Photo by Ed Delany

Salt Lake (50-46) 5, Las Vegas (45-51) 4  Box Score

• Jeff McNeil 3B: 1-4, BB, .385/.434/.642
• Phillip Evans 2B: 2-5, RBI, .252/.321/.495
• Luis Guillorme SS: 1-4, RBI, BB, K, .312/.393/.433
• Peter Alonso DH: 0-4, 2 K, .174/.306/.413

McNeil got on base two more times, and has now gotten on base in 30 of his last 31 games. He’s simply been a hitting machine all season. Evans, with two more hits, has had a solid season in his own right. He has a six-game hitting streak and three of his last four have been multi-hit games. Guillorme got on base twice as well and has great minor league numbers since the beginning of May despite his lackluster work in the Majors. Alonso’s struggles continued, as his strikeout problems returned last night. Unfortunately the monster home run in the Futures Game has not gotten him going yet.

• RHP Cody Martin (L, 2-3, 7.21 ERA): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K
• LHP Matt Purke (2-0, 5.35 ERA): 2.1 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 0 K
• RHP Paul Sewald (3-0, 1.29 ERA): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Martin’s 51s career started off mediocre for awhile but has gotten worse, as he has a 12.00 ERA in three July starts. It took him 95 pitches to not even get through the fifth inning. Purke celebrated his birthday with a decent 2.1 innings, getting through out on only 24 pitches, 16 of which were strikes, although he did not strike anyone out. Sewald continued to excel in the thin Vegas air, where he is very experienced, as he threw another scoreless inning. A strong stretch of similar outings and he could find himself back in a Mets uniform very quickly.

Portland(37-56) 1, Binghamton(44-49) 0 Game 1 Box

*Due to the doubleheader, both games were seven innings. *

• Mickey Jannis (L, 6-4, 4.52 ERA): 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB
• Matt Blackham (0-1, 1.00 ERA): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K

In a common theme from last night, Mickey Jannis fared well, but his offense couldn’t support him. It’s virtually impossible to win when your offense can only contribute two hits. Although he danced in-and-out of trouble throughout the night, he only permitted one run.  Matt Blackham has only permitted one run since his promotion to Binghamton.

• CF Champ Stuart: 1-2, .136/..280/.264

If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Champ Stuart‘s hitting .500 over his past three games. Besides that, there’s been a huge gap in the Binghamton lineup ever since Jeff McNeil and Peter Alonso were promoted to Vegas. The Rumble Ponies have gone 11-17 in that span. Tim Tebow‘s hitting streak was snapped.

Portland (37-57) 1, Binghamton (45-49) 0 Game 2 Box 

• RHP Corey Taylor (2-2, 2.48 ERA): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 K
• LHP Daniel Zamora (1-1, 4.22 ERA): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
• RHP Joshua Torres (7-0, 1.15 ERA): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, K, BB
• RHP Joe Zanghi (W, 1-1, 3.48 ERA): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER

Both games of the doubleheader featured a common theme: incredible pitching, Jose Reyes-level hitting. This game was a makeup of the April 6th rainout. Corey Taylor made his second spot start of the year and pitched three admirable innings. He’s definitely been an underrated part of Binghamton’s bullpen this year. A trio of relievers followed him and only allowed three hits.

• DH Tomas Nido 2-3, 274/.298/.459
• 3B Joey Wong 2-2, 2B, BB, .214/.347/.381

Tomas Nido had a strong game for the second time in three contests. A day after his 3-for-5 performance, Nido went 2-for-3. He’s raised his average 14 points over the last two weeks and although his major-league numbers haven’t proved it, he could still carve out a Major-League career as a quality backstop. Joey Terdoslavich sent all of the Rumble Ponies fans home happy with his seventh-inning walk-off sacrifice fly.

