Pedro Beato had a rough game last night for Buffalo.

On a night when Wally Backman had only relief pitchers available, he had a tough task available. As expected from a team with a reliever starting a game, things didn’t go so well with the Bisons losing 10-4 to the SWB Yankees.

It was Pedro Beato who got the “start” for Buffalo. The majority of Beato’s appearances this season have lasted two innings or more, often taking upwards of 40 pitches, but not much more than that. He was really the closest thing the Bisonss have to a long man, especially with Garrett Olson and others on the big league club. However, despite dominating Triple-A this season, Beato struggled against the Yankees. Beato gave up a leadoff home run to Chris Dickerson, immediately giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The Bisons would fight back in the bottom of the inning, taking the lead on a two-run home run by Josh Satin.

In the bottom of the second, Mike Nickeas knocked in a run with an RBI-single to extend Buffalo’s lead to 3-1 after Beato had pitched a scoreless second. However, when he stepped back onto the mound the next inning, it got ugly.

The Yankees staged a rally with no outs in the inning. Eduardo Nunez drove in two runs with an RBI-single, tying the game at three and knocking Pedro Beato out of the game. In came Elvin Ramirez, who would allow a run to score on a ground ball, handing a lead to the Yankees that they wouldn’t relinquish.

From that point on, the Yankees simply overmatched the Buffalo bullpen, scoring six more runs. On the other side, despite a few early runs, the Bisons only scored one more run against Ramon Ortiz. For the Busons, Elvin Ramirez, Robert arson, Scott Patterson, and Justin Hampson all gave up runs, leading to an eventual rout and a 10-4 final score.

Herd Rumblings: A few notes significant to the big league bullpen came out of this game. C.J. Nitkowski made his third appearance with the Bisons, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames. He has allowed one run in 8.1 innings between Binghamton and Buffalo. Scott Patterson, another recent signee,allowed two runs on four hits in 0.2 innings. On offense, Josh Satin had the home run and was 1-for-3 with a walk. Matt den Dekker was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Zach Lutz and Mike Nickeas each drove in a run. Jenrry Mejia will get the start today against the Yankees. First pitch is at 7:05.

Jeremy Hefner started off the game rough, and the offense was stifled on the whole by Stephen Strasburg in their sixth loss in a row, 5-2 to the Nationals.

Game Recap

Jeremy Hefner, filling in the rotation in the spot vacated by the designation of Miguel Batista was hit hard in the early innings, giving up back to back solo home runs in the second. Hefner settled down, and after a Josh Thole error, Hefner allowed the third run of the game. Hefner’s final line was six innings pitched, with three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking two and striking out seven. While this isn’t horrible, Hefner got himself into tricky situations and was forced to make pitches in hitters counts.

The bullpen today continued its inability to hold the fort down, with Tim Byrdak going two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on one hit with one walk. The homer was given up to a lefty, and if this is a product of overuse or just Byrdak being off his game is yet to be seen. Jon Rauch pitched one-third of an inning with nothing allowed, and Elvin Ramirez pitched the last two innings, walking one and striking out one.

Offensively, the Mets struggled off of Stephen Strasburg, netting four hits on the entire day, including an Ike Davis solo home run. Jordany Valdespin plated a run on an RBI groundout. The hitters have struggled the last few days, barely making solid contact in addition to playing poor defense.

GOAT: Tim Byrdak – as the LOOGY, it is the primary objective to get out lefty hitters. When you allow a two-run homer in the seventh inning when down by two with an ace on the mound for the other team, it is not acceptable.

Game Notes: David Wright was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, being befuddled by Nationals pitchers all day. Ike Davis hit his 16th home run on the season, making him the team leader and taking a turn after a horrible April and May. Frank Francisco had his first rehab outing today for Binghamton, and didn’t look great but will be shaking the rust off in the next few outings. The Mets will begin a road trip tomorrow, sending heralded prospect Matt Harvey to the mound in his first Major League start against the Diamondbacks, opposing Wade Miley. Game time is 9:40 P.M.

Chris Young looked good in his first start since May of 2011, but a comedy of errors lead to a thrilling game that was decided in the twelfth in the Mets 7-6 loss.

Game Recap

Chris Young coming back to the Mets in his first start in over a year pitched admirably, going five innings while giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking one and striking out two. Young consistently coaxed weak contact, and was only victimized in the fifth inning, when a serious of mistakes that ended in an Omar Quintilla throwing error lead to an unearned run. Young maintained the velocity he had pre-operation, pitching around 84-86 MPH with his fastball. The key factor to remember with Young is that it isn’t about velocity, but it is about location and sequencing.

