With the way Ike Davis has been hitting lately, there has been a ton of talk has about sending the slumping lefty down to Triple-A to try and figure things out. With good reason, some are questioning whether or not Davis is the first baseman of the future anymore.

Everyone is chiming in on how to fix the situation. The fixes range from have Lucas Duda playing first base, to moving Daniel Murphy over to first base and calling Wilmer Flores up to play second base. That last option isn’t too bad of an idea, but I would have Jordany Valdespin play second base if I were to go that route — Flores isn’t ready for big league action yet.

The Ike Davis situation doesn’t seem like an easy fix, and the team may do a number of things to try solidify that first base position. If I have to give the Mets credit for anything, it’s that they definitely know how to get creative when positioning players defensively.

But what if Ike Davis isn’t the first baseman of the future? What if he gets sent down and still can’t figure it out? Who do we have on the farm that can potentially fill that void in the coming years? Here is a list of options the Mets have within the organization that could fill that void at first base:

2013 Options

Andrew Brown: Brown has been tearing the cover off the ball with Las Vegas this season. He has primarily been used in the outfield this season, but logged his first game at first base this past Friday night. He was called up for a couple of weeks already this season and played in six games, hitting .200 with one home run for the Mets.

Zach Lutz: Lutz is another option the Mets have, although he has played the majority of his games at third base this season for Las Vegas. Through 35 games this season, Lutz is hitting .260 with four home runs. Lutz is currently on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Josh Satin: The starting first baseman for Las Vegas is having a very solid 2013 season. He’s batting .303 with six home runs in 38 games with Vegas. Satin would be equivalent offensively to having Daniel Murphy play first base, with slightly more pop.

A less likely option than the three listed above would be Travis d’Arnaud/John Buck. The fractured toe will delay this from happening, but one of the early plans that Terry Collins flirted with was having John Buck play some first base when d’Arnaud got called up to the show. I would love to see both of those guys playing first base to keep them both in the Mets lineup, and it would lessen the rigors of being an everyday major league catcher with them platooning at both positions. With all the injuries d’Arnaud has already suffered before even stepping foot onto a major league field, the Mets would be wise to consider a move like this.

2014 Options

Allan Dykstra: A former first round of the San Diego Padres, Dykstra is having a solid season with Double-A Binghamton this year. He’s a very patient hitter, and while he walks a lot, he also strikes out a bit due to getting into deep counts. This season he has 34 strikeouts in 33 games, but has also walked 26 times. His OBP has been over .400 the past two seasons, but the power numbers have been lacking during those same seasons. This is really his third look at Binghamton (2011, 2012, 2013), and his numbers have been pretty flat across the board except for power, where he has dipped.

Jayce Boyd: Boyd is a really polished college hitter that was drafted by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Florida State University. Getting this guy in the sixth round was a steal. His approach to hitting screams major leagues. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs, but he has excellent gap-to-gap power, and he will flat out hit — Mark Grace type of player. This is my pick to be the Mets’ future first baseman. He hasn’t played above A-Ball yet, but what he’s doing is remarkable. This season for Savannah, Boyd is hitting .360, and has walked more times than he struck out (24BB/16K). I doubt Boyd will be with the Mets out of Spring Training next year, but keep your eye on him.

Las Vegas 7, Omaha 3

Behind a staunch performance from the bullpen, the Las Vegas 51s snapped a three-game losing streak Friday night in Omaha, Neb.

The 51s defeated the Storm Chasers 7-3 to even their four-game series at one win apiece.

The game was tied 3-3 after five innings, when Las Vegas manager Wally Backman pulled starter Matt Fox and began to use his relievers. Omaha would only get one base runner the rest of the night.

Armando Rodriguez struck out three batters over the next two innings before giving way to Gonzalez Germen and, ultimately, Josh Edgin, who struck out the side in the ninth.

The 51s offense also ignited in the sixth and seventh innings. Third baseman Eric Campbell notched a two-out single to drive in designated hitter Josh Satin and make the score 4-3 in the sixth.

Catcher Landon Powell added to the lead with his second home run of the year, a solo shot, in the seventh. Second baseman Wilmer Flores registered his 26th RBI of the season a few at-bats later with a line drive to left field.

The 51s road trip continues with games at Werner Park Saturday and Sunday. They don’t return to Las Vegas until Friday, May 24, against the Salt Lake Bees.

Key Stats

Collin Cowgill: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 2 R

Josh Satin: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 RBI, 2 R

Wilmer Flores: 2-for-4, 1 RBI

Eric Campbell: 1-for-4, 1 RBI

Landon Powell: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Matt Fox: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 HR, 3 ER, 6 K

Armando Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Gonzalez Germen: 1.0 IP, 1 K

Josh Edgin: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K

(Team Report)

Like many quick-fixes, it will not work. Despite Collins’ outburst, firing him is not the answer as it screams panic.

As the appearance is things spiraling out of control, the Mets desperately need to show signs of stability and reiterate the growth process. Sacking the manager does not achieve this goal.General manager Sandy Alderson needs to take several steps to show the fan base there is a plan, and it has to entail more than asking for patience and talking about a supposedly increased payroll after this season.

The first thing Alderson must do is speak out in defense of his manager. Jordany Valdespin isn’t being hung out to dry, it is Collins. Alderson must say Collins is his man and his job is not in jeopardy.

Supporting Collins also entails ridding the Mets of the topic, which set him off in the first place, and that is Valdespin. If Alderson can’t trade Valdespin, whose value is low, then designated him for assignment. Don’t bother sending him down because you don’t want to pollute a farm team with his selfish, punkish attitude. Get rid of him, and if he comes back to bite the Mets in the butt, so be it.

You will notice an immediate cleansing in the clubhouse. The Mets spoke about changing the culture of the franchise, and that should include getting rid of that kind of attitude. One can’t help but notice neither Collins nor Alderson care for Valdespin, and for whatever talent he has, he’s not worth the trouble.

Next, send down Ike Davis and Lucas Duda until they show signs of understanding how to hit. I keep hearing there’s nothing down below that can help. Well, how will they know unless they try?

