ruben Tejada.
• Josh Satin is clearly the most worthy of getting a shot at first base if the team ultimately decides to demote Ike Davis. He must smell blood in the water, because he was 4-for-5 last night, with four RBI. He’s batting .316 this year with 8 home runs and 31 RBI. Satin also gets on base over 40% of the time.
• Allan Dykstra is trying to keep his name relevant in the search for the Mets’ future first baseman. Dykstra stroked another home run and added three RBI in last night’s loss to Altoona. He’s batting .307 with six homers and 31 RBI on the year. He leads Binghamton in batting average (.307), RBI (31), OBP (.449), OPS (.996), and is second on the team in home runs (6).
• Dustin Lawley cranked out his 11th home run of the year last night. He now leads the organization with home runs and RBI (40).
• Alex Panteliodis has been solid since coming off the disabled list in early May. In 26.2 innings pitched, he has a 2.03 ERA and 18 strikeouts to only six walks.
• Batting Leaders: Average: Andrew Brown, Vegas, .371; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .354; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .346; Omar Quintanilla, Vegas, .328; ; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, .306; Josh Satin, Vegas, .303; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .300; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .297; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, .296.
• Pitching Leaders: Rainy Lara, St. Lucie, 1.42; Matthew Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.50; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.74; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.86; Rafael Montero, Vegas, 3.03; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.07; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 3.19; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 3.69; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 4.13.
• Happy Birthday to Zack Wheeler who turns 23 on today.

Stat Line of the Day

Josh Satin: 4-for-5, 4 RBI

Transactions

Savannah Sand Gnats placed LHP Steven Matz on the 7-day disabled list.

Quote of the Day

Terry Collins to Ruben Tejada:

“It’s time. It’s time to get going. We’re 50 games into it. All of the kinks should be out by now. Let’s go be the player we know you can be.”

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Reno, 6-5.
• Binghamton topped Altoona, 8-5.
• St. Lucie game was postponed due to rain. 
• Savannah defeated Greenville, 8-3.

Prospect Pipeline

• Welcome back Brandon Nimmo! Nimmo finally returned from his stint on the disabled list, and was in the lineup for Savannah last night batting second, and playing center field. It was his first game back since April 29, and it showed. Nimmo was 0-for-5 at the plate, extending his hitless streak from before going on the DL to 0-for-25.
• Noah Syndergaard was perfect last night before the St. Lucie game was suspended by rain. The game will continue today but we’re not sure who will be pitching when the game resumes.
• First Base Watch: I noticed Ike Davis re-positioned his hands during last night’s game — he isn’t holding them over his head anymore, and they’re closer to his shoulders now (he must have read my piece on Fixing Ike Davis the other day). However, he is still dropping his hands way too low as he loads up his swing. This will take time to fix, as it’s all muscle memory, and he has to leave his comfort zone to re-train the muscles. In the meantime, two potential replacements for Davis, Josh Satin and Wilmer Flores, have been raking. Both had three hits in last night’s game. (By the way, MMO’s analysis is just as good as the stuff you see on TV from the “real analysts.” We had the Ike Davis fix a day before everyone else, and they basically repeated everything we said on ESPN and in the SNY booth.)
• In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Zack Wheeler alluded to the fact that he is ready. Wheeler said ”I’m just waiting on time. I think I’m ready, but it is really not my decision.” There is no doubt that Wheeler’s stuff is dynamite, and good enough right now to get major league hitters out. However, I’m still concerned about the command issues, which have reared their ugly heads again since his short trip to the DL.
• Jayce Boyd is still lighting up the SAL, has surpassed Kevin Plawecki in batting average, and he now leads the league in hitting (.354). Boyd has played the past ten games as a designated hitter due to a shoulder injury.
• Omar Quintanilla is not on the 40-man roster, but how much longer will the Mets allow Ruben Tejada to struggle while Quintanilla tears it up in Las Vegas? Quintanilla is hitting .328 for the year, and over his last ten games is hitting .483. I wonder if Tejada can hear the footsteps?
• Jack Leathersich has ice water in his veins. He inherited two runners in the eighth inning of last night’s game, allowing neither of them to score. He struck out five of the six batters he faced for his third save of the season. Awesome. Check out MMN for a Prospect Spotlight on Leathersich.
• Congratulations to MMN’s Pitcher of the Week, Matthew Bowman, and MMN’s Player of the Week, Josh Rodriguez.
• Bill Passanno gives you all the happenings down in St. Lucie, with his Lucie Logistics over at MMN.
• Angel Cuan was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week.
• Michael Fulmer threw an inning during an extended spring training game yesterday.
• Steven Matz was pulled from his start yesterday in the fourth inning, from what we were told was a blister and fingernail issue. Before being pulled, Matz allowed two runs on four hits.
• Be sure to check out this week’s Top Ten Prospect Tracker over at MMN today.

