Las Vegas (28-17) 9, Colorado Springs 2
In just hit 4th start of the season Duane Below threw his 2nd consecutive complete game this time allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, zero walks, and two strikeouts. Earlier in the day Below was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week for May 18-24th. He needed only 91 pitches (61 strikes) that produced 15 groundouts to compared to six flyouts, this is 6 days after he needed only 98 pitches to throw a complete game shutout. With the outing Below lowered his ERA 2.18, WHIP to .109 while picking up his 4th win of the season. He has held lefties to a .213 average, 0.87 WHIP while only one run in 18.1 innings when pitching on the road.
Matt Reynolds had a big day out of the leadoff spot going 3-5 scoring two turns and hitting two doubles tying him for 2nd in the PCL with 16. T.J. Rivera was 2-4 with two RBI’s, two runs scored, and a double raising his average to .424 in Vegas. Rivera has started 8 games since being promoted getting a hit in each one and getting multiple hits in his last four. In his first game since his demotion Johnny Monell collected two hits and 4 RBI’s including his 3rd double in AAA. Alex Castellanos started in CF for the first time all year and went 1-3 knocking in two runs with his 12th double of the year, he now has 31 RBI’s good for 6th in the PCL. Brandon Allen was 2-3 with his 5th HR and his 2nd of the holiday weekend. Box Score. Steven Matz (5-2, 2.24) gets the start tonight at Cashman field at 10:05 ET against Col. Springs.
Akron 6, Binghamton (24-20) 1
Rainy Lara bounced back from his shortest start of the season (2 innings) to go 6 solid inning allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with zero walks and seven strikeouts. Vic Black followed him with a perfect inning inducing a groundout from his final batter on a 94 MPH fastball, while also getting a flyout and a called strikeout. Julian Hilario had another bad outing giving up two runs in his inning of work and has now allowed a run in three consecutive appearances.
The B’Mets were held scoreless through the first 8 innings until Jairo Perez (2-4) knocked in Xorge Carrillo who has doubled with a groundout in the 9th. Gavin Cecchini went 1-4 but had his 11th error of the season and his 8th of the throwing variety. Cecchini is now hitting .283/.345/.453 on the season out of the leadoff spot where he has stuck since the Brandon Nimmo injury. Jayce Boyd was 1-4 extending his hitting streak to 11 games and is hitting .385 over his last ten. Box Score. Gabriel Ynoa (2-2, 4.35) is on the mound tonight in Binghamton as they host the Portland Sea Dogs at 6:35.
St. Lucie had the day off but are back at it tonight against Lakeland at 6:30.
Asheville 5, Savannah (19-25) 3
Sand Gnats starter Corey Oswalt had a 3-2 lead heading into the top of 7th before the wheels when he let two straight hitters reach when they tried to give themselves up on sac bunts. Asheville tied the score at 3-3 when Oswalt threw away the 2nd sac bunt allowing a runner to score and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Alberto Baldonado came in to get the final two outs in the 7th but let the go-ahead run score on a sac fly. Oswalt allowed four runs (two earned) on eleven hits, balk, walk, while striking out five and while picking off two runners at 1st. Baldonado went 2.2 innings giving up two runs on four baserunners while striking out just one.
Eudor Garcia was the offensive force for Savannah has he was 2-4 with his 1st triple, scored a run, and drove in two to give him 9 RBI’s in 20 games since being activated. Garcia has a hit in 8 out of the last 10 games, hitting .382 with 7 RBI’s over that span. Luis Guillorme collected two more hits giving him 7 over his last four games and now has him 4th in SAL in average (.324), 11th in OBP (.388). Vicente Lupo had his 2nd straight multi-hit game that has seen his average go from .156 to .184 in just two days. Box Score. Savannah is back at it tonight with Brad Wieck (1-4, 3.41) taking the mound against Asheville at 7:05.
Over the long holiday weekend:
Las Vegas lost on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all to OK. City who outscored them 14-7 in the three games with Matthew Bowman, Darin Gorski, and Tyler Pill picking up the losses.
Binghamton went 2-1 with Matt Koch and Beck Wheeler getting the wins out of the bullpen while Seth Lugo took the loss on Sunday for the Mets. Friday night Jayce Boyd hit his 1st HR off the season while Michael Fulmer pitched 5.1 innings giving up two runs (zero earned) in his 4th start for the B’Mets. On Saturday they won 5-4 with help from Cecchini who hit his 4th HR of the season
St. Lucie swept the weekend series against Dunedin outscoring them 24-7 in the three game sweep. Rob Whalen, Kevin McGowan, and Robert Gsellman each picked up a victory in their starts over the weekend. Gsellman moved to 6-0 on Sunday with his ERA sitting 1.76 while giving up just 6.5 H/9 and sporting a 3.36 SO/W ratio. The big news for the Mets this weekend was the successful of their hitting prospects at high-A with Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, and Amed Rosario combining to go 16-37 with seven RBI’s. Conforto was 5-13 with the RBI’s and a double in each game giving him 12 on the year tying him for 1st in the FSL. Smith went 5-12 with two RBI’s and pushed his slugging percentage to .308 the highest it has been since game three on April 11th. Amed Rosario went 6-12 with three walks, two RBI’s and now has six multi-hit games in his last 10 that has raised his season line to .277/.322/.380.
Savannah went 2-2 this weekend sweeping a doubleheader on Friday but losing on Saturday and Sunday. Josh Prevost and David Roseboom picked up the Friday victories while Wuilmer Becerra hit his 5th HR of the year on Saturday.