Clearly, Davis and Duda aren’t getting it done on the major league level and the pressure is only increasing. When they get home, they will hear boos and that won’t help. It will be like Jason Bay all over again, but in two positions.

The Mets aren’t going to make a trade or sign anybody now, so let’s see what is below. If you don’t want to screw with Wilmer Flores changing positions, I understand. But, let’s look at Josh Satin. Or Zach Lutz. Or any Little Leaguer in the Tri-State area. I’m just tired of watching strikeout after strikeout.

Davis shows no signs of patience or understanding of the strike zone and Duda has regressed from a promising start. Maybe these guys are the future, but they certainly aren’t the present. And, it is obvious they aren’t learning anything up here.

Finally, Alderson should flat out say Zack Wheeler is not coming up and it is because of his contract status. We all know about Super Two, so let’s stop the charade. Putting a date on Wheeler will eliminate the distracting groundswell, which has included Wally Backman’s muddying projection.

Collins’ status, Valdespin, Davis, Duda and Wheeler are all distractions that could be eliminated by forceful actions from Alderson.

Just do it.

Albuquerque 8, Las Vegas 5

It was a tough night for Chris Schwinden, who was knocked around for four runs in the first inning, and this left the 51s in a defecit that they would never look back from. Schwinden would be on the hook for five earned runs in his five innings of action. Greg Peavey had no more luck than he did in his two innings of work, as he allowed two earned runs as well.

Vegas dropped a two-spot in the first inning – thanks to Eric Campbell, who drove in a run with an RBI Triple and then scored on a fielding error. Collin Cowgill drove home Brian Bixler in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3 at that point.

The 51s made a last ditch effort in the bottom of the ninth, with Wilmer Flores ripping an RBI double and scoring on a Zach Lutz RBI single, but Eric Campbell struck out to end the threat.

D.J. Mitchell is scheduled to start tomorrow for Las Vegas.

Key Stats

Wilmer Flores: 1-for-2, 1 2B, 1 R

Zach Lutz: 3-for-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Eric Campbell: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 R

Brian Bixler: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Chris Schwinden: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 ER, 4 K

Greg Peavey: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 ER, 1 K

Armando Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER

Sean Henn: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER

Rafael Montero Looks Intimidating (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Albuquerque, 5-2. 
• Binghamton topped Akron, 5-3. 
• St. Lucie dropped to Brevard County, 6-5.
• Savannah lost to Charleston, 5-3. 

Injury News

The Wheeler Watch has taken a turn…hopefully not for the worst. Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler will miss his next start due to discomfort in his clavicle, and is flying to NY to meet with doctors.

I’m not an injury expert, but I do know that Zack Wheeler pitches using the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Hopefully this is not why Wheeler is suffering from shoulder discomfort. 

Prospect Pipeline

• Wheeler Watch: Based on Sandy Alderson’s comments yesterday, it sounds like we will probably see him before the All-Star Break. It has to be good for both Wheeler and the team, meaning they won’t call up Wheeler until he is ready to face major league hitters (getting close, if not there already), and the team has holes to fill in the rotation (um, yes). It sounds to me as if Wheeler is on the cusp of making his major league debut. I’m not so much concerned with Wheeler getting called up as I am about how the fans will react when he does. Will they expect Matt Harvey-like success — because he was the exception, not the rule. He will now have the pressure of being the top prospect being called up, have to pitch in New York, and has to live up to Harvey’s success…tough.
• The guy likely to get called up when Wheeler is promoted pitched last night in Binghamton. Rafael Montero pitched another six solid innings last night, striking out six and walking none. Montero is the type of pitcher that is going to give up some hits if his secondary pitches aren’t on point. His fastball isn’t overpowering, and when you are around the strike zone as much as Montero, the hitters are going to put the bat on the ball. Consider his control a gift and a curse at the same time, if his off-speed pitches aren’t working well for him. Montero isn’t going to give any teams free runs, but because of the type of pitcher he is, he isn’t going to hold many teams scoreless. Not for the time being anyway. If he can live on the corners, he may be the type of guy that eventually develops into a shutout threat every time he takes the hill.
• Travis Taijeron is having a solid year for St. Lucie. Over the last ten games, Taijeron is hitting .371 with three home runs and a ridiculous .511 on base percentage.
• It has been two games without a double from Dr. Doubles, Kevin Plawecki. He has 19 two-baggers so far this season.
• Hansel Robles gave up four walks in four innings of work last night. He was pretty pedestrian, although he did manage to strike out five opposing hitters.
• I have to admit that Wilmer Flores is not having the type of season I thought he would be having in a “hitter’s league.” I was hoping he would step up offensivley after Travis d’Arnaud went down with an injury, but I’m just not seeing it. I think most would agree that they expected to see more than a .264 batting average and three home runs from the second highest rated offensive prospect in the organization. The good news is, it’s only May, so Flores can still get on track.

Stat Lines of the Day

Travis Taijeron: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Brandon Hicks assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Las Vegas 51s.

New York Mets optioned Andrew Brown to Las Vegas 51s.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote of the day is from the interview that Sandy Alderson gave on WFAN yesterday afternoon, regarding Zack Wheeler:

“Bringing Zack Wheeler up here, does it create a second day out of five that fans would have a greater interest in watching us play?” Alderson told WFAN radio Monday. “Yeah, I think initially. But if he doesn’t have success, that won’t last very long.”

It sure sounds like Alderson is tip-toeing around this Wheeler call-up. It almost sounds like he is afraid that things are going to go bad, and then everyone is going to turn and point a finger at him demanding his job.

 

Las Vegas 4, Albuquerque 3

Despite a near-bullpen meltdown, the Las Vegas 51s were able to avert any further damage and best Albuquerque by a final score of 4-3.

Collin McHugh got the nod for the 51s and had himself his second-straight spectacular outing. McHugh went seven frames allowing just one run on six hits while walking two and striking out five. The 25-year old righty was putting up goose eggs up until the sixth inning when Nick Buss homered to center to make it a 4-1 ballgame, representing the only run to cross against McHugh. He would be relieved by Sean Henn and eventually pick up his third win on the year to improve to 3-2 while lowering his ERA to a solid 2.74. With the way the Mets rotation is going, if McHugh keeps this up, he could find himself back in Flushing sooner rather than later.