With the short bullpen today due to Jon Rauch getting a few days off and the Mets going with a six man rotation, Miguel Batista fresh off his DL stint came out and pitched two very effective innings, allowing no hits while walking one and striking out two. Tim Byrdak came out for one-third of an inning, and allowed one hit. Byrdak just barely missed getting a double-play, but the transition was fumbled by Murphy and only turned into one out. Frank Francisco came out for a five-out save and after getting one out, gave up an RBI single that was charged to Tim Byrdak to tie the game in the eighth. Francisco pitched a solid ninth after blowing the save, getting two strikeouts and allowing one hit. His final line would read one and two-third innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Bobby Parnell came out in the tenth to save the game, and his defense was very unkind to him. Parnell gave up an unearned run, allowing a hit and a walk, striking out two. Elvin Ramirez came in and after allowing a leadoff walk, struck out the next three hitters. Ramirez had much more trouble in the twelfth, giving up two doubles including one for an RBI, a wild pitch and a walk-off RBI single.

The Mets offense was quiet until the sixth inning, when Jordany Valdespin had his third hit of the season, which was also his second pinch-hit home run on the season. David Wright hit his seventh home run of the season shortly after, bringing the Mets to within one run. Andres Torres hit a two-RBI triple in the eighth to put the Mets ahead. Scott Hairston got a leadoff single in the tenth, stole second, advanced to third on an out and scored on a wild-pitch. Scott Hairston would come through with another heroic blast in the eleventh inning.

Game Changing Moment: Elvin Ramirez losing any effectiveness in the twelfth inning.

Player Of The Game: Scott Hairston, coming through in a huge way today going 2 for 2 with three runs, a home run and a stolen base. Scott had his best performance as a Mets player today.

On Deck

The Mets will continue the series against the Nationals tomorrow at 7:05, and will send RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-2, 5.60) to the mound against RHP Edwin Jackson (1-3, 3.17).

An introduction is not necessary as the title does all of the justice. Statistically, he has faltered in every role this season, from set-up man to mop-up guy. Acosta has almost as many walks as innings pitched, allowed more runs then innings pitched and has allowed a run in 10 of his 18 games pitched. So, logical readers of MMO – why is the man still up north occupying a roster spot, and who could produce a better ERA than Mr. Acosta who is in our minor leagues? The answer is virtually anyone,  but focus will be placed on why he is here.

The 2012 Mets have shown they will endure the growing pains of the early season if players seem to show life, and sadly despite his horrible ERA, Acosta did not have too poor of a May, but nothing someone would write home about either. Acosta was marginal in 2010, great in the latter portion of 2011, and has been atrocious during the 2012 season all together. If yesterday’s outing wasn’t enough of a sign that Mr. Acosta hurts the team, he entered a 6-1 game, his offense gave him two more runs, and he promptly gave the Padres back three. Acosta cannot locate his pitches, and when they are in the zone they are belt-high and right in the middle of the plate. The man is a hard-throwing, batting practice pitcher this season.

Who can outdo Manny Acosta’s 10.80 ERA over 18 games that is in the Mets farm system? Realistically, anyone in the Buffalo bullpen, and quite possibly a few arms in the Binghamton pen could challenge for that same title. Realistically, the names that Mets fans may expect to hear being called up to the big show sooner than later are Joe D’s personal favorites, RHP Jack Egbert and RHP Elvin Ramirez. What happened to LHP Josh Edgin and RHP Fernando Cabrera, early season front-runners set to find their way to Flushing by June? Josh Edgin has had trouble keeping runners off the bases, but is still striking out a ton of batters. Edgin has been decent against lefties with a 4/9 BB/K and 1 ER against lefties in 5.1 innings, but 3/7 BB/K and 7 ER in 9.1 Innings against righties. Fernando Cabrera has allowed two runs each in four of his last six outings, while struggling with his control.

RHP Jack Egbert has done nothing but pitch to contact, limit the walks and when needed turn it up to get his strikeouts. Egbert has allowed three runs and one walk in May, an amazing feat. Elvin Ramirez, who was returned to the Mets after the Nationals took him in the 2011 Rule 5 draft, has been aces since his promotion to Buffalo. When I mean aces, the man has an ERA of 0.00, allowing 3 hits and one walk in 10.2 innings, striking out twelve. What makes this even more amazing? He walked his first batter yesterday. Ramirez has been lights out so far, and has the power stuff required to thrive in a bullpen.

Robert Carson is still up with the big club, but it seems unlikely that Terry Collins would rather keep an unproven lefty with a heavy platoon-split in his MiLB career as opposed to a righty who can get ground ball outs and who doesn’t pitch too poorly against a lefty.

So why, oh why, is Manny Acosta still here? If I was a gambling man, I would bet it was to allow Elvin Ramirez to get some more innings under his belt coming off of a 2011 arm injury. With this last poor outing, however it seems more and more likely that a new arm will be joining the bullpen before the weekend