Stat Lines of the Day

Collin Cowgill: 3-for-5, 2 R

Josh Satin: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 R

Wilmer Flores: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R 

Transactions

Brandon Nimmo was activated from the seven-day DL.

Zach Lutz was placed on the DL with an oblique injury.

Quote of the Day

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas topped Salt Lake, 9-7.
• Binghamton defeated Portland, 6-5.
• St. Lucie had the day off.
• Savannah topped Greenville, 4-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler was arguably rustier in yesterday’s start, than he was in his first game back from his brief DL stint. His three walks were the most he’s given up since April 25. In his two starts from returning from the DL, he has pitched in nine innings, and has six strikeouts to five walks. He also has given up four home runs. Wheeler is as rusty as the Tin Man right now.
• MMN’s Player of The Week, Josh Rodriguez, continued to scorch the ball yesterday. He was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
• Allan Dykstra is having himself a solid season. The 2008 first round draft pick was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run in yesterday’s win for Binghamton. His season average is now just under the .300 mark at .298, and he has five home runs and 26 RBI. He also leads the team with a .960 OPS (he also leads the team with a .440 OBP).
• Brandon Nimmo has yet to play in a game after being placed on the DL with a hand contusion — he has been out since April 29. After a torrid start, he was 0-for-20 in the four games before hitting the DL. He tweaked his lower back just before he was activated and we are still waiting for his return.
• How’s this for hot — since getting the call to Las Vegas, Francisco Pena is hitting .385 with four home runs and 10 RBI in eight games (two home runs in yesterday’s game). Before his call-up, in 21 games with Binghamton, Pena was hitting .246 with no home runs and four RBI — gotta love a hitter’s league. Check out MMN for a Prospect Spotlight on Pena.

Stat Line of The Day

 Francisco Pena: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Transactions

None.

Pass the oil.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas defeated Iowa 9-4.
• Binghamton beat New Britain, 8-3.
• St. Lucie dropped Dunedin, 5-3.
• Savannah lost to Charleston, 4-2.
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler was back in action after missing a start due to inflammation of the AC Joint in his throwing shoulder. Wheeler looked a tad rusty from the get-go. He didn’t have great command over his pitches, and in fact, he missed the strike zone wildly a couple of times. He got hit hard throughout his five innings of work, and ended up giving up two home runs and a triple that narrowly missed being a third home run. You can see a full recap of his start at MetsMinors.net.
• Rafael Montero got sent back to Double-A Binghamton after his fantastic start on Monday with Las Vegas. Montero impressed against Iowa yesterday, going 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. While it was labeled as a “spot start”, I had a feeling that if he proved himself worthy, he would be staying with Las Vegas. Sandy Alderson squashed those thoughts on SNY, saying that Montero would be heading back to Double-A. he GM did mention he would likely return to the 51s mid-season, and went as far as saying he wouldn’t be surprised if he was in the big leagues by the end of the year.
• In his first start since earning his second SAL Player of the Week honors, Rainy Lara only lasted 4.2 innings against Charleston last night. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.
• Josh Rodriguez led the B-Mets offense with a 3-for-4 day, including a walk, double, and two RBIs to help Binghamton defeat New Britain.
• Noah Syndergaard faced his former organization for the first time since the Blue Jays traded him last winter. He took the loss against Dunedin, throwing 5.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.
• Francisco Pena hit a two-run homer against Iowa yesterday, and Adam Rubin tweeted that we shouldn’t be surprised if he makes his way to Flushing sometime this season.
• Cory Vaughn continues his strong start to 2013, raising his season average to .302 with another two-hit game last night in New Britain. With the mess that is the current New York Mets outfield, Vaughn could also be making his big league debut sometime this year.
• XtreemIcon covered the B-Mets in Great Britain on Monday and Tuesday and was able to spend some time with pitching prospect Logan Verrett. He wrote a must-read article about him that includes quotes from Blake Forsythe, Jack Leathersich, pitching coach Glenn Abbott and manager Pedro Lopez.
• Curious as to how the Mets’ top prospects are performing? Catch up with this week’s Top-10 Tracker.