The Las Vegas offense scored early and proved to be just enough to be able to edge the Isotopes. Omar Quintanilla started a two-out rally in the second with a double to right and would come around to score on a Juan Centeno RBI single to draw blood first. Wilmer Flores led off the fourth with a two-bagger of his own to the left fielder Tony Gwynn, his twelve of the year. A hit by pitch and a walk to Quintanilla would load the bases with one out for Jamie Hoffmann who promptly grounded one through the hole near third to score Flores. After him, Centeno reached on a fielding error by Osvaldo Martinez, allowing Campbell and Quintanilla to score and giving the 51s a four-run advantage.

Heading into the ninth, Sean Henn was out for his second inning of work and made it a nail-biter. After recording the first out, he walked Martinez and surrendered a double to Alfredo Amezaga to set the table for Tony Gwynn who drove them in with a two-run single to cut the lead to 4-3. Gaining a second wing, Henn struck out the next two batters to face him to slam the door and hand Las Vegas a hard fought victory as they now climb over .500 at 18-17 on the year.

Key Stats

Wilmer Flores: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Omar Quintanilla: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 BB

Jamie Hoffmann: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB

Juan Centeno: 1-for-3, 2 RBI

Collin McHugh: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1 ER, 5 K

Sean Henn: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 2 K

Las Vegas 4, Albuquerque 3

Last night I was at Cashman Field to witness the ace of the Las Vegas 51s and prized prospect Zack Wheeler on the mound. In many ways Wheeler lived up to the hype and pitched as expected. However, what I did NOT expect was the competitive spirit he displayed. His poise is more expected of a crafty veteran than a kid three weeks shy of turning 23.

Wheeler pitched well, keeping Albuquerque batters on their toes all evening. He tossed 7 1/3 innings, the longest of any 51s pitcher this season, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. He fanned 7 while walking just 1. 61 of his 99 pitches went for strikes.

Albuquerque scored in the first. With Elian Herrera on 2nd and two outs Rusty Ryal singled hard to right. Eric Campbell fired a rocket to the plate. Herrera was out by ten feet. However, he avoided the swipe tag by Las Vegas catcher Juan Centeno. Ryal took second on the throw home. Wheeler, however, was unfazed. He turned it up a notch and fanned the next batter. No opposing batter reached second base again until the seventh inning.

In the seventh, with Wheeler and the 51s leading 2-1, he delivered a first pitch fastball that Matt Angle promptly sent high into the Vegas night. Wally Backman showed faith in Wheeler. He didn’t come out to settle him down. He didn’t wave to the bullpen. He gave Wheeler a chance to show what he’s made of and the young pitcher answered the call by striking out the next batter on a knee-buckling curveball.

Eric Campbell’s home run to lead off the home seventh put Vegas back on top, 3-2. Wheeler gave way to Justin Hampson in the eighth after allowing his one and only walk of the night. In the ninth, Hampson squandered the lead and Albuquerque tied the game at 3-3, therefore giving Wheeler a N/D.

The 51s won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a lead-off single by third baseman Zach Lutz followed by a walk to Eric Campbell. A fielder’s choice moved the runners to 2^nd and 3^rd. Omar Quintanilla was intentionally walked to load the bases. Backman had Reese Havens pinch hit. He fell behind quickly in the count, 1-2, but managed to work out a walk. A walk-off walk.

After watching him tonight, it’s clear—as we’ve all been reading and hearing—that Wheeler has “the stuff.” What I learned, however, is that he also has the make-up. He did not get rattled. He did not get flustered. When he had to reach back for something extra, he succeeded.

Another interesting observation about Zack Wheeler is the efficiency he pitches with. He keeps the game moving at a quick clip. He doesn’t take a lot of time between pitches. This obviously keeps the fielder’s sharp. Steve Trachsel he’s not.

2bman Wilmer Flores hit his 3^rd HR of the season in the 4^th and almost hit another in the 6^th, sending the OF to the wall. He also flashed some leather, making a nice diving catch in the hole in the 7th.

It seems like every few years we Mets fans hear about ‘the next’ Tom Seaver or Jerry Koosman. We hear it so much we become numb. Am I saying Zack Wheeler will be the next Koosman to Matt Harvey’s Seaver? No.

However, after seeing Harvey pitch over the last month and personally witnessing Zack Wheeler last night, maybe, just maybe, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Key Stats

Wilmer Flores: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Eric Campbell: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Zach Lutz: 1-for-4, 1 R

Zack Wheeler: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 ER, 7 K

Justin Hampson: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K

Round Rock 9, Las Vegas 5

I am not a mean-spirited guy when it comes to baseball, honestly, but why is Carlos Torres on our AAA team? He was lit up again on Wednesday night for a grand total of nine earned runs over 4+ innings and it was just a really rough performance. He allowed five of those runs in the top of the first alone, capped off by a three-run homer by Jim Adduci. Anyway you slice it, if you can’t get out of the fifth inning, and you leave your team with a 9-0 defecit at the time…you did not do your job.

The 51s closed the game with five unanswered runs in the final four innings – highlighted by a three run bomb by Zach Lutz in the bottom of the sixth and a solo shot from Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the bottom of the seventh. The 51s scored plated a run via a Brian Bixler RBI single in the bottom of the ninth and then loaded the bases with two out, but Wilmer Flores grounded out harmlessly to end the threat.

The 51s did manage to put up a five-spot overall, which is always nice to see. In terms of the box score, Dylan Owen, Sean Henn, and Armando Rodriguez combined to pitch the rest of the game scoreless, but Owen allowed the three inherited runners from Carlos Torres to score when he was brought on.

Yeesh. Shake it off and move on to the next game. If all stays the same, Chris Schwinden is scheduled to pitch for Las Vegas tomorrow.