Fort Myers (40-54) 5, St Lucie (37-55) 0 Box

• RHP Michael Gibbons (L, 1-6, 4.31 ERA): 6 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, K, BB
• LHP Seth Davis (1-0, 4.00 ERA): 2 IP, H, 5 K

After a nice run and a quick spot start in Binghamton, Michael Gibbons has struggled in his last two starts. He gave up eight hits and five runs, four which were earned. With his recent showings, he looks more like organizational depth at this point. In suffering his sixth loss of the year, he joined three of his teammates among the tops in the Florida State League in defeats. After a brief rough patch, Seth Davis has looked a lot better in his last two appearances as five of his six outs were of the strikeout variety.

• 2B Luis Carpio: 2-3, BB, .235/.300/.362

A trio of players got two hits, but beyond that, St.Lucie’s offense was silent. Luis Carpio extended his hot streak, getting on-base three times. The Mets left nine players on-base and went 0-for-3 with RISP. Wuilmer Beccera also recorded two hits.

Lakewood (57-37) 6, Columbia (45-47) 2 Box

• 2B Blake Tiberi: 1-4, RBI, R , .265/.379/.356

For the third time in their last four games, the Fireflies scored two runs.  A brief lapse of control by Lakewood reliever Luis Carrasco gave the Mets to an opportunity to muster some offense in the ninth, but the rally would go for naught as Castillo quickly extinguished it. Zach Rheams continued his surprising production as the Mets 2018 27th rounder extended his on-base streak to a healthy nine games.  Backstop Carlos Sanchez suffered an injured leg in the sixth inning and was replaced by Jay Jabs.

• RHP Nicolas Debora (L, 2-3, 3.57 ERA): 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 K, 2 BB
• LHP Jake Simon (0-4, 2.88 ERA): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K, BB
• RHP Joshua Payne (4-1, 3.95 ERA): .1 IP, K

Debroa had his worst start of the season. He pitched well throughout the first four frames, but his final inning scarred his final line. Jake Simon played the role of long-man and gave up an unearned run throughout his 2.2 innings. You couldn’t have asked for a better closer than Joshua Payne yesterday. He threw three pitches and struck out his only batter.

Brooklyn (17-14) 5, Tri-City (18-13) 0 Box

• LF Wagner Lagrange: 4-5, RBI, .284/.354/.364
• CF Ross Adolph: 3-5, 2B, R .262/.357/.440

Wagner Lagrange and Ross Adolph had huge days with the stick. Lagrange is in the midst of a 9-for-18 tear and Adolph has had a decent start to his career. The Cyclones scored one run in almost every other inning. Nick Meyer received his first pro ejection after being rung up on strikes in the top of the fifth inning.

• RHP Jaison Vilera (W, 3-1, 1.08 ERA): 7 IP, 2 H, 0 H, 9 K, BB
• RHP Tommy Wilson (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP,
• RHP Ryley Gilliam (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K, BB

Jaison Vilera and a duo of effective relievers held the ValleyCats off the board. Vilera scattered two hits across seven impressive innings, making it the second consecutive start he’s gone seven frames and struck out nine batters. His 43 strikeouts are 20 more than any other Brooklyn hurler. His ERA currently sits at an incredible 1.08 ERA and he seems likely to be the recipient of a promotion in the second half of the season. 2018 draftees Tommy Wilson and Ryley Gilliam closed out the game; The Cyclones have won four out of their five games to climb into second place of the NYPL McNamara standings.

GCL Cardinals (18-7) 1, GCL Mets (14-11) 0 Box

• LF Yoenis Cespedes: 1-4 .250/.250/.250

Yoenis Cespedes made his first rehab start with the GCL Mets yesterday and had one of the five Mets hits. Ronny Mauricio had two of the other hits. Although the teenager is hitting a ridiculous .351/.346/.536 with to start his pro career, his OBP is still lower than his average which means Mauricio will need to begin to work on his plate discipline soon.