Stat Line of the Day

Francisco Pena: 2-for-4, two-run HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Rafael Montero was transferred from Triple-A Las Vegas back to Double-A Binghamton.

RHP Dylan Owen transferred from Las Vegas (AAA) to Binghamton (AA)

Quote of the Day 

Cory Vaughn on his improved hitting approach:

“I think I’m just not panicking as much. I’m just going out there and having fun. Up here, if it’s 3-1, 2-0, they’re not just going to be throwing a ‘cookie’ every time. If they throw me a slider 3-1 and I’m not looking for it, or looking wherever they throw it, I’m going to take it as opposed to just swinging and getting a rollover groundout.”

(Photo credit: Michael G. Baron)

Rafael Montero Is Heading To AAA (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

The Mets have promoted RHP Rafael Montero to Triple-A Las Vegas, according Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.

Lynn Worthy of Press and Sun Bulletin, later reported that this was likely just a spot-start situation, as the B-Mets expect to have Montero back in their rotation for the end of next week. He did note, in a later tweet however, that nothing is set in stone – and referenced Collin McHugh’s performance in AA in the past when he was only supposed to be up for one start.

Well, we’ve been calling for some movement in the field of Rafael Montero for a little while now as he has dominated in Binghamton for the most part. The Mets organization has responded to Montero’s excellent performance so far this year with a promotion to AAA, where he will join the Las Vegas rotation as he perhaps progresses to an MLB call-up later this year.

Montero was one of my favorite prospects to cover last year because he had such amazing command and what I described as a bulldog mentality on the mound. He is intimidating when he pitches with great stuff, mixing in a slider, change-up, and occasional curve in with his fastball that has exceptional late movement.

I am part of the camp that believes Montero should have had some work in AA and then skipped Las Vegas, but regardless, he will get some time to fine tune himself before making a major league appearance. He’s knocking on the door…

So far in 2013, Montero is 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA through 46.2 innings, where he has allowed 40 hits – and only two home runs. He has walked just six batters, in contrast to his 54 punchouts. Those Las Vegas fans are lucky – Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero in the same rotation!

Las Vegas 9, Omaha 4 (Box)

Josh Satin: 3-for-5, 2 R

Andrew Brown: 2-for-3, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 3 R

Jamie Hoffmann: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R

Zach Lutz: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI

Carlos Torres: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 ER, 5 K

Greg Peavey: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Sean Henn: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Portland 10, Binghamton 7 (Box)

Cory Vaughn: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R

Wilfredo Tovar: 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 SB

Mark Cohoon: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 ER, 5 K

Chase Huchingson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 2 ER, 3 K

Shawn Teufel: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 2 K

Jeff Walters: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 ER, 2 K

St. Lucie 10, Bradenton 0 (Box)

T.J. Rivera: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Aderlin Rodriguez: 4-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Matt Reynolds: 2-for-6, 1 RBI

Rylan Sandoval: 2-for-4, 1 RBI

Charley Thurber: 2-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 R

Angel Cuan: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 6 K

Estarlin Morel: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Savannah 3, Augusta 1 (Box)

Jayce Boyd: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Kevin Plawecki: 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 HBP

Cole Frenzel: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Matthew Koch: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K

Jake Kuebler: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Bret Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

