Las Vegas (50-38) 6, Salt Lake 4 Game One
Luis Cessa made his 2nd start for Las Vegas and it went much better allowing only two unearned runs on six hits, zero walks, and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Cessa was in the 93-96 MPH range all night with his fastball and was still hitting 96 in his last inning of work. Chase Bradford followed Cessa letting both inherited runners score then let two of his own cross the plate and still somehow managed to pick up his 4th win of the season. The 51’s rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the 6th that was capped by a bases clearing double by Cory Vaughn.
Chase Huchingson pitched a clean 9th inning for his first AAA save and only third of his career. The cross body throwing lefty now 11.2 scoreless innings to start his Las Vegas career and 18.1 (two unearned runs) overall dating back to May 19th.
Alex Castellanos went 3-3 with two doubles giving him the league lead with 31 on the season, also scored two runs. Danny Muno was 1-4 with a solo homerun, his 2nd of the year for Vegas. Travis Taijeron was 1-1 with two walks and a run scored. Dilson Herrera was 0-3, he reached once when he was hit by a pitch. Anthony Recker was 0-4 lowering his Vegas average to .293. Box Score
Las Vegas (51-38) 2, Salt Lake 0 Game Two
Logan Verrett made the start going 5 shutout innings allowing three hits and a walk while striking out six. He threw only 60 pitches (42 strikes) and seems like the Mets had a plan when they sent him down and knowing about Steven Matz injury. The Mets obviously want a 6-man rotation to limit the workload and I would not be surprised to see Verrett get a start after the All-Star break.
Cody Satterwhite and Scott Rice combined to throw a perfect 6th inning with two strikeouts. Zack Thornton worked around a leadoff double to pitch a scoreless 7th inning with two strikeouts to pick up his 2nd save. Zack lowered his ERA to 3.92, WHIP to 1.10, and the league average against him to a measly .224 on the year. He has given up one run over his last ten appearances that spans 8.2 innings.
Castellanos was once again the offensive star going 2-3 with a double, run scored, and knocked in his 52nd run of the year. Here is video of the double. He now leads the league in doubles (32), SLG (.607), runs (57), 2nd in OPS (.985), 4th in homeruns (15), 11th in RBI (52), and 11th in AVG (.309). Herrera went 1-2 with double, walk, and a run scored. Jayce Boyd was 1-2 with a walk and his 6th double for Vegas 22nd overall. Box Score
Binghamton (43-42) 2, New Britain 1
Michael Fulmer continued his dominant stretch going 7 great innings allowing only a unearned run on six hits and zero walks while striking out seven. Five of the strikeouts were swinging, he was hitting 95/96 on the gun most of the night and hit 96 with his 88th and 89th pitch. Over his last 6 starts Michael has given up just two earned runs in 37.1 innings lowering his ERA in Binghamton to 2.06. In that 37.1 inning span he has allowed 25 hits and 5 walks while striking out 41.
Beck Wheeler pitched a perfect 8th inning and has great stretch of pitching himself as he has now allowed only one earned run in his last 16.1 innings for the B’Mets. Jon Velasquez came into pitch a clean 9th getting his 10th save for Binghamton and 14th overall this year.
Gavin Cecchini extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the 7th inning for his only hit of the afternoon. Jared King was moved up to the 2 spot and made manager Pedro Lopez look like a genius going 2-3 with a RBI double in the 7th inning that ended up being the game winner. Brock Peterson tied the game in the 6th inning with his 5th homerun since joining Binghamton. Here is video of the homerun. Brandon Nimmo was 1-4 and has hit safely in 7 of his last 10 games. L.J. Mazzilli was moved back to the 7 hole and went 1-3 on the day. Michael Conforto was 0-3 with a walk, he is now 2-19 with three walk over last 5 games. Box Score
St. Lucie (42-43) 7, Charlotte 2
St. Lucie was trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning when the offense exploded for three runs and three more in the 8th for insurance. The Mets offense was stymied in the first four innings by former first round pick Taylor Guerrieri who allowed only a walk.
Dominic Smith was 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored, raising his average to an even .300 for the season. Victor Cruzado reached base three times (H, 2 BB) while also scoring a run and knocking in two. Cruzado is hitting .333 with eight RBI and five walks over his last ten games. Stefan Sabol and Phillip Evans each reached base twice while driving in two runs too. Jeff McNeil was 1-4 making his 9th straight start at SS with Amed Rosario out.