• RHP Oscar Rojas (3-1, 2.83 ERA): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 9 K, BB

Rojas continued to make a case for a promotion as his ERA sits at a sterling 2.83. Three out of his past four starts have been quality starts and he hasn’t given up more than three runs in a start this year. However, his offense didn’t give him any support and despite six innings of 9-strikeout ball, he had to settle for a no-decision (Jacob deGrom knows how that feels)  Saul Gonzalez and Brian Metoyer each had scoreless MLB debuts, but Brendan Hardy‘s second pro outing didn’t go as smoothly as his first as a Brandon Purcell walk-off single gave the Cardinals a 1-0 victory.

DSL1 Cardinals (25-12) 4, DSL1 Mets (21-16) 2 Box

• C Andres Regnault: 2-4, 2B, RBI, .348/.443/.617

Wilker Vazquez’s pro debut was a memorable one as the 17-year-old(He’s somehow older than me) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Folks, keep an eye on catcher Andres Regnault. He’s still a teenager and he’s currently fourth among backstops in the DSL in average, and first in slugging percentage, OBP, OPS, and homers.

• Benito Garcia (L, 1-3, 4.44 ERA): 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 8 K, BB

Since Dash Winningham was released, Nelmerson Xavier Angela takes the title of the best name in the Mets system and if he consistently repeat his performance from yesterday, you might see “Xavier Angela” gracing the back of an MLB jersey in the next decade. He relieved starter Benito Garcia and pitched 2.1 perfect innings with three strikeouts.

DSL2 Mets(18-20) 4, DSL2 Cubs(14-23) 3 Box 

*Completed early due to rain*

• 3B Federico Polanco: 2-4 .226/.285/.293

Although the Mets only tallied three hits, they were able to parlay seven walks into four runs. They scored all of their runs in a four-run fourth frame.

• RHP Robert Colina (W, 2-2, 5.47 ERA): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 2 BB

Colina didn’t have his best outing but did just enough to hold off the Cubs offense. He allowed plenty of baserunners but came away with only three runs on his ledger.

Las Vegas portion of recap done by Mojo Hill.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Struggles Continue for Alonso in Vegas appeared first on Metsmerized.

(Ed Delany/MetsMerized)

Week In Review

The Las Vegas 51s (3-8, fourth in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern division) won back-to-back games for their second and third victories of the season, but through 11 contests have allowed a league-worst 85 runs.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (3-5, t-third in the Eastern League Eastern division) drew big crowds in Portland, but have now dropped five consecutive games since sweeping their opening series.

The St. Lucie Mets (6-4, fourth in the Florida State League South division) began the season 1-4, and have since rattled off five wins in a row, the first two coming via a walk-off.

The Columbia Fireflies (6-4, t-second in the South Atlantic League Southern division) won on Saturday thanks to a go-ahead RBI triple from Edgardo Fermin in the top of the ninth, already his fourth three-bagger of the season.

Mets Minors News & Buzz

Dominic Smith‘s rehab assignment with the 51s officially ended on Sunday when he was activated from the major league disabled list and subsequently optioned to Las Vegas. Through his first eight games of the season, Smith is hitting .267/.353/.600 with a pair of home runs.

Mets minor leaguers at the Extended Spring Training camp in Port St. Lucie recorded a special message for their teammate Luis Vasquez, a pitcher in the Dominican Summer League who is battling a recent cancer diagnosis.

In a minor depth swap, the Mets acquired outfielder Kendall Coleman on Tuesday from the New York Yankees in exchange for infielder L.J. Mazzilli. Coleman reported to Extended Spring Training and will likely fill in if needed in Columbia or St. Lucie.

The Mets reportedly signed catcher Johnny Monell to a minor league contract on Friday, although it has not officially been filed as of Sunday. Monell played in 27 games for the Mets in 2015 and remained in the organization with Las Vegas in 2016.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery last season, left-handed pitcher Joel Huertas is expected to begin throwing for the first time this week. Huertas made four appearances with St. Lucie and Columbia in 2017 and had the operation in May.

