The regular season is over for all three upper minors teams. That means no more baseball for the Bisons and B-Mets, and a best-of-three divisional series for the St. Lucie team. Let’s take a look at who finished up the season strong, and who didn’t.

Who’s Hot!!!

• Wilfredo Tovar 2B, Binghamton- Tovar had a strong first half with St. Lucie, but had a tough time adjusting in Double-A Binghamton. However, he was able to finish the season very strong. He hit .417 over his last ten games, driving in six runs and hitting four extra-base hits.
• Dustin Martin OF, Binghamton- Martin is heating up once again with Binghamton. He is hitting .359 over his last ten games to go along with three home runs and six RBI. He has a total of seven extra-base hits over that span.
• Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton- Flores finished up the season very strong, hitting .359 over his last ten games and hitting .377 over the month of August. He hit five home runs last month, driving in 13 runs.

Honorable Mention: Logan Verrett SP, St. Lucie- Verrett has put together a dominant string of starts since being called up to St. Lucie from Savannah. In six starts in the FSL, he has a 2.09 ERA in 38.2 innings pitches. He has also struck out 26 batters and walked only four over that span.

Who’s Not!!!

•  Brad Emaus 2B, Buffalo- Brad Emaus struggled in Buffalo this season, hitting just .212 in 73 games. However, he finished up the season with a really tough stretch. Over his final ten games, he hit just .156 with a .229 on-base percentage and .219 slugging.
• Adam Loewen OF, Buffalo- Loewen is another guy who has struggled in less than half a season with the Bisons. Loewen is hitting .227 on the season with Buffalo, including a .148 average in his last ten games. He drove in just one run over that span and also struck out in nine of his 27 at-bats.
• Daniel Muno SS, St. Lucie- Muno caught fire after returning from a PED suspension earlier this season, but has struggled recently. He ended the season with a ten-game in which he .167. The good news for Muno is he drew ten walks during that span, making his on-base percentage .395.

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Jenrry Mejia had a rough outing last night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, leading to a Bisons 6-0 loss.

Mejia, making his final Triple-A start of the season, was looking to bounce back off a rough start on August 27, when he gave up five runs in six innings against Rochester. Well, he didn’t bounce back so well. It all got started for Mejia in the first inning, when he really got roughed up. He allowed three RBI-singles and a total of four runs. In total, he allowed five hits in the inning.

Mejia would get hit again in the fifth when Cory Overbeck hit another RBI single, his second in the game, to drive in four runs and give the IronPigs a 6-0 lead. Mejia left the game after allowing six runs on 11 hits over six innings. One positive that can be taken from this outing is it wasn’t the control that was giving Mejia problems. He threw 66 of 99 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. This is not the way he wanted to head into his September callup, but this isn’t a huge deal.

On the other side, the offense was struggling badly. They were only able to scratch out three hits against Lehigh Valley pitching and weren’t able to put together any kind of rally. Before last night, they had scored 24 runs over their past four games, but didn’t even come close to scoring last night. In the end, the IronPigs closed the Bisons out easily with a final score of 6-0.

Herd Rumblings: Mejia had given up a total of five earned runs over his first five starts after returning to the rotation, a total of 24.1 innings. Over his last two starts, however, he has allowed 11 runs in 12 innings. This can probably be attributed to his injury last year and he’s just been fatigued.He will probably still be called up to the Mets in the coming days to help out in the bullpen. There wasn’t much action with the offense last night. Brad Emaus went 1-for-3 with a walk. Matt den Dekker was 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Val Pascucci went 0-for-4 and struck out three times. The Bisons finish off their 2012 season with a 1:35 game against Lehigh Valley this afternoon. Jeurys Familia will get the start.

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Last night, in his final start of 2012, Zack Wheeler was solid, closing out a fantastic minor league season, leading the Bisons to a 6-3 win against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Wheeler rolled, especially early on. Lehigh Valley couldn’t touch him. Although he did struggle with control, he only surrendered two hits. The only “big” hit he gave up was a solo home run in the second after the Bisons scored a run earlier. From then on, Buffalo was in control.

Wheeler was taken out of the game after just five innings of work. The Metss capped his innings, so he finished the season at 149. He gave up just one run on two hits over five innings, striking out five. The only downide was his struggle with command. He thre only 46 of 81 pitches for strikes and walked four batters.

The Bisons had their big inning in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs off Lehigh Valley’s starting pitcher. Thanks to a wild pitch and some timely hitting, Buffalo was able to put together a big rally. The wild pitch scored a run, making it 2-1. Than, Fred Lewis drove in two with an RBI-single that gave Buffalo a 4-1 lead. Jordany Valdespin would cap off the four-run inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Adam Loewen. Buffalo would extend their lead in the eighth when Val Pascucci walked to bring home a run, making it 6-2.

