Photo by MMO’s Ed Delany

In preparation for a likely bullpen role with the major league team, Tylor Megill was give a single-inning rehab assignment for the second straight time and he was perfect in that role once again. He needed just eleven pitches to strike out all three batters he faced. During his current rehab stint, Megill has now struck out all six batters he has faced.

AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (69-59) 5, Syracuse Mets (53-76) 1  Box Score

The Mets were shut out for the first eight innings of this game; they added a run JT Riddle singled home Vientos in the ninth inning, but that was too little, too late. Vientos busted out of a 1-for-22 slump with his first multi-hit game since August 24. Lee is 5-for-14 with two doubles over his first four September games.

Over his last four starts, Rodriguez has given up zero earned runs three times and gave up just one earned run in the other start. Lopez has struck out 10.87 batters per nine innings this season. Orze returned to the Syracuse bullpen after missing about a month with an undisclosed injury. Unfortunately, his home run problems returned with him, as the two-run shot he allowed in the seventh gave the Railriders a lead that would prove to be insurmountable. For the season, Orze has allowed nearly two home runs per nine innings, leading to a very high ERA in spite of his excellent 5.25 K/BB ratio.

AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (50-74) 5, Somerset Patriots (76-48) 4  Box Score

The top half of Binghamton’s lineup was lifeless in this ten-inning game, with the first five hitters in the lineup going a combined 0-for-21. Fortunately, the bottom four hitters picked up a lot of the slack, and clutch hits by Senger and Ashford in the second and fourth innings brought home four runs. Even with their clutch performances, the Rumble Ponies still relied on a walk-off error to win the game in the tenth inning. Mauricio is now 0-for-17 to begin his September.

Megill was fabulous yet again on Sunday evening. For the second straight time in his rehab, Megill was given a one-inning appearance, and, for the second straight appearance, he struck out all three batters he faced. This time, he needed just eleven pitches to accomplish the task. The possibility of Megill in the major league bullpen soon is becoming more and more exciting with each dominant appearance. Dibrell has uncharacteristically struggled with his control this season, but he is striking out 13.32 batters per nine innings for the year. Zanghi has a 14.63 K/9 with Binghamton this season.

A+: Brooklyn Cyclones (66-60) 11, Wilmington Blue Rocks (62-63) 5  Box Score

The Cyclones were able to score eleven runs on just eleven hits thanks to an outstanding 7-for-11 performance with runners in scoring position. Their biggest inning was their six-run third which featured five RBI hits and a passed ball that brought home a run. Ramirez has responded to a rough August by going 5-for-12 with just two strikeouts over his first three games in September. Lugo’s numbers have improved across the board since his promotion to Brooklyn and, considering the fact that his BABIP has actually dropped slightly since his promotion, there is a good chance that these improvements are sustainable.

Vasil was flawless in his return from a two-month-long stint on the injured list. He needed just 30 pitches to carve through the entirety of the Wilmington lineup before being taken out after the third inning. Santos came in for a rare relief appearance and was solid over three innings. He seems to have gotten past his mid-August rough patch and has not allowed an earned run over his last two appearances (8 2/3 innings pitched). Juarez kept his perfect ERA with Brooklyn intact with some help from Dylan Hall, although he did allow an inherited runner to score and failed to retire any of the three batters he faced.

A: St. Lucie Mets (71-53) 8, Jupiter Hammerheads (59-64) 3  Box Score

St. Lucie’s cadre of recent draft picks led the team to victory on Sunday afternoon, as the trio had five of the team’s eight hits and five of their eight RBIs. Parada continues to get on base at an excellent rate, reaching first in four of his five plate appearances in this game. Overall, he has walked in 10 of his first 40 professional plate appearances, an outstanding 25% rate. Smith crushed his second professional home run 391 feet; five of his first nine professional hits have gone for extra bases. Omar De Los Santos was removed from the game after being caught stealing in the first inning.

After making two appearances out of the St. Lucie bullpen, Suarez had his start with St. Lucie in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He pitched quite well, averaging 93 MPH on his fastball and generating a 55% whiff rate on his curveball. He threw his curveball 40% of the time, making it his most-used pitch. De La Cruz impressed in his St. Lucie debut: he averaged 95 MPH with his fastball, and his slider generated whiffs on all three swings against it. Tebrake also sat in the mid-90s with his fastball and had a 2750 average RPM spin rate with his cutter.