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Who’s hot: It’s easy to get buried in a bullpen full of big names, but Gerson Bautista has managed to significantly stand out from the pack. The 22-year-old joined the Binghamton pen and has made an immediate impact, striking out a ridiculous 11 of the 18 batters he’s faced in three outings.

Bautista, whose pitfall prior to being acquired by the Mets last July was his inability to consistently find the strike zone, has now recorded 31 strikeouts to a mere three walks since the Red Sox dealt him for Addison Reed. Still pumping his high-90s heat, there’s no questioning the decision to add him to the 40-man roster this past November.

Obviously, a 61% strikeout rate is beyond unsustainable, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that he could find himself in Las Vegas with a solid couple of months in the Eastern League. Bautista isn’t going to toil away in the minor leagues forever, so it’s absolutely worth it to see what you’ve got in a reliever on your major league reserve list.

Speaking of unsustainable, Ty Kelly has not been human recently for the 51s. In his return to the Mets organization, the 29-year-old journeyman went on a stretch from last Sunday through Saturday that saw him hit safely in 14 of 28 at-bats and record two doubles, three triples, and four home runs, while knocking in 11 runs. The slash line ended up at a ridiculous .500/.517/1.214.

Of course, those numbers will eventually come down to his career .211 major league average or at least his .279 Triple-A clip, but isn’t it fun to get excited about extremely small sample sizes? And if Jose Reyes never picks up his first hit of the season, Kelly and his uber-versatility (he’s played every non-battery position) will be waiting in the wings.

Who’s not: After opening in Extended Spring Training, A.J. Griffin could not have had a worse season debut for Las Vegas. The major league veteran took the ball in Albuquerque on Wednesday and lasted only 2.1 innings, during which he allowed nine hits, nine earned runs, a pair of home runs, and three walks to one strikeout. It was a downright poor performance for the Mets’ only depth piece with significant MLB experience.

Organizational Leaders

AVG — Scott Manea (COL) .438, Blake Tiberi (COL) .400, Ty Kelly (LVG) .395, Peter Alonso (BNG) .370, Gene Cone (STL) .360

OPS — Kelly 1.360, Alonso 1.284, Manea 1.175, Ian Strom (STL) 1.139, Zach Borenstein (LVG) 1.027

HR — Kelly 4, Alonso 3, Borenstein 3, Four tied with 2

RBI — Kelly 11, Borenstein 10, Jeremy Vasquez (COL) 8, Edgardo Fermin (COL) 7, Dash Winningham (STL) 7

SB — Strom 4, Cone 3, Anthony Dimino (STL) 3, Andres Gimenez (STL) 3, Six tied with 2

STARTER ERA — Justin Dunn (STL) 0.00, Harol Gonzalez (STL) 0.90, Drew Gagnon (LVG/BNG) 1.64, Nabil Crismatt (BNG) 1.64, Gary Cornish (STL) 1.80

RELIEVER ERA — Tyler Bashlor (BNG) 0.000, Gerson Bautista (BNG) 0.00, Nicolas Debora (COL) 0.00, Ryder Ryan (STL) 0.00, Adonis Uceta (BNG) 0.00

SO — Dunn 14, Tony Dibrell (COL) 13, Joe Cavallaro (COL) 12, Crismatt 12, Three tied with 11

SV — Trey Cobb (COL) 2, Six tied with 1

WHIP — Bashlor 0.00, Bautista 0.40, Carlos Hernandez (STL/COL) 0.50, Gagnon 0.73, Joseph Zanghi (STL) 0.75

Transaction Report

4/10

Kendall Coleman acquired from the New York Yankees; assigned to Extended Spring Training….L.J. Mazzilli traded from Las Vegas to the New York Yankees….Brandon Nimmo optioned to Las Vegas….Corey Oswalt recalled from Las Vegas….Drew Gagnon transferred to Las Vegas from Binghamton….Johnny Magliozzi transferred to St. Lucie from Extended Spring Training….Carlos Hernandez transferred to Columbia from St. Lucie….Conner O’Neil placed on Columbia’s disabled list.