Lehigh Valley tried to fight back, scoring runs off relievers Garrett Olson and Jeff Stevens, but Justin Hampson came in and slammed the door to pick up his fourth save of the season and clinch the 6-3 win for Buffalo. Nice win for the Herd.

Herd Rumblings: Wheeler was solid, but not fantastic. This start can still be considered a positive one. Wheeler finished up this season with a 12-8 record and a 3.27 ERA between Binghamton and Buffalo. He led the organization in strikeouts with 148 and took a big step towards becoming a major league pitcher. What a season for him, he’s just been fantastic. The biggest producer on offense last night was Fred Lewis, who was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Matt den Dekker was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jenrry Mejia will make his final start of the season at 5:35 later today against Lehigh Valley.

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Last night was all about Chris Schwinden… well, for a while. Schwinden struggled in the sixth inning, but the Bisons held on to beat the Rochester Red Wings 8-5.

Schwinden took the mound and dominated early. He held Rochester hitless inning after inning. In fact, the only early baserunner he gave up was a walk in the fourth, which was immediately erased by a double play.He took a no-hitter two outs into the bottom of the sixth inning. Then, Schwinden suddenly began to struggle. He walked a couple of batters and gave up four hits, allowing the Red Wings to score three runs in the inning. That would be all for Schwinden on the night.

Meanwhile, the Bisons offense was surging ahead. They scored two in the third and five in the fourth, thanks to some timely hitting as well as an error by the Red Wings on defense.They had a firm control of the game early on.

The Red Wings gave Buffalo a real scare however in the seventh. Elvin Ramirez lost his control and walked home a runner, making it 7-4 Buffalo. With the bases loaded, Andrew Carpenter was brought in from the bullpen to save the day. He slammed the door on the inning and the possible rally by Rochester.

After the Bisons extended their lead in the eighth on an RBI-single from Zach Lutz, Fernando Cabrera came in for the save. He gave up a solo home run, making it 8-5, but that would be all he would give up. Cabrera shut down Rochester, closing out a victory.

Herd Rumblings: Schwinden had a really rough sixth inning after losing the no-no. Luckily for the Bisons, Wally Backman made the decision to take him out even though he had thrown just 93 pitches. The offense was pretty solid all around. Jordany Valdespin, Josh Satin, and Mike Nickeas all had two hits. Valdespin had a team-high two-RBI. Fred Lewis also had a productive day, going 1-for-2 with three walks. The Bisons begin their final series of the year today with a 6:35 game against Lehigh Valley. Zack Wheeler will start for Buffalo.

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The Bisons played two yesterday in Buffalo. In the first, Zack Wheeler tossed a gem, with the Bisons coming away with a 1-0 win. In the second, it was a sloppy slugfest that the Bisons lost 11-9.

Game 1: Bisons 1, Red Wings 0

Zack Wheeler was on in yesterday’s ballgame. It was certainly a pitching duel. Esmerling Vasquez allowed only one run, so it was up to Wheeler to keep the Red Wings scoreless, which he did. Being a doubleheader, the teams played two seven-inning games. Wheeler pitched the entire game and was absolutely dominating the Rochester lineup. He held them scoreless, allowing only three hits and two walks. He struck out nine and threw 65 of 98 pitches for strikes.

The lone run for Buffalo came in the fourth off Vasquez. With Adam Loewen on third with one out, Matt den Dekker hit a fly ball to right. It was caught, but Loewen tagged up and scored on the play, giving Buffalo a 1-0 lead. That would end up being the only run of the game.

Game 2: Red Wings 11, Bisons 9

The second game was a much different story for both teams. Unlike the first, where each team’s pitcher was dominant, this one was a slugfest. Each team was using their longman as a starter, so the bullpens would be in use pretty quickly. That’s exactly what happened.

The Bisons started Dlan Owen, who didn’t allow a hit but struggled with his control and allowed three runs. However, thanks to some sloppy defense by Rochester, Buffalo still had a 4-3 lead when Owen left the game after an inning and a third. In the bottom of the third, Valentino Pascucci homered to extend the lead to 5-3. From then on, though, it was all Red Wings.

C.J. Nitkowski entered to start the fourth and got rocked. He allowed three runs in that inning and was then sent back out again. In the fifth, he was knocked around again, allowing four more runs. Eventually, Nitkowski was taken out after allowing seven runs on seven hits while recording just four outs. With a big lead, the Bisons couldn’t come back despite two-run homers by Fred Lewis and Zach Lutz.

