Wait until they get a load of Wilmer Flores? This town needs an enema!

Buffalo Falls To Durham After Late Bullpen Collapse

By Connor O’Brien

Last night in Durham, the Bisons fell to the Bulls in the opening game of a three-game series by a score of 6-5.

Garrett Olson took the mound for Buffalo. In his previous start, he had struggled, failing to get out of the third inning against Pawtucket. Last night, however, went much better for him, as he went five innings while only allowing one run. The run came in the fourth when Olson left a pitch up and over the middle of the plate for Cole Figueroa, who drove the pitch to center for an RBI single.

Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Bisons were ahead 2-1. They had scored in the first on a sac fly by Valentino Pascucci, and then again in the fourth on an RBI double by Josh Satin. Ramon Ramirez, who is on rehab in Buffalo, came in for the sixth and allowed three runs on four hits and a walk. He couldn’t even finish the inning. Two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly later and Durham lead the Bisons 4-2.

In the top of the seventh, the Bisons scored a run on a Matt den Dekker triple, but couldn’t score him from third. The score remained 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Wally Backman called upon Jenrry Mejia to keep the game close. The new bullpen convert struggled again, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. He only recorded one out before he had to be pulled from the game.

In the top of the ninth, the Bisons roared back. Cory Wimberly walked and Ruben Tejada did as well. Then, Matt den Dekker came up big once again, hitting an RBI-single to cut the Durham lead to 6-4. Tejada advanced to third on the play, putting runners on first and third with no outs and their leading RBI man, Valentino Pascucci, at the plate. Pascucci grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that scored Ruben Tejada, but killed the late rally. Fred Lewis then grounded out to end the game for the Bisons.

Herd Rumblings: Matt den Dekker had a great game, going 3-5 with those two run-scoring hits. Ruben Tejada, who is on rehab, was in the middle of everything last night. He went 2-4 with a walk, as well as three runs scored. He may be ready very soon to come back to the Mets. Josh Satin also had a multi-hit game, going 2-3. As for Jenrry Mejia, last night’s game was his fourth bullpen appearance, and his second unsuccessful one. He allowed a run for the second time in his last three games against the Bulls last night.

B-Mets Sink Sea Wolves In 12-2 Win

By Joe D.

The Binghamton Mets exploded for a dozen runs on Friday night in a 12-2 thrashing of the Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park.

Wilmer Flores is wasting no time settling into his new surroundings after his promotion from St. Lucie and last night he doubled, scored two runs and drove in two in a 3-5 performance as the DH. Third Baseman Jefry Marte only had one hit in the game, a solo homer, but he also walked twice and scored three runs.

Pedro Zapata and Juan Centeno each had a pair of hits and first baseman Eric Campbell had a double and drove in three runs.

Darin Gorski started the game and after a shaky start he settled in and delivered six shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out four to pick up his fifth win of the season.

Jeff Stevens (1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 BB) and Edgar Ramirez (1.1 IP, 3 H) followed in relief and they each allowed a run, but it could have been worse as they were smacked around pretty good.

B-Mets Buzz: The twelve runs scored matched a season high for the B-Mets who also pounded out twelve hits, including six for extra-bases, Wilmer Flores is batting .44 after his first two games with the B-Mets. The series-opening victory extended the B-Mets winning streak to three games, one shy of their season-high. The B-Mets continue their series with SeaWolves tonight at 7:05 PM with RHP Greg Peavey taking the hill.

Savannah Prevails After 3-Run First

By Fonzie13

Friday night in Savannah the Sand Gnats won their first game of the 2nd half by cruising to a 5-1 victory over the Augusta Green Jackets (SFG) behind the strong pitching of Jacob DeGrom and the Gnats bullpen.