(Don’t worry, readers…this is not the norm going ahead – but rather a one-time occurrence. Stay locked in to MetsMerized on Monday morning… we’ve got some big news on the horizon.)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas defeated Omaha, 7-3.
• Binghamton took down Portland, 6-3.
• St. Lucie was edged by Bradenton, 5-4.
• Savannah was one-hit by Augusta, 11-0.
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Jenrry Mejia made his first “real” rehab start in St. Lucie last night where he lasted three innings. He threw only 61 pitches, and threw 41 of them for strikes, which was a good sign. He allowed five hits and three walks, which led to two earned runs, and struck out six batters. Striking out six batters over three innings is encouraging, although the three walks over the same span is not. I’m very much on the fence with how I think the organization should proceed with Mejia. I get the feeling he will end up being a bullpen arm – and a good one at that, but since we have the time, we might as well work him back as a starter. I’d like to see him rehab and work his way into the starting rotation at Binghamton.
• It might be old news by today, but Zack Wheeler hit the 7-Day DL and should only miss one start – which would have been today. Matt Fox, recently claimed on waivers, was added to the team to bolster the rotation in his absence, and did his job last night. He allowed two home runs over five innings, but held the opposition down to only three earned runs. Josh Edgin looked very impressive in his inning of work, lighting up the radar gun and striking out three batters in his inning of work.
• Cesar Puello has tried to turn it up an extra gear recently and is batting .306 over his last ten games, with three multi-hit games in his last four starts – including one last night. Puello is in the midst of a solid campaign, batting .294 over 109 ABs with five home runs, seven steals, and 24 runs driven in.
• Fellow B-Mets outfielder, Alonzo Harris, managed to put together a nice game as well with two steals. He now has 13 on the year. He has been batting eighth in the lineup recently as opposed to leadoff because of a heavy slump, but it looks like the move down has sparked the Sterling Award winner once again.
• I highlighted Dustin Lawley for his streaky work earlier in the year – and right now, he’s on a torrid hot streak. His last ten games have seen him bat .349 and go deep four times. Lawley is actually second in the FSL with nine home runs, behind only Miguel Sano‘s 11. Aderlin Rodriguez is fifth in the league with seven home runs after he hit another home run last night.
• Jeff Walters struck out the side for his 11th save last night in Binghamton and lowered his ERA to 0.57. We may actually have some potential future depth in this young man.
• On an unhappier note, Phillip Evans is really struggling in the field, as he made his 12th error of the year last night.

Stat Line of the Day

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-4, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Transactions/Updates

• Zack Wheeler and Kai Gronauer were both placed on the 7-Day DL in Las Vegas.
• Brandon Hicks and Matt Fox were added to the 51s team roster in corresponding moves.

Photo of the Day

Yes, Matt Harvey is truly becoming the new King of Queens… (Photo credit goes to Gordon Donovan)

Binghamton 6, Portland 3

The Binghamton Mets cashed in on three Portland errors and caught a few fortuitous breaks in a three-run ninth inning en route to a 6-3 win over the Sea Dogs Friday night at Hadlock Field. The B-Mets stretched their season-best winning streak to five games and moved within one game of the first-place Portland Sea Dogs in the Eastern Division.

Portland’s defensive woes started early in the ninth. Richard Lucas led off the inning against reliever Keith Couch with a slow roller to third. Michael Almanzar barehanded the grounder and fired an errant throw to first, allowing Lucas to move to second.

With Lucas representing the go-ahead run, Alonzo Harris pushed a bunt to the mound. Travis Shaw charged from first and fielded cleanly, but fell to the ground before getting a throw off. Danny Muno followed with a chopper to third. Alamanzar attempted to nab Lucas at the plate, but lost his grip in the process and the B-Mets took the lead for good.

Darrell Ceciliani added with an RBI single to left and Muno scored the final run of the inning by scampering home after a throwing error by Xander Bogaerts at short.

Owning a three-run lead, Jeff Walters struck out three in a scoreless ninth to collect his league-leading eleventh save.

For the first time in the four games, the B-Mets struck first. Muno led off the game by pulling a double down the first base line against Portland starter Matt Barnes. Ceciliani pushed Muno to third with a sac bunt and Cesar Puello brought him home with a bloop single to center.

Portland erased the lead in the third against B-Mets starter Erik Goeddel. Peter Hissey‘s chopper up the middle glanced off Goeddel’s glove and rolled into right field for a single. The Sea Dogs cashed in on the lucky bounce when Tony Thomas sent a two-out, RBI double down the left field line.

After fighting off a B-Mets threat in the second, Barnes settled down and retired 11 consecutive B-Mets. His streak came to a halt in the sixth when he walked Ceciliani. Puello made him pay and helped the B-Mets retake the lead, by bouncing an RBI double off the centerfield wall. Allan Dykstra added to the advantage by pulling a run-scoring double down the rightfield line.

Binghamton’s two-run lead did not last long. After Travis Shaw beat out a bunt single, Michael Almanzar blasted Goeddel’s 1-0 offering over the left-centerfield wall to tie the game at three.

Goeddel settled for the no-decision after allowing three runs on six hits over six innings of work. Barnes also did not factor into the decision after six innings on the hill.

