Buffalo 12, Lehigh Valley 1

By Andrew O’Brien

In his fifth Triple-A start for Buffalo, top prospect Matt Harvey single-handedly defeated the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs on Wednesday afternoon. Harvey threw seven shutout innings and launched a two-run homer to provide Buffalo with all the run support needed.

Buffalo (11-10) plated four runs in the top of the second inning en route to a 12-1 win over the Iron Pigs (12-8).

The Bisons exploded for 14 hits, but the biggest probably being Harvey’s two-run homer in the fifth inning. A Buffalo pitcher hadn’t homered in the past 17 years, but now two Bisons players have done it in the past three days. (Dylan Owen hit a homer in the fifth inning on Monday in the Bisons’ 5-1 win over the Iron Pigs.)

Harvey (2-1) carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning before allowing a single. He finished with seven shutout innings, striking out six, walking none and surrendering just four hits.

Harvey has now won two consecutive starts at the Triple-A level. With the shutout, he lowered is ERA from 6.63 to 4.85. In 26 innings pitched through his first five starts, Harvey has 24 strikeouts and 11 walks. He has allowed just one home run.

Josh Satin also had a big day for Buffalo, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIS. Satin was a triple short of the cycle. Valentino Pascucci went 3-for-5. Lucas May and Omar Quintanilla both went deep, combining for four RBIs.

Herd Rumblings: The Mets have added a pair of players to the mix in Buffalo. Brad Emaus and Fred Lewis have both agreed to minor league contracts and will report to the Bisons in the next couple of days. Next up, the Bisons begin an eight-game homestand. Jeurys Familia takes the hill for the Bisons at 6:05 p.m. Thursday, against Rochester. In four AAA starts, Familia is 2-1 with a 5.30 ERA. In 18.2 innings pitched, Familia has 23 strikeouts and 15 walks. His best start was his previous start on April 22 against Syracuse, when he went five innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, struck out six and walked three.

Binghamton 9, New Hampshire 5

By Tim Burns

On a night where pitching prospects from each organization were on the hill, it was offense that took center stage in the B-Mets 9-5 win over the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Deck McGuire, listed as the tenth top prospect in the Blue Jays system, started the game for New Hampshire and was roughed up by the B-Mets batters in three innings worth of work. Binghamton scored seven runs on nine hits, including a two run home run by Matt den Dekker over the right field wall in the bottom of the second. McGuire, who took the loss in the game, also struck out two and walked one before being replaced by Matt Daly in the fourth.

Darin Gorski, sitting at 19 on the Mets top prospect list, fared slightly better than his visiting counterpart, allowing four runs on five hits in 3 2/3, while striking out and walking an equal number of Fisher Cats at four a piece. After giving up three runs in the top of the fourth, including one run on a wild pitch, Gorski was replaced by reliever Jeff Kaplan, who was called up from the St. Lucie Mets earlier in the day. In his 3 1/3 innings worth of work, Kaplan would give up one run on five hits while striking out four New Hampshire batters enroute to his first win of the season in his first appearance for the B-Mets. Elvin Ramirez would come in to pitch the final two innings in a non-save situation, allowing no hits and striking out one.

Offensively for the B-Mets, six players had two hits in the game. Matt den Dekker went 2/4, with a home run and a double, and two RBI’s and two runs scored. Joe Bonfe was 2/4, including a triple in the bottom of the sixth which scored Jefry Marte from first. Catcher Juan Centeno and second baseman Oswaldo Navarro each had doubles and an RBI a piece in their 2/4 outings as well.

Mid-Week Stats Snapshot: Josh Rodriguez is currently fifth in batting average in the Eastern League at .375, second in the league in on base percentage at .485, and fourth in the league in OPS at 1.021. Jefry Marte sits at seventh in the league in batting average at .367. Matt den Dekker’s seven doubles ties him with three other players for the top spot in the league in that category. Looking at the pitchers, Collin McHugh is sixth in the league in ERA at 1.59, and fourth in the league in strikeouts with 22. Top pitching prospect Zach Wheeler sits tied at number two in the league for strikeouts with 24 and ninth in the league in ERA at 1.80. Team batting the B-Mets are third in average at .266, first in OBP at .360, and first in triples as well with 10. In the team pitching categories, Binghamton is fourth with an overall ERA of 2.85, second in strikeouts with 154, and second in the league in runs allowed with 52.

B-Mets Buzz: Elvin Ramirez, who pitched the 8th and 9th innings on Wednesday night, has been lights out for the B-Mets this season, with an ERA of 0.00 in 10.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 16 in that time period, while only walking four. Along with Jeff Kaplan, outfielder Rafael Fernandez was also assigned to Binghamton on Wednesday from St. Lucie. RHP Greg Peavey (2-1, 3.14) will take on Fisher Cats RHP Ryan Tepera (1-1, 4.24) on Thursday night in the final game of the series. The B-Mets hit the road for a week after tonight’s game, with series in Erie and Akron scheduled.

Jupiter 5, St. Lucie 4

By Clayton Collier

The St. Lucie Mets took their second straight loss as Yohan Almonte continued his inconsistent 2012 campaign in his fourth start of the year. Almonte was tagged for four runs over six frames on seven hits and no walks while actually lowering his gaudy ERA to 5.29.

After being down 4-0, the Mets offense went to work, coming all the way back to tie it on a sixth inning solo shot by Wilmer Flores. However that would be all for the St. Lucie lineup as Jupiter’s star-reliever tandem of Raudel Lazo and Michael Brady made quick work of whatever rally the Mets could muster.

The Hammerheads bats however squeezed out the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth in the form of two singles off Taylor Whitenton, who went 1 2/3 innings of relief, taking the loss.

Lucie Logistics: Last night’s loss to the Hammerheads marked the first time this year the St. Lucie Mets had consecutive losses. Wilmer Flores has now homered two games in a row and ranks second in the Florida State League in RBIs with 16. Cesar Puello went 1-4 with a double last night, bringing his average to .264 on the year. Andres Torres also went 1-4 with a double in his third rehab game, batting .333 with St.Lucie. The Mets continue their road series against the Hammerheads tonight at 6:35.

West Virginia 2, Savannah 1

By Brandon Butler

After the Gnats slugfest against the Power on Tuesday night, they were shut down offensively by them last night.  Alex Panteliodis was on the hill for the Gnats and for the most part had a solid outing, tossing 6 innings and allowing only 1 run on 3 hits while striking out two.

The Gnats only run came in the first inning. After a T.J. Rivera single, a throwing error allowed Rivera to get into scoring position. Aderlin Rodriguez would hit an RBI single to bring home Rivera. Unfortunately, as I said, that’s all the Gnats got in terms of offensive production and it seemed as though the Gnats bats were pooped out after Tuesday’s 16-hit performance.

Jack Leathersich took the loss after Alex Panteliodis and Estarlin Morel kept the Power at bay.  Leathersich allowed the game-winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Gnats Gnotes: Pitcher Tyson Seng was placed on the disabled list. This comes two days after Seng gave up 3 earned runs in relief during the 9th inning of Tuesday’s 14-5 victory over the Power. To fill Seng’s spot, RHP Chasen Bradford has been transferred to Savannah from Kingsport (Rookie Appalachian League).  The Savannah Sand Gnats continue their 4-game series against the West Virginia Power tonight at 7:05 PM.