4/11

Corey Oswalt optioned to Las Vegas….Zack Wheeler recalled from Las Vegas….Tomas Nido recalled from Binghamton….A.J. Griffin transferred to Las Vegas from Extended Spring Training….Alex Palsha and Johnny Magliozzi transferred to Extended Spring Training from St. Lucie….Matt Pobereyko and Joseph Zanghi transferred to St. Lucie from Extended Spring Training.

4/12

Corey Oswalt activated by Las Vegas….David Roseboom transferred to Binghamton from Las Vegas.

4/13

Jose Lobaton selected from Las Vegas….Brandon Nimmo recalled from Las Vegas….Jacob Rhame optioned to Las Vegas….Jeff McNeil, Nick Sergakis, and Joshua Torres activated from Binghamton’s disabled list….J.J. Franco transferred to Extended Spring Training from Binghamton….Corey Taylor transferred to Las Vegas from Binghamton….A.J. Griffin placed on Las Vegas’ temporarily inactive list….Matt Oberste activated from Las Vegas’ disabled list.

4/14

Drew Smith transferred to Las Vegas from Binghamton….Kelly Secrest placed on Las Vegas’ disabled list….Jose Garcia placed on St. Lucie’s disabled list….Carlos Sanchez transferred to St. Lucie from Extended Spring Training.

4/15

Dominic Smith optioned to Las Vegas….Matt Oberste transferred to Binghamton from Las Vegas.

Upcoming Schedules

Las Vegas: @ El Paso (4/16), Fresno (17-20), El Paso (21-23)

Binghamton: @ New Hampshire (4/16-19), Erie (20-22)

St. Lucie: OFF (4/16), @ Florida (17-19), @ Jupiter (20-22)

Columbia: @ Greenville (4/16-18), Hickory (19-22)

As a reminder, all 51s, Rumble Ponies, and select Fireflies games can be seen on MiLB.tv.

The post Minor League Weekly: Bautista on the Front Burner in Binghamton appeared first on Metsmerized.

(Jacob Resnick/MetsMerized)

Week In Review

The Las Vegas 51s (1-3, t-second in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern division) have struggled to get their own runners on base and keep their opponents off them. Their eight home runs allowed are tied for the most in the league.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (3-0, second in the Eastern League Eastern division) swept the Portland Sea Dogs in their first series, getting out to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2013. Helped by an opening night shutout new pitching coach Frank Viola‘s staff has posted a league-best 1.18 ERA thus far.

The St. Lucie Mets (1-3, sixth in the Florida State League South division) benefited from Justin Dunn‘s stellar start on opening night but allowed a total of 19 runs over their next three games. The squad should see more success going forward as they boast three of the Mets’ top-seven prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Columbia Fireflies (2-2, t-third in the South Atlantic League Southern division) were on the receiving end of back-to-back masterful starts from Tony Dibrell and Joe Cavallaro to open the season. The pair combined for 10.0 innings, two runs allowed, and 14 strikeouts.

Mets Minors News & Buzz

Dominic Smith began his major league rehab assignment with the 51s, playing first base in each of the team’s first three games. While he works his way back from a strained quad, Smith has gone 4-10 with a home run and a pair of doubles.

2017 first-round pick David Peterson remained in Extended Spring Training to recover from a minor physical ailment. He is expected to report to Columbia when healthy.

OF Wagner Lagrange (wrist surgery), SS Dylan Snypes (torn labrum), and RHP Michael Gibbons (arm) are out indefinitely. RHP Colin Holderman underwent Tommy John surgery.

Anthony Kay made his professional debut on Sunday, 668 days after the Mets selected him in the first round in 2016. Kay underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted from UConn.

A pair of relief arms acquired after last year’s minor league season made their organizational debuts over the weekend. Eric Hanhold, obtained for Neil Walker, and Daniel Zamora, the return for Josh Smoker, both appeared out of the Rumble Ponies’ bullpen.