Herd Rumblings: The good start from Wheeler in the first game was certainly a good sign. He had struggled his previous two starts, allowing eight earned runs in 10.1 total innings. The high points on offense included Matt Tuiasosopo, who was 3-for-7 in the two games, driving in two runs. Valentino Pascucci was in the middle of everything, scoring three runs and hitting a home run. Zach Lutz also had a good day at the plate,  going 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. The Bisons take on the Red Wings again tonight at 7:05. The game will be televised on SNY.

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Schwinden took the mound looking for his eighth Triple-A win this season and looked to improve off his last start, when he allowed four runs in five innings. Last night was definitely an improvement for him. He allowed one run in the second on an RBI-single, giving the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. The next inning, he allowed two more RBI-singles, making it 3-0. That’s all that Schwinden would give up on the night, however. He held Rochester scoreless until he exited the game with two outs in the seventh inning.

Luckily for Schwinden, the Bisons had no trouble coming back in the game. Buffalo scored four runs in the bottom of the third. Fred Lewis and Zach Lutz both had run-scoring doubles. Then, Valentino Pascucci had an RBI-groundout. Matt Tuiasosopo capped off the four-run inning with a run-scoring hit of his own. That gave the Bisons a 4-3 lead.Then it was up to the bullpen to hold off Rochester.

After Andrew Carpenter finished off the seventh inning for Chris Schwinden, Valentino Pascucci gave the Bisons a little more breathing room, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, etending the lead to 5-3. Then, Garrett Olson took the mound in the eighth, looking to hold the Red Wings scoreless and keep the lead. He tossed a perfect eighth inning, giving the ball to Fernando Cabrera, who once again closed out the game, and earned another save.

Herd Rumblings: Schwinden was solid. He threw 69 of his 102 pitches for strikes and only walked one batter. He was pretty shaky on the big league level for the Mets, but has been fantastic for Buffalo this year. Lucas Duda didn’t play last night. He is going to join the team later today. Zach Lutz had two hits on the night, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Matt den Dekker was also 2-for-4. He also scored a run. Mike Nickeas had two hits as well, going 2-for-2 with a sacrifice. The Bisons play two today against Rochester, starting at 1:05. Zack Wheeler should start one of the games. He had a rough time in his last start and will look to bounce back later today.

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Welcome to Who’s Hot, Who’s Not! Every Tuesday, we take a look at the hottest and coldest players from St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Buffalo. Here we go…

Who’s Hot

• Collin McHugh P, Buffalo – McHugh had a rough first couple of starts for Buffalo, but has bounced back and been tremendous for the Bisons since. Over his last ten starts, he has a 2.59 ERA. On top of that, he was named International League Pitcher of the Week for his two performances against Pawtucket. In his first, he hallowed just one run on three hits over 5.2 innings. Then on Saturday night, he shut down the PawSox at Fenway, tossing seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits.
• Danny Muno SS, St. Lucie – After hitting just .229 in the month of July, Danny Muno has come roaring back for St. Lucie. Over his last ten games, he is hitting a stellar .417 with one home run and six RBI. Over that span, he has also stolen three bases.
• Richard Lucas 3B, St. Lucie – Lucas, after hitting under .200 in July, had a decent July, but is having an amazing August. He is hitting .379 this month, including .382 over his last ten games with six RBI. He has also stolen five bases this month, a higher total than any other month this season for Lucas.

Honorable Mention: Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton- Flores is on another one of his big hotstreaks. He hit just .245 in July, but is hitting over .300 this month and .366 over his last ten games.

Who’s Not

• Josh Satin INF, Buffalo – Satin has had another great season for the Bisons, showing some power and a knack for getting on base. However, the last week or so has been really rough for him. Over his last ten games, Satin is batting .103 and has a .256 on-base percentage.
• Jefry Marte INF, Binghamton – Marte has been very streaky this season, and is in another slump right now. This month, he has a .183 average. His on-base percentage this month is just .243. Hopefully Marte will be able to turn it around and earn a spot on the Buffalo roster next April.
• Dylan Owen P, Buffalo – The Mets’ 20th round pick in 2007, Dylen Owen is having one of the roughest stretches of his career so far. Over his last ten outings, Owen has a 9.53 ERA, allowing 18 earned runs over just 17 innings.Over that span, Owen has struck out just eight and walked 14.

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Behind a dominant performance by Collin McHugh, the Bisons squeaked by the Pawtucket Red Sox last night by a score of 2-0.

This game was a pitching duel all around. Playing at Fenway Park, each team sent two up-and-comers to the mound to start. And it was quite a duel. Buffalo got their first run of the game in the top of the second, when Brad Emaus drove in a run with a groundout, scoring Josh Satin on the play. That’s really all Collin McHugh and the Buffalo pitching staff would need.

McHugh shut down Pawtucket, scattering just five hits on the night over seven innings. He was throwing with great control, tossing 66% of his pitches for strikes. On top of that, he didn’t walk a single battle all night.