Key Stats

Brian Bixler: 2-for-5, 1 RBI

Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

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

Zach Lutz: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Kai Gronauer: 2-for-4, 1 2B

Carlos Torres: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 ER, 4 K

Dylan Owen: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 2 K, 3-3 Inherited Runners Scored

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

Armando Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K

Las Vegas 3, Round Rock 2

Collin McHugh took the mound tonight and pitched a heck of a game. He continued his tremendous start to the season tossing seven scoreless innings. The righty threw 90 pitches (59 strikes), allowed just five hits, struck out five, and left the game with a 1-0 lead. McHugh came into the game leading the 51s with a 3.57 ERA, but after tonight’s masterful performance, he lowered his ERA to 2.98.

McHugh was in line for the win when he left the game heading into the eighth inning, but the combination of Gonzalez Germen and Justin Hampson squandered the lead allowing the tying run to score. Greg Burke took the ball in the top of the ninth up 2-1, but was unable to nail down the save. He allowed a double followed by an RBI single, and saw his ERA balloon to 5.19.

The Vegas offense was held to just three hits on the night, but was highlighted by Josh Satin hitting his fifth home run of the season, and an RBI single by Juan Centeno. Eric Campbell had a very patient night at the plate, accumulating three walks, and scored the go ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Vegas a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Reese Havens singled to lead off the inning, and was moved to second on a ground out by Satin, before being pinch ran for by Brian Bixler. The next batter Zach Lutz struck out swinging, but the ball hit the dirt and had to be blocked by the catcher. Bixler plated the winning run on an errant throw by the catcher attempting to throw out Lutz at first base.

Key Stats

• Wilmer Flores: 0-for-2, BB
• Josh Satin: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB
• Juan Centeno: 1-for-3, RBI
• Reese Havens: 1-for-4
• Eric Campbell: 0-for-1, RBI, 3 BB
• Collin McHugh: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, ND

By now we are all aware of the tantalizing conga line of pitching prospects dancing their way up the ladder to Flushing. The litany of names is familiar: Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo, Steven Matz, Michael Fulmer, Hansel Robles, Jacob deGrom, Jack Leathersich, Domingo Tapia, et al. It is only natural to consider how some of this apparent surplus of talent might be spun off in exchange for pieces needed to shore up the more glaring weaknesses of the Mets. Accordingly, I have engaged in a common baseball reverie and imagined a trade or two or three that could help speed the team toward post-season relevance.

I set some standards for the kind of talent I would want the team to target. Older players are acceptable, just not too old. In other words, free-agent-to-be Shin-Soo Choo is a viable option at 31, but 34-year-old Josh Willingham is best left to teams looking to add some frosting to the cake. We’re looking for young players with real potential or players in the prime age range for performance (27-32).

Some assumptions have been made in an effort to keep things realistic. Although every team targets young pitching, much of the Met talent involved is at the AA and A level so possible trade partners have been narrowed a bit to organizations with a longer timeline to contention (i.e. rebuilding), teams with a clear surplus at a position which they would be willing to swap for organizational depth, and teams that have a potential match but would require some major league ready players to complete a deal.  In the latter case, I can foresee the inclusion of players such as Wilmer Flores, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, or Ike Davis as they represent areas of overlap for the Mets. With these criteria in mind I have imagined a few trades that just might help speed the Mets that much faster toward post-season relevance.

Giancarlo Stanton:

Well, this is the obvious one. The Marlins have stated that they will not trade him, but what else would you say if you wanted a decent return? You would expect that given a rich enough package, some team will pry him away. For the Mets, I imagine that this would involve at least four or five players including Zack Wheeler and/or Travis D’Arnaud. Before you go nuts, remember that you have to trade prime talent to get prime talent and that Stanton has pretty much proven himself at the major league level, something that can’t be said of Wheeler or D’Arnaud.

Ben Zobrist:

The Rays are a cost-conscious organization that always looks to get younger. At 31, Zobrist should still have several good years ahead, and his defensive versatility paired with his switch-hitting ability makes him a valuable component in a lineup. He’s a good talent but not an elite player so the package to obtain him might include pitching plus a young player with similar skills (Valdespin?).

Nick Markakis:

The most expensive outfielder on the Orioles’ roster, his production has tailed off in the past two seasons and Baltimore might be willing to part with him to gain salary relief. Close to shedding the albatross of Jason Bay’s contract, management may not be enthused about picking up a similar expense with the tab for Markakis but with a career slash line of .295/.363/.453 and in his prime at age 29, it seems a gamble worth taking. He’s signed through 2014 (with a 2015 team option) and would likely try to pick things up a bit in his walk year.

David Price:

What? A pitcher? Yes. Dominant lefties in the prime of their career do not become available all that often. Price is arbitration eligible in 2014 and is likely to command a pretty penny indeed. It’s almost a universal assumption at this point that the Rays will deal him rather than shell out for a massive contract. Could this be Johan Santana all over again? Possibly, but there are also the examples of C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee to consider when looking at pitchers in their late twenties.  Perhaps a blockbuster including Zobrist could be engineered.

Ian Kinsler:

This is a case of one team’s surplus filling another team’s need. The Rangers will need to find a spot for wunderkind Jurickson Profar now that Elvis Andrus has been locked up and second base would look to be the spot. Kinsler is only 30 and has produced big-time out of the leadoff spot for most of his career.  His combination of speed and power would add a dynamic force to a Met lineup that could sorely use more consistency.  Naturally this move would turn Daniel Murphy into trade fodder, but his ability to play third makes him a valuable commodity in today’s market.

J.D. Martinez:

This is the type of young player that teams in the position of the woeful Astros generally hang onto, but they obviously need so much that you would have to think that they would listen to reasonable offers. He is still largely potential at this point, but at age 25 is likely to start putting things together soon. His minor league numbers show him to be a high OBP guy like the Mets brass prefer with midline power from the right side. At the very least he would expand outfield options for the Mets without costing too much.

Ultimately, we will likely need to wait for the off-season to see any major moves made by which time trade targets and expectations may well have changed considerably.  Regardless, the Mets’ glut of quality arms in the organization should be considered a potential trigger for what could be some significant changes to the lineup.

Las Vegas 6, Sacramento 2

Zack Wheeler took the hill yesterday afternoon against the River Cats and was firing on all cylinders as he made quick work of Sacramento, cruising to his second victory on the season.

