Buffalo 5, Gwinnett 3
By Pete Shapiro
Matt Harvey pitched six strong innings and Valentino Pascucci hit two home runs and drove in four, as the visiting Buffalo Bisons took the series at Gwinnett three games to one, winning the final game by a score of 5-3. Pascucci hit a two-run home run in the third (9th), and another two-run job in the fifth (10th), to ice the game.
Harvey (4-1, 4.31) went six innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits and three walks, and a season-high 11 strikeouts. His only rough patch was in the first inning when LF Stefan Gartrell (9th) and 1B Ernesto Mejia (6th) went yard back-to-back, to give Gwinnett the early lead 2-0.
Righty Dylan Owen pitched the final three innings without allowing a run to pick up his first save of the year. In addition to Pascucci’s heroics, LF Fred Lewis had three hits on the day while CF Corey Wimberly, 3B Matt Tuiasosopo, 2B Josh Satin and Scooch all had two hits apiece.
Herd Rumblings: Vinny Rottino’s 20-game hit streak was broken when he came up with an 0-5 night. Harvey threw 93 pitches in his six innings of work, 63 for strikes. Harvey is 4 for 10 at the plate this year hitting a cool .400, with one home run. The Herd has now won three straight games, and sit in third place in their division, 1.5 games behind the front-running Pawtucket Red Sox, with a record of 25-17. They open a four-game series tonight against the Indianapolis Indians in Buffalo, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm. Indianapolis will start left-hander Justin Wilson (3-3, 3.14) and the Herd will send right-hander Jeurys Familia (4-1, 4.06) to the mound. Familia has allowed only seven earned runs in his last five game starts.
Portland 4, Binghamton 0
By Tim Burns
The Binghamton Mets dropped the first game of their four game series in Portland, Maine, losing to the Sea Dogs by a score of 4-0. Starter Gonzalez Germen took the loss in the game, his second loss in three games with the B-Mets this season.
Germen pitched six innings for the B-Mets, allowing two runs on six hits. He also struck out six Portland batters, while walking three. The bottom of the fifth would be the only inning that the Sea Dogs were able to plate any runs on Germen, scoring two runs on a Jeremy Hazelbaker’s double to left field.
The two runs scored by the Sea Dogs in the bottom of the fifth would prove to be more than enough for the last place team to take the ‘W’. They added two more runs against B-Mets reliever Armando Rodriguez in the seventh, his first inning in relief of Germen. Rodriguez gave up two runs on three hits and struck out three Portland batters.
The B-Mets batters proved to be anemic on the night, scratching out only four hits, none for more than a single. The only multi-hit inning by the B-Mets in the game was the fifth, but the two singles didn’t amount to any runs. This would prove to be the fifth time in 2012 the B-Mets were shutout by their opponents.
Jefry Marte was the only multi-hit B-Met in the game, going 2/2 with two walks. Pedro Zapata (1/1) and Matt den Dekker (1/5) were the only other two B-Mets with hits on the night.
Portland starter Billy Buckner earned his first win against Binghamton in three starts this season. Over six innings, Buckner struck out three and allowed three of the four B-Mets hits.
B-Mets Buzz: Game two on Saturday afternoon will feature the rehab start by Mets farmhand Jenrry Mejia, his first in a Binghamton uniform. The Sea Dogs will send right-hander Chris Balcom-Miller (2-3, 5.30) to the mound for the 1:00 pm game start. RHP Adrian Rosario was assigned to the B-Mets from St. Lucie on Friday. In 17 games with the Mets Florida State League affiliate this season, Rosario has a 0.89 ERA, with 11 saves and 38 strikeouts to his credit. In the 20.1 innings he has appeared in, he has allowed only two earned runs on seven hits.
St. Lucie 7, Lakeland 2
By Clayton Collier
In their first game without the juicing jarhead Danny Muno, who received a 50-game suspension for testing positive for PEDs, St. Lucie overcame the drama off the field to win by a final score of 7-2.