Tim Tebow homered in his first Double-A at-bat. He accomplished an identical feat with Columbia in 2017.

Prior to the start of the minor league season, the Mets released minor leaguers Arnaldo Berrios, Ben Griset, and Vinny Siena.

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Who’s hot: Peter Alonso has come out of the gates on fire in 2018. Begining only his second full season as a pro with the Double-A Rumble Ponies, the 2016 second-round pick has gone 5-11, with a pair of home runs, two doubles, and four runs batted in. Alonso’s first long ball came in his first at-bat of the season and was clocked off the bat at an incredible 112 miles per hour, according to Trackman.

Alonso has battled injuries throughout his short career, but when he has played he’s been almost unstoppable. In 126 games, Alonso has put up a .300/.367/.554 slash line, with an 18.9 PA/HR rate.

He’s shown fantastic power to all fields, and while his defense significantly lags behind, the organization has placed an emphasis on improving his confidence at first base. It’s not unreasonable to believe that Alonso will be hitting home runs at Citi Field by the end of next season.

Left-hander P.J. Conlon enjoyed an excellent season debut on Sunday, striking out nine while only walking one over six innings in his Triple-A debut. He departed with a 2-1 lead, but the 51s bullpen was unable to support their starter. Conlon had been scheduled to make the transition to a reliever in 2018, but a lack of stretched-out pitchers on the Vegas roster led to him remaining in the rotation for the time being.

Who’s not: Bryce Brentz, claimed off waivers from the Pirates shortly before the season began, has not had a smooth transition to the Mets organization. Before getting the day off on Sunday, Brentz was two for his first 12, striking out five times.

Organizational Leaders

AVG — Blake Tiberi (COL) .500, Peter Alonso (BIN) .455, Gene Cone (STL) .400, Dominic Smith (LVG) .400, Tomas Nido (BIN) .364

OPS — Alonso 1.682, John Mora (BIN) 1.389, Smith 1.355, Tiberi 1.279, Cone 1.000

HR — Alonso 2, Dash Winningham (STL) 2, Nine tied with 1

RBI — Alonso 4, Jose Lobaton (LVG) 4, Six tied with 3

SB — Anthony Dimino (STL) 2, Eleven tied with 1

STARTER ERA — Nabil Crismatt (BIN) 0.00, Tony Dibrell (COL) 0.00, Justin Dunn (STL) 0.00, Harol Gonzalez (STL) 0.00, Anthony Kay (COL) 0.00

RELIEVER ERA — Kevin McGowan (LVG) 0.00, Tim Peterson (LVG) 0.00, Ryder Ryan (STL) 0.00

SO — P.J. Conlon (LVG) 9, Crismatt 9, Joe Cavallaro (COL) 8, Dunn 7, Five tied with 6

SV — Jamie Callahan (LVG) 1, Trey Cobb (COL) 1, Stephen Nogosek (STL) 1, Drew Smith (BIN) 1, Corey Taylor (BIN) 1

WHIP — Tyler Bashlor (BIN) 0.00, Eric Hanhold (BIN) 0.00, Kelly Secrest (LVG) 0.00, Crismatt 0.17, Ryan 0.33

Transaction Report

April 5

Dominic Smith sent on rehab assignment to Las Vegas….Phillip Evans optioned to Las Vegas.

April 7

Jeff McNeil placed on Binghamton’s 7-day disabled list….J.J. Franco transferred to Binghamton from Extended Spring Training.

April 8

Carlos Hernandez and Alex Palsha transferred to St. Lucie from Extended Spring Training….Matt Pobereyko and Joseph Zanghi transferred to Extended Spring Training from St. Lucie.

Upcoming Schedules

Las Vegas: El Paso (4/9), @ Albuquerque (10-12), @ El Paso (13-16)

Binghamton: Akron (4/9-11), OFF (12), @ Portland (13-15)

St. Lucie: Tampa (4/9-12),  Dunedin (13-15)

Columbia: Hagerstown (4/9-11), @ Asheville (12-15)

As a reminder, all 51s, Rumble Ponies, and select Fireflies games can be seen on MiLB.tv. You can read the minor league recap for last night’s games here. 