Wheeler took the mound looking to build off of his solid outing against the Reno Aces in which he struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings back on April 30th. This time, the Mets top prospect went six shutout frames allowing just three hits and a walk while punching out four. Each of the baserunners allowed were scattered through different innings as the River Cats failed to get a runner to second base with Wheeler on the mound. After struggling mightily to start the season, Wheeler has now put together back-to-back solid efforts in the infamously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

On the offensive side of things for the Vegas 51s, everyone in the lineup had themselves a base hit with the exception of Juan Centeno and Josh Satin. Las Vegas put up a two-spot in the second on the strength of a double off the bat of Omar Quintanilla to score Wilmer Flores and Jamie Hoffmann, his fifth on the year. They would be held off the board until the top of the sixth when the recently demoted Collin Cowgill (more from him later) scored on a Zack Lutz fly ball to center. The following inning however, is where the game was broken open. With Quintanilla on second and Centeno at first, Cowgill, in just his second game since joining the 51s, clubbed a three-run bomb to left field to make it a 6-0 ballgame. Vegas batters only struck out three times in this game and tallied ten hits and a pair of walks against Sacramento pitching.

Justin Hampson came on in relief of Wheeler and had himself a difficult outing. After plunking Scott Moore, Josh Horton took Hampson deep to make it a 6-2 game. Hampson would eventually retire the side. Greg Peavey and Gonzalez Germen came in and pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth respectively as the 51s would go onto win by a final score of 6-2.

Key Stats

Collin Cowgill: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Zach Lutz: 1-for-3, 1 RBI

Eric Campbell: 2-for-4

Omar Quintanilla: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R

Zack Wheeler: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 4 K

Justin Hampson: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 2 ER, 1 K

Greg Peavey: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER

Gonzalez Germen: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Sacramento 11, Las Vegas 7

The Las Vegas 51s were defeated Saturday 11-7 at the Sacramento RiverCats, losing for the second straight day to open a four-game Pacific Coast League series. D.J. Mitchell took the mound for Las Vegas on Saturday night and was plagued by a pair of errors in the first frame, which led to seven runs crossing the plate against him in the first inning, but only three were earned. He settled down to last three more innings out there, but Vegas was playing from behind most of the evening.

The 51s scored three times in the top of the first inning on a two-run double from Wilmer Flores and an RBI single from Eric Campbell. They managed to tie the game with a pair of runs in each of the third and fourth innings, but Sacramento scored the final four runs to win. Each of Dylan Owen, Armando Rodriguez, and Greg Burke allowed at least an earned run – with Burke allowing two of them.

Key Stats

Collin Cowgill: 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 BB

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

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

Eric Campbell: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI

D.J. Mitchell: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 R, 3 ER, 5 K

Dylan Owen: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 1 K

Armando Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 2 K

Greg Burke: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Reno, 5-1.
• Binghamton got thrashed by Erie, 9-1.
• St. Lucie was beaten by Fort Myers, 3-2. 
• Savannah defeated Kannapolis, 5-3. 

Prospect Pipeline

• We are starting off another Minor League Report with Kevin Plawecki. He had two more hits again last night, one of which was…you guessed it…a double. What more does he have to prove in the SAL at this point?
• More accolades for Plawecki, as he finally received some recognition by Baseball America after being snubbed on their prospect hot sheet for the past four weeks. Plawecki and Rafael Montero were both named to the Baseball America All-Prospect Team for April. For the month of April, Montero compiled an 11-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Both of these guys were ridiculous in April and are well deserving of the recognition.
• I’m a little confused. The PCL is a hitters league and the Mets continue to promote hitters from Las Vegas based on their numbers. I wonder if this means that no pitchers are ever going to be promoted based on their numbers because they are awful. Collin McHugh started the season off strong, prompting many to lobby for a call up, but his last three starts have been pretty bad. His ERA over those three starts is over 6.00.
• Look for Andrew Brown to get some time at first base against left-handed pitchers while Ike Davis continues to figure things out.
• Beck Wheeler is making one hell of a splash in Savannah this year. He has allowed only two base runners, a hit and a walk each, over 11.2 innings pitched with no earned runs. He has recorded 16 strikeouts and opposing hitters are batting .028 against him so far. He picked up his second save of the season last night. Wicked. (Satish)
• Sound the alarms, Aderlin Rodriguez walked twice last night. (Satish)
• Wilmer Flores‘ strikeout rate, at 8.0%, is ranked as second in the PCL for qualifying players. The maturity may not always show in the stats, but Flores continues to make strides to becoming an MLB player as he continues to take more reps at second base. (Satish)
• Brandon Nimmo missed his second game last night due to a hand contusion. (Satish)
• Alex Panteliodis made his FSL debut. Pants was able to provide five effective innings in his season debut and first start off the DL, where he allowed an earned run off just four hits and a walk. His only blemish was allowing a solo home run in the fourth inning, and otherwise, Panteliodis looked pretty much in control during his time on the mound. He rocked an even 5:5 GB/FB ratio. (Satish)

Stat Line of the Day

Alex Panteliodis: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 ER, 3 K

Tweet of the Day
Road troubles…

So over this horrible wifi at the hotel. Can’t even watch How I Met Your Mother without it constantly freezing!

— Rob Whalen (@RobWhalen38) May 3, 2013

 

 

 

Reno 5, Las Vegas 1

It wasn’t exactly a bad outing for Collin McHugh on Thursday night, but he never really found his groove against Reno. He allowed four earned runs over the course of five innings off seven hits (one home run) and two walks. Four of his seven hits went for extra bases, and although this was not an implosion of an outing, Vegas was put in a hole that they could never climb out of.

The fifth inning brought trouble for McHugh, where he allowed a triple and a subsequent two-run home run with two outs before inducing a ground out to end the inning. The 51s struggles to come through to back him up, however, going only 1-for-8 with RISP.

In fact, their only run came on a Wilmer Flores RBI single, which plated Josh Satin who had advanced on a fielding error on the previous play. The 51s scattered their eight hits and five walks, and never really found that big hit to break them back into the game.

Greg Peavey and Armando Rodriguez combined to finish out the game for Las Vegas, with Peavey allowing an earned run over his two innings of work.