Kelly Secrest pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings in relief to pick up his 6th win of the year and lower his ERA to 2.97. Kyle Regnault loaded the bases in the 9th inning but wiggled out of his without any damage seeing his ERA drop to 1.98 for the year. Box Score
Savannah (44-40) 7, Lexington 4 Game One
Eudor Garcia was 2-2 with a walk, two runs scored, three RBI and his 7th homerun of the season (3rd in last five games). Tomas Nido was 1-3 with a three-run homer to right center field and a fastall towards the outer half. Here is video of the shot.
Scarlyn Reyes went 6.2 innings giving up four runs (two earned) on ten hits (HR) and a walk while striking out four. His record moved to 9-4 on the year and his ERA dropped to 3.16 for the season. Box Score
Lexington 3, Savannah (44-41) 0
Michael Gibbons made his 5th start in his first month as a pro and for his 4th different team having already pitched for Brooklyn, St. Lucie, and Binghamton. He picked up the loss in the 6-inning complete game outing giving up three runs on four hits, one walk, and struck out four. Overall he is 2-2 with 3.90 ERA, .211 average against, and a sparkling 0.93 WHIP in 30 innings.
The Sand Gnats offense produced just three singles with John Mora, Jean Rodriguez, and Tyler Moore collecting one each. Box score
Brooklyn (14-5) 1, Hudson Valley 0
Blake Taylor made his first start of the year and his first appearance for Brooklyn after throwing 3 innings for the GCL Mets. Taylor pitched 3 scoreless innings allowing a hit, walk,struck out three, and threw 41 pitches with 26 for strikes. Mets 2013 2nd rounder Andrew Church followed him picking up the win with 3 scoreless innings giving up just one hit and four strikeouts. Andrew threw 36 pitches with 24 of them being strikes.
Tucker Tharp drove in the only run of the game with a RBI double in the 3rd inning to score Enmanuel Zabala. Vinny Siena was 2-3, he is now hitting .379 and has hit safely in 16 of 18 pro games. David Thompson was 0-3 lowering his average to .326 for the Cyclones. Box Score
Elizabethton 9, Kingsport (9-8) 7 F/11
Luis Carpio extended his RBI streak to 3 games knocking in two runs (7 in last 3), he was 1-5 with his 5th double, his 2nd stolen base and a walk. Dash Winningham was 1-6 15th RBI which is tied for 2nd in the Appalachian league. Kevin Kaczmarski was 1-4 with his 5th double, RBI, R, and two walks.
Mets 20th round pick Thomas McIlraith made his 3rd pro appearance going 2.2 innings giving up one unearned run on a hit and four walks. He struck out five and hasn’t allowed a earned run in 5.2 innings to start career. Witt Haggard, 10th round, pitched two scoreless with a walk and strikeout. Box Score
GCL Marlins 5, GCL Mets (7-8) 4 Game One
The GCL Mets were finishing up a game from earlier this year as you will see Daniel Murphy in the box score from start of the game. Chris Flexen pitched two innings giving up one hit and striking one, now has 5 shutout innings on the season. Mets 3rd round pick Max Wotell made his 3rd appearance issuing a walk while striking out two, has not allowed a hit in three innings with seven strikeouts. Box Score
GCL Mets (8-8) 1, GCL Marlins 0 No-Hitter!
In his first start ever stateside on June 22nd the 19-year old right-hander Merandy Gonzalez pitched 5 perfect innings with seven strikeouts yet I was unable to get any information on him from anyone. The next two appearances he went five innings giving up three and two runs respectively while striking five and seven hitters. Yesterday he made history by throwing a 7-inning no-hitter for the Mets in just his 2nd start in the U.S against a lineup that included 2015 12th overall pick Josh Naylor (reached twice). He struck out seven Marlins batters allowing only three Marlins to reach base, two via errors and one walk. The no-hitter was almost wasted as the Mets didn’t score until the 7th inning when Franklin Correa singled in Jose Maria for the only run.
Gonzalez who is 6’1, 175 pounds was signed on March 6th, 2013 out of Cotui, Dominican Republic by scouts Daurys Nin and Gerardo Cabrera. He was 3-3 with a 3.54 ERA combined over 12 starts and 56 innings for both DSL Mets teams last year. He was named the DSL Mets1 pitcher of the month for August last year. In 22 innings this year he has allowed 9 hits, 3 walks, while striking out 25 hitters. Box score
Roster News and Notes
Savannah starting pitcher Martires Arias has been promoted to St. Lucie. He was 3-4 with 3.08 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 79 innings for the Sand Gnats.
Dale Burdick was moved from the GCL Mets to the Kingsport Mets. While Milton Ramos was moved from the Kingsport roster down to the GCL Mets.
Conforto and Nimmo with leave Portland after the game tonight to head to Cincinatti for the Futures Game on Sunday. Nimmo plans on being back in Portland for the Eastern League All-Star game on Wednesday.