Chase Huchingson got the nod for St. Lucie and stifled the Flying Tiger offense, hurling five frames allowing only one run on four hits while punching out eight. With his win yesterday, Huchingson is now 5-3 with a 2.68 ERA this season.
The Mets offense also continued to roll, scoring six runs in the fourth inning. Consisting of three doubles, a total of five hits a walk and a fielding error, St. Lucie demoralized Lakeland starter Alex Burgos, putting themselves on top for good.
The St. Lucie bullpen once again shut down the opposition, as Taylor Whitenton and John Church combined for four innings of relief only surrendering a run on a combined two hits. With a masterful rotation, a scorching offense and dominant relief work, it’s no wonder this team is 33-8
Lucie Logistics: Doubles were the name of the game yesterday as Rafael Fernandez, Francisco Pena, Wilfredo Tovar and Alonzo Harris all hit two-baggers in the effort, Fernandez and Pena also had a pair of RBIs each. Fernanez is red hot as he has gotten his average up to .295 on the year and is batting .387 in his past ten games. Wilmer Flores went 0-4 yesterday but had a run from reaching on an error in the 4th. On Saturday the Mets will send right-hander Yohan Almonte (2-0, 5.23) to the hill as they continue their series with the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Lakeland will go with righty Brian Stroud (0-0, 0.00) making his first start, with game time set for 6:15 pm.
Augusta 4, Savannah 3
By Fonzie13
Friday night was 80’s night at historic Grayson Stadium but that’s the only celebrating that went on for Sand Gnat fans as the Augusta Green Jackets (19-20) handed Savannah it’s third straight loss, by a score of 4-3. The defeat dropped them into third place at 24-16, a half game behind second place Asheville, and three games behind division leading Charleston.
It was the second straight night Savannah stranded the tying run on second base, trailing 4-2 entering the ninth, Charley Thurber led off with a triple and scored on Greg Pron’s ground out. Brandon Brown singled sharply and Cam Maron worked out a walk to put the tying and winning runs aboard. Augusta closer Cody Hall settled down and whiffed T.J. Rivera and Dustin Lawley to end the threat and the game for his league leading 10th save.
Just as last night Augusta struck first with two runs in the top half of the second inning with three straight singles to start the frame, the third being an infield hit that third-baseman Aderlin Rodriguez made an error on, allowing Jose Cuevas to score. The GreenJackets scored their second run on an RBI ground out by Kelby Tomlinson.
Augusta added a run in the top of the 6th which was answered back by Savannah in their half of the 6th. Aderlin Rodriguez
atoned for his error by hitting his 5th HR of the year to cut Augusta’s lead to 3-2. The Green Jackets added their 4th and final run courtesy of a Throwing error by Gnats 2nd sacker Brandon Brown which proved to be the difference after Savannah scored a run in the 9th but would ultimately fall short leaving the tying and winning runs on base.
Right-hander Tyler Pill gave another solid performance hurling six innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits, did not walk a batter and fanned five. With the loss, Pill falls to 3-3 with an outstanding 2.29 ERA.
RHP Jeffrey Walter finished off the final three innings yielding one unearned run on two hits no walks and one strikeout. Walters has been brilliant in relief all season tossing 16.1 innings and has yet to allow an earned run, giving up a stingy eight hits, only three walks and 17 punchouts, holding opposing hitters to a .145 batting average.
Chris Marlowe started for Augusta only going four innings but did not allow a run on two hits, walked three and struck out four. Adalberto Mejia picked up the vulture win coming on in the fifth and pitching two innings allowing a run, on two hits a walk and three strikeouts. Steven Neff relieved Mejia, going two innings also allowing a run on two hits, did not walk a batter and fanned two. Cody Hall finished off the Gnats for his 10th save giving up a run on two hits, a walk, and struck out the last two batters, leaving the tying and winning runs aboard.
Gnats Gnotes: Saturday Night Savannah takes on Augusta for the 3rd of a 4 game set hoping to end a 3 game slide, sending first round sandwich pick righty Micheal Fulmer (2-2 3.25) to the hill. Fulmer continues to impress in his first full season in pro ball. He will oppose right-hander Kyle Crick 1-2 2.03.