Worth noting from the game is that Josh Satin started in the outfield, and that Landon Powell got the start over Juan Centeno again. The 51s’ third catcher on the roster, Kai Gronauer, was called upon for a pinch-hitting opportunity in the game as well – and he singled.

Key Stats

Josh Satin: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 BB

Wilmer Flores: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Zach Lutz: 1-for-3, 1 BB

Collin McHugh: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 ER, 4 K

Greg Peavey: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K

Armando Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Las Vegas 14, Reno 8

Carlos Torres got the start tonight and wasn’t very sharp. Torres had traffic on the base paths all night long, allowing a total of 12 base runners. The 30-year-old gave up a hit and a walk to start the game, but was saved by a pickoff at first base.  In the second, he loaded the bases to start the inning, but limited the damage and gave up just two runs. He pitched scoreless frames in innings three through five, but faltered in the sixth, and after giving up a solo home run, was removed from the game.

Justin Hampson relieved Torres and closed out the sixth inning without any further damage. Sean Henn started the seventh and loaded the bases with nobody out, eventually allowing four runs to score. Gonzalez Germen pitched a spotless eighth, and Greg Burke closed out the ninth, but gave up an RBI ground out after a lead off triple.

The Andrew Brown show continued on Wednesday night with three more hits. The 28-year-old outfielder cranked his second home run of the year, drove in three more runs, and raised his team leading batting average to .367. Juan Centeno, who was promoted when Travis d’Arnaud was injured, finally broke out. The backstop recorded four hits, including a double and a run scored. Josh Satin got back on track, reaching base three times with two hits and a walk, and Wilmer Flores added two RBI. Eric Campbell hit his second homer of the year, and drove in four RBI on the night.

Game Note: The Vegas offense once again tallied over 10 runs, which marked the eighth time they have done that already this season.

Key Stats

• Wilmer Flores: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, R
• Josh Satin: 2-for-5, 2 R, BB
• Andrew Brown: 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2B
• Juan Centeno: 4-for-5, 2 2B, R
• Omar Quintanilla:: 3-for-6, R, RBI, 2B
• Eric Campbell: 2-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, R, BB
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-for-4, R, RBI,
• Carlos Torres: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, W

Wheeler rebounds, but now needs to show consistency. (Photo: Michael Baron)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas destroyed Reno, 10-2. 
• Binghamton squeaked by Erie, 6-5. 
• The St. Lucie game was suspended in the bottom of the first inning – they were trailing the Tampa Yankees 1-0 at the time.
• Savannah had the night off.

Prospect Pipeline

• I think Zack Wheeler impressed across the board with his start yesterday, as he rebounded from a tough one his last time out. In my opinion, I would like to see about three more of these starts in a row before I even consider talking about promoting him again. Rushing young players has become such a phenomenon… Let this kid pitch and have his ups and downs for a little while so he can improve and hopefully show some consistency. Two bad, one good, two bad. one good is not the consistency I’m talking about either.
• Perhaps one of the most important things to take away from yesterday’s start was the mere one walk that Wheeler allowed – and it was in the seventh inning, as he was nearing his end. There was a nice piece on Wheeler yesterday here, where he himself talked about a mechanical issue he was having in his rotation. “I was lifting my leg and rotating my shoulders and when we looked at the video, we realized I was rotating too much instead of keeping my shoulders square to the plate,” Wheeler explained. I don’t know how much you can credit his success to fixing said mechanical error, but if he is able to string together a second start of ace-like quality, I’ll be the first one to buy into the idea.
• So working off Mets prospects being mentioned in articles. John Sickels had a little to say about Wilmer Flores yesterday. “Through 23 games he is hitting .273/.323/.398, which includes a .300/.327/.480 mark at home but just .237/.319/.289 on the road. He also has a sharp platoon split: .321/.375/.500 against lefties, just .250/.299/.350 against right-handers.” He, of course, notes the issue here with a small sample size and also states that he expects that Flores’ hitting will pick up as the season progresses. I agree with him, because I have learned to believe in the offensive capabilities of Wilmer Flores. Sickels also notes that Flores is STILL just 21 years old, which is so hard to believe considering how long we’ve been discussing the young man.
• Rafael Montero (3-1, 1.95) takes the mound for Binghamton at 6:35 tonight and you all know how high Mitch and I are on the young hurler. He looks to return to what was utter dominance in AA as he showed flashes of humanity in his last start. Of course, a bad start for Montero was allowing two earned runs and two walks over five innings, while striking out eight.
• Andrew Brown doubled and drove in three runs yesterday, as he continues to make a case for an MLB call-up. His .355/.436/.581 line, even if you were to adjust for park factors, is definitely worth a look at the major league level. Especially with Collin Cowgill flailing and Marlon Byrd tumbling back to earth. (Joe D.)
• With a new month, let’s hope for Brandon Nimmo to get back on track. Although he is in the midst of a slump, as a 20-year old hitter, he is bound to go through ups and downs at the plate. Two weeks ago, Nimmo was leading the Mets minor league system in batting. Today, it looks like this: Kevin Plawecki .391; Jayce Boyd .385; Andrew Brown .355; Josh Satin .330; Brandon Nimmo .322. (Joe D.)
• With Tyler Pill on the shelf due to a sore shoulder, Mark Cohoon was tabbed to start in his place yesterday and gave his team four scoreless innings while walking none and striking out three. He faced merely one over the minimum as he was pretty effective. (Joe D.)
• Daniel Muno had an awesome day in support of him, as he had three hits including a double, and even stole a pair of bases. Muno is on a tear after a slow start and is batting .323/.462/.484 in his last ten games. (Joe D.)
• Blake Forsythe, 23, continues to rake and was 2-for-4 with a double and a homer last night bringing his slash to a phenomenal .333/.404/.644 for the season. He’s a solid defensive catcher, but what he’s doing now at the plate is new. Will it last? As always, time, the great equalizer, will tell. (Joe D.)