After the Sand Gnats (42-27) had their 6 game win streak snapped by the Green Jackets (33-38) the night before, the Gnats came out firing with 3 runs in the 1st. CF Gilbert Gomez (2-4, 2B, BB) led off the Bottom of the 1st with a double. 2B Brandon Brown (1-3, 1 RBI) laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on a throwing error by P Chris Marlowe allowing Gomez to score from 2nd. LF Dustin Lawley (2-3) followed with a clean single to LF and C Cam Maron (1-3, 1 RBI) worked out a walk to load the bases. After an Aderlin Rodriguez strikeout, back to back walks to 1B Brian Harrison and RF Charley Thurber, forced in 2 more runs to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

The Gnats struck for 1 more in the top of the 2nd on an RBI single by Cam Maron, plating SS Yucareybert De La Cruz (2-3, 2 R, BB) who led off the inning with a walk. The Gnats would add another run in the 6th. After 2 outs SS Y. De La Cruz and CF G.Gomez got it started with back to back singles and Brandon Brown plated De La Cruz with his 12th double of the season to give the Gnats a 5-0 lead.

Gnats RHP Jacob DeGrom (3-1, 2.70) pitched in and out of trouble all night, retiring the side in order only once in the 2nd inning. A couple of double plays and a big strikeout helped to keep the Green Jackets off the scoreboard until DeGrom tired in the 7th yielding 3 straight singles, loading the bases to open up the frame. RHP Chasen Bradford came on in relief of DeGrom to put out the blaze. Bradford would get CF Jesus Galindo on a forceout to score a run and induce a rally killing DP to end the 7th with the score 5-1.

Bradford would stay on for the 8th, struckout the 1st 2 batters to face him, let up a harmless single before closing out the 8th with groundout to 1B. Gnats Closer TJ Chism came on for the 9th in a non save situation and shut the door for the 5-1 win to even up the 4 game series at 1 game a piece

Gnats Gnotes: Jacob DeGrom pitched 6 innings scattered 8 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB and 5 K’s.
Saturday night The Sand Gnats send RHP Micheal Fulmer ( 4-3, 3.35) to the hill to oppose Green Jackets RHP Kyle Crick (2-4, 3.12). With the promotions of Gnats SS TJ Rivera and CF Travis Taijeron to Advanced A St Lucie the Gnats haven’t skipped a beat from those two positions. SS Yucarybert De La Cruz 4-7 for a .571 BA, 3 R, BB and CF Gilbert Gomez 4-8, .500 BA, 2 R, 1 RBI, BB have filled in nicely thus far.

From Team Reports… 

ST. LUCIE 8, FORT MYERS 7 (5 innings)

Rafael Fernandez and Blake Forsythe hit back-to-back homers in a four-run fifth as the Mets rallied in a rain-shortened game called after that half-inning. The Mets trailed, 7-4, entering the bottom of the fifth. In the heavy rain, Fernandez ripped a game-tying three-run shot over the right-field fence with one out. Forsythe followed with a go-ahead solo blast over the right-field fence. Earlier, Cory Vaughn drilled a two-run homer in a three-run first for the Mets. Chase Huchingson allowed seven runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Josmil Pinto’s grand slam highlighted a five-run second inning for the Miracle. Taylor Whitenton earned the victory in relief by recording the final out in the fifth. Travis Taijeron had an RBI double for the Mets in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 7-4.

KINGSPORT 5, GREENEVILLE 5 (suspended)

The game was halted after five innings with the score tied. Catcher Tomas Nido was 2-for-3 and had his first professional homer before the stoppage. K-Mets starter John Gant allowed five runs in five innings.

ABERDEEN 6, BROOKLYN 1

Brooklyn’s Alex Sanchez began the second inning with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. Kevin Plawecki, making his third start, collected his first professional RBI with a groundout to give Brooklyn the early 1-0 edge. The Cyclones, however, managed only one more hit the remainder of the game. Cyclones starter Julian Hilario cruised through the five innings, allowing two hits, before running into trouble. Will Howard started the sixth against Hilario with a single and stole second. After a pair of outs, Torsten Boss connected on an RBI single to knot the score at 1. An inning later, Aberdeen pounced on Brooklyn’s bullpen. Dawrin Frias (1-1) allowed four runs, all with two outs, as Aberdeen jumped in front 5-1.