B-Mets reliever John Church (2-3) took the reins in the seventh and posted two scoreless innings of relief. The righty earned his second victory of the season after Binghamton’s three-run ninth inning. Couch (1-1) took the loss in relief

The B-Mets (23-18) continue their three-game series against the Sea Dogs (23-16) Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM. LHP Mark Cohoon gets the ball for Binghamton against RHP Anthony Ranaudo.

Key Stats

Daniel Muno: 1-for-5, 1 2B, 2 R

Darrell Ceciliani: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Cesar Puello: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R

Allan Dykstra: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Alonzo Harris: 2-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R, 2 SB

Erik Goeddel: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K

John Church: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER

Jeff Walters: 1.0 IP, 3 K

(Team Report)

Binghamton 9, Akron 4

Cory Vaughn highlighted a six-run fifth inning with a grand slam as the B-Mets came from behind to beat the Akron Aeros, 9-4 Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium. The win gave Binghamton the series sweep, and their fourth consecutive victory overall.

For the third straight night, the Akron offense struck first against Binghamton pitching. In the fourth, Carlos Moncrief doubled down the right field line to score Chun Chen, and Bo Greenwell blooped a two-run single into centerfield to put the Aeros up 3-0 against Jacob deGrom.

Akron starter Jordan Cooper held the B-Met offense down through 4.2 innings, but suddenly the offense clicked. After the first two batters in the inning had been retired, Wilfredo Tovar got the rally started with a seeing-eye single up the middle. Danny Muno followed with a single, and Josh Rodriguez plated the first B-Met run of the game with an RBI single into right-centerfield. On the very next pitch Cesar Puello hit the fourth consecutive single, grounding a ball into right field which made it a 3-2 Akron lead.

Allan Dykstra then walked, and that brought up Vaughn with the bases loaded. With one swing of the bat, he put Binghamton up 6-3 as he sailed a line drive over the left field wall for the first B-Met grand slam of the season.

Binghamton batted around in the fifth inning, and they kept their foot on the pedal in the sixth. Against Bryce Stowell the B-Mets tacked on three more runs, including a two-run double by Cesar Puello to bust the game open.

Meanwhile, deGrom enjoyed the six-run cushion. The nine runs scored was the most support he had received all season. deGrom’s night ended after 7.0 innings; the righty allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out six.

Adam Kolarek and John Church each threw a scoreless inning in relief, as they helped seal deGrom’s first career Double-A victory.

The B-Mets (22-18) will enjoy their second off day of the season on Thursday. They hit the road on Friday to start a three-game series against the Portland SeaDogs (22-15). RHP Erik Goeddel gets the ball for Binghamton against Portland’s RHP Matt Barnes. First pitch is set for 6:00 PM.

Key Stats

Cesar Puello: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R

Cory Vaughn: 1-for-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R

Alonzo Harris: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Jacob deGrom: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 K

Adam Kolarek: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

John Church: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

(Team Report)

Binghamton 7, Akron 3

Many times you can gauge a pitcher’s demeanor, their grit and persistence, when they don’t have their best stuff.  That was the case at Binghamton’s NYSEG Stadium for B-Met starter Logan Verrett in the early going of last nights 7-3 victory over Akron.

Verrett has been a mainstay of the Binghamton staff so far this spring starting 8 games with a 5-1 record and a 3:15 ERA.  A pinpoint command of the strike zone has helped Verrett log an impressive 0.99 WHIP in the young season.

Verrett struggled commanding his fastball in the first two innings of Tuesday’s contest.  The usually accurate right hander walked three batters and delivered 40 pitches during the first two innings.  In fact, only double play balls to end each frame prevented Verrett from disaster.

You can learn a lot about a pitcher when they labor on the hill.  Such moments are gut checks that speak to the character of a pitcher.  Will they remain poised and centered?  Will they alter their mechanics?  Will they begin to work too fast or too slow?  Will they continue to challenge batters with their signature pitch even if when they can’t locate that pitch as they would like?   Will they show grit and resolve in working through their troubles.

The character side of Verrett’s pitching report card was glowing last night.

Trouble presented itself almost immediately.  Akron’s speedy centerfielder Tyler Holt, the second batter in the game, laced a line drive toward the gap in right-center field.  B-Met right fielder Cesar Puello elected to attempt a diving catch but couldn’t complete the play with the ball going all the way to the wall, and Holt racing to third with a one out triple.  Verrett walked Carlos Moncrief who stole second to set the table for Chun-Hsiu Chen.  Chen, batting a sparkling .331, ripped a single up the middle scoring both runners and giving Akron a 2-0 lead.  Quincy Lattimore sent a wicked line drive to the mound that Verrett played in the air, then doubled up Chen to end the inning.