Stat Line of the Day

Zack Wheeler: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 8 K. 65/108 pitches went for strikes

and…

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

Transactions/Injuries

• OF Jonathan Clark joined the St. Lucie Mets as a call up from Brooklyn.
• As of this point, there has been no update on Hansel Robles, who was placed on the 7-day DL yesterday. Robert Gsellman took his spot in the rotation two days ago.
• Right-hander Michael Fulmer, returning from surgery to repair a meniscus tear, tossed two innings Monday in extended spring training.
• Cory Vaughn who left Monday’s game as a precaution is day-to-day and will not go on the DL. He’ll be back in the lineup by the weekend.
• SP Alex Panteliodis will make his season debut and be activated from the DL to start for St. Lucie on Thursday. Last season for Savannah, Pants went 5-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 22 starts for the Gnats

Quote of the Day

Right-hander Logan Verrett, 22, is now 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in five starts for Double-A Binghamton this season. Adam Rubin spoke to him about his success to which the Mets prospect had this to say:

“What’s been successful for me all through my career — college and my first [pro] year — was the ability to throw strikes,” said Verrett. “What I’ve improved mostly on is the ability to do that with all four of my pitches (fastball, curveball, slider, changeup) — not just two, or three if it’s a good night.”

“All four of my pitches have been pitches that I can throw in any count, and for a strike if I need to. That’s been a huge deal for me this year — being able to change speeds like that in any given count with any given pitch and keeping the hitters off-balance. It’s kind of allowing them to get themselves out earlier in counts, which keeps my pitch count down and allows me to go deeper into games.”

Photo of the Day

Which one of you Met farm hands are ready for the show?

Noah Syndergaard accomplished two important things on Sunday. He picked up his first win of the season and he pitched seven innings for the first time in his professional career. That according to Jonathan Raymond who got a chance to get up close to the Mets pitching prospect in his last start.

Syndergaard is trying to put that one bad start when he allowed seven runs over three innings completely behind him and he seems to be doing a heck of a job of it too. Since that forgettable outing all he’s done was manage to toss two starts without allowing an earned run. Combined he thrown 13 innings and held the opposition to just eight hits and three walks while striking out 11 of them.

“He really located his fastball really well over both sides of the plate. Kept the ball down and was pretty much in command of all his pitches,” St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan said. “He also had two strikeouts on curveballs and two on changeups, and these are the things we have been working on.

“And he went seven innings. It was an interesting thing, someone mentioned to him it was the first time he went seven innings this year. And he says, “Yeah, it’s the first time in three years, since high school.’”

After Sunday’s performance, Syndergaard has lowered his ERA to a respectable 3.24 ERA while striking out 26 and walking ten in 25 innings pitched this season.

“He’s really coming along well. I think he’s making a lot of strides,” Regan said. “He’s understanding a lot about pitching and he’s just a tremendous kid, soaks up knowledge and wants to learn. I think he’s done exceptionally well for his age and where he’s coming from. He’s not afraid, he goes right after hitters, aggressive on the mound. I think he’s got confidence in himself, and that’s all part of it.”

As we said in our Prospect Spotlight back in February, “Syndergaard is a perfect physical specimen for a pitcher and really looks like he can become a perennial all-star. Although there are some things that come into question – his command at times, his stamina, and as always, furthering the development of his third pitch, there is a lot to love about Noah Syndergaard.”

The seven innings pitched certainly shows positive gains with regard to his stamina, and Regan says that his curveball and change have improved and are becoming effective weapons as his command. That’s exactly what we were hoping for.

“He is aggressive on the mound and stays relatively emotionless,” is what we about said about him in our MMO Top 25 Prospect rankings. We also said:

If Syndergaard makes the move to AA during the 2013 season, I have faith that he will breeze through it. It is important not to put too much pressure or to rush the young prospect, as he represents a new wave of pitching prospects…or a changing of the Gaard. See what I did there? Good.

So far, out of our Top 5 Prospects, Michael Fulmer and Travis d’Arnaud are still on the disabled list, Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores are both trying to figure out the PCL for entirely different reasons, and Syndergaard has looked and played the part so far in the early going.

I know it’s early, but if I were handing out Monthly Report Cards like they did in Catholic School:

Syndergaard Gets an A-

Flores gets a B

Wheeler gets a C+

Fulmer and d’Arnaud get Incompletes.

Just saying…

Las Vegas 9, Reno 5 

D.J. Mitchell‘s last start was marred by bouts of wildness, but tonight’s outing was much better, as he did not allow a run over the first five innings. He dodged in, and out of trouble a few times, including a bases loaded no out jam in the second inning. After two singles and a walk, Mitchell buckled down and got a pop out, strikeout, and a ground out to end the inning. He ran into trouble again in the sixth inning, and was eventually lifted in favor of Sean Henn.

The bullpen struggled once again, and Greg Peavey was the main culprit tonight. Peavey, allowed three runs to score in the seventh, and what was a 9-0 lead heading into the sixth, quickly became 9-5 through eight. Justin Hampson came in and pitched a spotless ninth to shut the door.

On offense, Andrew Brown and Wilmer Flores once again led the way. Brown tallied two more RBI, added a double and a triple, and leads the 51s with 21 RBI and a .360 batting average. Flores also had two hits, including a double, and drove in two. Kirk Nieuwenhuis had just one hit in five trips, but it was a triple, and he also produced an RBI ground out. Travis d’Arnaud‘s replacement Landon Powell had two hits himself, as he doubled and scored a run.

Key Stats

• Wilmer Flores: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B
• Andrew Brown: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, 2 R
• Josh Satin: 0-for-3, 2 BB
• Brian Bixler: 1-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB
• Zach Lutz: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB
• Landon Powell: 2-for-4, R, 2B
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-for-5, R, RBI, 3B, BB
• D.J. Mitchell: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K

Logan Verrett is quite the talented young pitcher.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got rocked by Tacoma, 8-2.
• Binghamton defeated Akron, 7-2.
• St. Lucie blew out Bradenton, 13-5.
• Savannah edged out West Virginia, 1-0.