McHugh was solid all night long, but got an insurance run in the sixth when Josh Rodriguez homered, making it 2-0 Buffalo. But playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark like Fenway, even teams with dominant bullpens would be worried. Luckily for the Bisons, when Collin McHugh handed the ball over to the bullpen, they put in a stellar performance stellar.

Robert Carson entered to start the eighth. He walked a batter, but didn’t allow a hit. After he got two outs, Elvin Ramirez was called upon to record the final out of the inning. Then in the ninth, it was left up to closer Fernando Cabrera to seal it for the Bisons. He did just that, earning his 21st save of the season.

Herd Rumblings: Collin McHugh had a few bad starts when he first came up to Triple-A earlier this season, but has since been excellent. Over his last ten starts, he has a 2.59 ERA. In his last 12.2 innings, he has allowed just one earned run. On offense, it was a very unspectacular night for Buffalo, getting only six hits. Lucas Duda went 1-for-4. Matt den Dekker went 1-for-4. Josh Satin was 0-for-2, but walked twice and scored a run. Jeurys Familia will get the start this afternoon at 1:05 against Pawtucket, looking to build on his great performance on Tuesday, when he tossed seven shutout frames.

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Mejia was coming off a strong start his last time out, in which he held Pawtucket two just two runs over five innings. This time out against Lehigh Valley, he was even better.

Mejia gave up the first run of the game in the top of the third on a run-scoring groundout. However, he was backed up by his offense in the next half inning. The Bisons responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the third, taking a 3-1 lead. First, Lucas Duda hit a home run, a solo shot, to tie up the game. A few batters later it was the struggling Matt den Dekker who came through with an RBI-single to give Buffalo a lead.

Those three runs are all Mejia would need. He held the IronPigs scoreless the next three innings until he was removed from the game. Overall, Mejia allowed just one run on five hits in six innings. He didn’t walk a batter and threw 68% of his pitches for strikes. It was definitely a satisfying outing from Mejia, who has been nothing but impressive since being put back into the Buffalo rotation.

Now, all that was left to do was hold off Lehigh Valley. The IronPigs scored a run in the seventh off Elvin Ramirez, giving up a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-2. However, that’s all Ramriez and the bullpen would give up. Ramirez threw 1.2 innings, C.J. Nitkowski recorded an out, and Fernando Cabrera closed out the victory for the Bisons.

Herd Rumblings: Mejia has allowed just four runs as a starter in 17.1 innings since becoming a starter again. He has also walked just one batter over his last ten innings pitched. On offense, Matt den Dekker had a huge game. After driving in two in the third, he drove in another run in the seventh, giving the Bisons a bit of insurance. Den Dekker finished the game 2-for-4, bumping his average up to .214.Lucas Duda went 2-for-4, including that solo home run. Adam Loewen also had two hits and scored two runs. The Bisons take on the IronPigs again later today at 4:30. Collin McHugh will get the start.

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Mark Cohoon

Welcome to the second edition of Who’s Hot, Who’s Not – Upper Minors. Today we take a look once again at the hottest and coldest players from St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Buffalo.

Who’s Hot

• Alonzo Harris LF, St. Lucie – Harris is making a name for himself with an incredible stretch for St. Lucie. Harris is hitting .419 over his last ten games with two home runs and seven runs batted in. He also has a .457 on-base percentage and .674 slugging percentage.
• Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton – Flores is catching fire once again. His adjustment period to Double-A seems to be over,  as he is catching fire once again. He is batting .359 over his last ten games to go along with a .405 on-base percentage and .513 slugging percentage. Flores, 21, is on track to be in Buffalo sooner rather than later with the way he’s been hitting.
• Mark Cohoon P, Binghamton – Cohoon hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves for the way he’s been pitching in Binghamton this season. On the year, he has a 3.44 ERA in 120.1 innings with the B-Mets, and had his best outing of the season on Friday, throwing a two-hit shutout against Harrisbugh. He was recognized this week by the Eastern League as the pitcher of the week.

Who’s Not 

• Pedro Beato P, Buffalo – After pitching very well earlier in the season for Buffalo, Beato has struggled recently. Over his last three outings, he has allowed ten runs in five innings.
• Jefry Marte 3B, Binghamton – Marte was having a good season with the B-Mets up until a few weeks ago, when he started slumping. Over his last ten games, he has just a .194 batting average and has only walked once during that span. Hopefully, Marte can turn it around and earn himself a Triple-A roster spot for next season.
• Eric Campbell 3B, Binghamton – After a fantastic first half, in which he hit well over .300 and earned himself All-Star honors, Eric Cambell has cooled down lately. Campbell is batting .219 over his last ten games and .211 in the month of August.

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