Verrett’s troubles continued in the Akron second.  The B-Met ace opened the frame by walking Roberto Perez and yielding a single to Giovanny Urshela.  After striking out Kyle Bellas, Verrett walked the number nine batter Justin Toole to load the bases.  Verrett was clearly struggling.

A hard grounder ripped to short was played perfectly, Wilfredo Tovar to Josh Rodriguez to Allan Dykstra for a 6-4-3 double play to get Verrett out of the jam.

The second B-Met DP was a turning point for their young pitcher.  Verrett settled in finding his customary command of the strike zone and dominated for the remainder of his outting.  The DP started a string of 8 consecutive outs for Verrett.

The string was broken in the sixth when Bellas led off by slamming a Verrett curveball over the left field wall for a home run extending Akron’s advantage to 3-0.  Verrett was unfazed putting the next 8 batters down in order before allowing an Ursela single with two down in the seventh.  A look at Verrett’s pitching statistics show just how effectively he pitched after the first two innings. . All 3 Verrett walks and 3 of the 5 hits he allowed were surrendered during the first two innings.

Here was Verrett’s line on the evening: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

Total Batters Faced: 27

First Pitch Strikes: 19 – 70%

Ahead After Three Pitches:  8 – 30%

Total Pitches: 97  Strikes:  61 – 63%  Balls:  36 – 37%

Strike Breakdown: Called: 26 – 43%   Fouled:  7 – 11%   Missed:  9 – 15%  In Play:  19 – 31%

Full Windup:  Total Pitches: 66  Strikes:  44 – 67%     Balls:  22 – 33%

Stretch: Total Pitches:  31  Strikes: 17 – 55%  Balls:  14 – 45%

Verrett’s fastball ranged from 86 to 94 mph.  Only two pitches touched 94 both thrown in the first inning.  It appeared as if Verrett was attempting more curve balls than the previous time I had watched him pitch.  The triple and home run both came on curveballs.

The B-Met hitters struggled with Akron starting pitcher Paolo Espino‘s slow breaking curve ball in the early innings.  Espino carried a shutout into the fifth inning when Binghamton scored three times to knot the score at 3-3.  Cory Vaughn saw his first fastball on the fourth pitch and grounded a single to left to lead off the inning.  Vaughn drew several pick off attempts with Espino finally throwing the ball past the first baseman and allowing the B-Met leftfielder to advance to second.  After two infield pop-ups, Alonzo Harris worked a walk.  Wilfredo Tovar laced a single to left field plating Vaughn and moved into scoring position when the leftfielders throw to third base attempting to get Harris sailed off line.

That brought the B-Met second baseman Danny Muno to the plate.  Muno has been a clutch hitter for Binghamton this year, and he came through once again, lining a shot over off the centerfield wall to plate Harris and Tovar.  Muno is batting just .228 but has knocked in a team high 21 RBI’s.

Binghamton caught some huge breaks in busting the game open in the home eighth.  Tovar greeted relief pitcher Trey Haley with a ground single over the third base bag but was thrown out trying to leg it into a double.  Haley, a fire throwing righthander, lost the plate throwing 11 consecutive balls, walking Muno and Josh Rodriguez and going 3-0 on Cesar Puello.  Puello took two strikes before ball four loaded the bases.

With the infield in, Allan Dykstra tapped a soft ground ball to first baseman Chun-Hsiu Chen.  Chen played the ball but double clutched without looking to throw home, changing his mind and attempting to get Dykstra at first.  His throw was late  with the B-Mets scoring the game winner.  Vaughn followed with a broken bat flare that got past Haley for another infield hit and a second run.  Two wild pitches completed the 4 run rally.

I finally got to see Jack Leathersich work the mound in relief and the lefty didn’t disappoint.  Leathersich worked a scoreless eighth and ninth allowing a single hit while striking out 4 and walking only 1.  He has a nasty breaking ball that freezes lefthanded hitters, a deceptive delivery, and fires some 90+ heat.  Leathersich has struck out 33 batters in 17.2 innings.

Key Stats

Daniel Muno: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R

Josh Rodriguez: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R

Allan Dykstra: 1-for-4, 1 RBI

Cory Vaughn: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 R

Wilfredo Tovar: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 R

Logan Verrett: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

Jack Leathersich: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K