Prospect Pipeline

• I strongly urge you to click the above link leading to the Binghamton recap, which features a wonderful analysis of Logan Verrett‘s most recent start on Saturday afternoon. I remember writing on Verrett months ago and noting that he came into our system at 21 with fairly advanced stuff, so I expected him to advance quickly. Binghamton was supposed to be a serious test for him, and he seems to be passing with flying colors right now. He embodies a lot of great intangibles that you can appreciate in a young pitcher – he works fairly quickly, he pitches with confidence, and has sound mechanics. Verrett won his fourth game, which is tops in the EL.
• Rainy Lara has been gaining ground as a Mets prospect this season and with good reason, as he is finding success in Savannah. Saturday was no different, as he dominated the West Virginia Power for seven-and-a-third shutout innings, which dropped his season ERA to 1.88. Tempering expectations, Lara could end up being a Jeremy Hefner type player in the future, and I say this in a complimentary sense based on versatility and durability. A lot of people believe his stuff is better suited for a middle relief role, but he throws three pitches, and I refuse to give up on him unless he gives me an actual reason. One of the best things about Lara’s start on Saturday was his first pitch strike percentage – 80% (20/25). If he continues to attack with his pitches and his command stays solid, there is no reason to bet against an MLB future for Rainy Lara.
• The Mets had the choice to go with Collin Cowgill or Andrew Brown to break camp with the MLB team to start the 2013 season. They chose Cowgill and the results have been unpleasant, to say the least, so far. Andrew Brown, on the other hand, has been tearing it up in Las Vegas. The PCL is an extremely offensively heavy league and whatever genius thought the Mets would be better off with a Triple-A team in Las Vegas should be sacked, and if they don’t do it right, that person should be sacked. So remembering to take these stats with a grain of salt, here is Brown’s slash so far: .354/.427/.976.
• Speaking of outfielders playing well, Alonzo Harris has been rocking lately. He hit his second home run of the year last night. In his recent ten-game hitting streak, he has stolen eight bases and complemented it with a .341 average. His ten stolen bases are tied for the league lead.
• Prospect Rafael Montero took the mound on Friday evening and showed that he might actually have a human side, as he walked two batters and allowed two earned runs in five innings. He still managed to strike out eight batters, which leaves his K:BB at 35:3 and his ERA at 1.95. Considering the way he was pitching recently, this might actually qualify as a bad start for the young phenom.
• Are we getting to the point where we can take Kevin Plawecki‘s .400 average and Jayce Boyd‘s .405 average seriously now? We’re almost in May. Plawecki has an OPS of 1.144 so far this season, which leads the entire SAL league (Boyd is second). He also leads the   league in doubles with 11, or as Mr. North Jersey calls them, Plaweckis.
• Dustin Lawley has put together a nice pair of games between Friday and Saturday, as he has gone 3-for-7 with two home runs, one double, five RBI, five runs scored, and two walks.
• You wouldn’t believe how many spell Phillip Evans and Collin McHugh incorrectly by subtracting an L from both names. No big deal really, but I heard FOX used “Zach” for Zack Wheeler…and that’s one of his pet peeves. He told MMO that a while back.

Stat Line of the Night

Rainy Lara: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

Transactions/Injuries

• Josh Edgin arrived in Binghamton, where in other news down there, Richard Lucas has a cramped muscle and will likely not play on Sunday. Lucas pulled up a little lame after running out a ground ball.
• Cory Mazzoni is still on the DL, but he could be throwing a bullpen session by next week.
• Right-handed pitcher Luis Mateo, who made on start with the B-Mets in place of Mazzoni, is no longer with the team. He has returned to the Mets facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Thanks to Lynn Worthy.) Mateo should resume throwing again in the next week or so, based on his elbow strength.
• Michael Fulmer threw twelve pitches over the course of an inning in an extended spring training game. No reported issues.

Quote Of The Day

Some guys out kick their coverage with women. I’m more of a dive in my own end zone and take a safety kind of guy.

— Jake Kuebler (@ellskuebler) April 28, 2013

Photo of the Day

I’ll smile if you tell me more about Kevin Plawecki, Satish…

Las Vegas 12, Tacoma 13 

The night did not look promising for Zack Wheeler as the first two hitters led off the game with back-to-back doubles, and before you could blink, the 51s were down 1-0. Wheeler settled down after that and retired the next three batters in order, including two strikeouts.

Wheeler cruised through the next three innings, as he did not allow a hit and surrendered just one walk.

In the fifth inning, Wheeler’s control issues resurfaced. The big righty let up a leadoff home run, and then proceeded to get the next two batters out. Wheeler then allowed four straight batters to reach base. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, and a double plated two runs, before a strikeout ended the inning. In the sixth, he gave up another leadoff homer, followed by a hit batter, and was pulled from the game.

The bullpen came in and was initially solid, as Gonzalez Germen struck out four over two innings in relief of Wheeler. Greg Burke struck out both batters he faced after replacing Germen, and has not allowed a run since being sent down.

However, the ninth inning was a different story, as the implosion began when Justin Hampson allowed the first two runners to reach base.  Greg Peavey came in and just did not have any command, walking three batters, giving up a hit, and allowing three runs to score, before being lifted without recording an out. Armando Rodriguez came in with the bases loaded and nobody out, and allowed four more runs to cross the plate, giving Tacoma a 13-10 lead that they would not relinquish.

Offensively, Andrew Brown continued his torrid pace, driving in three more runs tonight, and is now batting .351. Brown trails only Josh Satin, who leads the 51s batting .362. Satin had three more hits tonight, and scored two runs, while driving in another. Flores doubled and scored a run batting in the five-hole, and Omar Quintanilla hit a three-run shot. Two runs scored in the ninth on a throwing error after Zach Lutz hit a grounder, but the rally fell just short.

The recently demoted Kirk Nieuwenhuis did not have a great night at the plate. He was able to get the barrel on the ball for an RBI single in a four-run second inning, but ended the night wearing the golden sombrero, striking in his final four at-bats.

The offensive onslaught continues, as the 51s have now plated 10-runs for the fourth time in their last five contests,

Key Stats

• Omar Quintanilla: 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI,
• Wilmer Flores: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Andrew Brown: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB
• Josh Satin: 3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B
• Zach Lutz: 2-for-5, 2 R
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-for-5, R, RBI
• Zack Wheeler: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 7 K, 3 BB