The post Mets Minor League Weekly Report: Alonso Thriving at Binghamton appeared first on Metsmerized.

Ed Delany, MetsmerizedOnline.com

Las Vegas 51s (9-8) 3, Sacramento River Cats (5-11) 2 

• Gavin Cecchini 2B: 0 for 5
• Amed Rosario SS: 3 for 4, Run, 2B
• Dominic Smith 1B: 1 for 4
• Phillip Evans 3B: 2 for 3, 2 RBIs, BB, K

Cecchini has had 2 straight hitless games hitting well for the last couple of weeks. Rosario got another extra base hit after not recording one for his first 13 games. Phillip Evans drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth to score Travis Taijeron.

• RHP Ricky Knapp (1-1, 4.91 ERA): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K
• RHP Kevin McGowan (1-0, 0.90 ERA): 1 IP, K
• RHP Paul Sewald (1-0, 2.57 ERA): 1 IP, 3 K

Knapp was solid over 7 innings after an up and down start to 2017. McGowan and Sewald continue to pitch very well in AAA. Both could be in the big leagues sooner rather than later. McGowan has 10 strikeouts over his 9 innings while Sewald has 8 in 6 innings.

Erie SeaWolves (6-7) 5, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (8-6) 1 

• Luis Guillorme SS: 1 for 4, K
• Matt Oberste 1B: 1 for 3, BB
• Kevin Taylor LF: 2 for 4
• Tomas Nido C: 1 for 2

Like the rest of the Mets affiliates teams, the Rumble Ponies had trouble on offense. Guillorme’s on base streak ended yesterday but began a new one in this game. Nido left this game in the fifth inning.

• RHP Casey Delgado (0-3, 9.69 ERA): 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
• RHP Scarlyn Reyes (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 2 IP
• LHP Kelly Secrest (0-0, 1.80 ERA): 1 IP, H, 2 K

Delgado’s struggles this season continued into this game. His WHIP is at 2.23, his opposing batting average is .351 and has allowed 9 walks in 13 innings thus far. Reyes has been impressive from the bullpen this season, he has a 0.40 WHIP in 5 innings this season.

Daytona Tortugas (9-8) 4, St. Lucie Mets (7-10) 1

• Wuilmer Becerra DH: 2 for 4, Run, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Jhoan Urena 3B: 0 for 0, 4 BB
• Nick Sergakis LF: 1 for 3, RBI, 2 K

Not much offense for the St. Lucie Mets in this one. Wuilmer Becerra continues hitting and has started to accumulate his extra base hits. Urena did not record an official at-bat but got on 4 times to raise his OBP to .457. Sergakis drove in the only run for St. Lucie.

• RHP Joe Shaw (0-2, 8.36 ERA): 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• RHP Darwin Ramos (0-0, 1.42 ERA): 1.2 IP, R, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Alex Palsha (0-0, 1.08 ERA): 0.1 IP

Shaw went 6 innings after some rough outings to begin his 2017 campaign. Ramos gave up an unearned run in his relief stint.

Lexington Legends (6-11) 4, Columbia FireFlies (10-7) 0

• Luis Carpio 2B: 0 for 4, 2 K
• Michael Paez SS: 1 for 4
• Dash Winningham 1B: 1 for 2
• Desmond Lindsay CF: 0 for 3, K

The FireFlies only managed 5 baserunners in this game. After a fast start, Carpio has cooled off. He is now hitting .295/.389/.344. Dash Winningham left the game early. Desmond Lindsay is still struggling, he was dropped to sixth in the order.

• RHP Colin Holderman (1-1, 3.46 ERA): 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K,
• RHP Austin McGeorge (0-0, 1.93 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K
• RHP Matt Blackham (1-0, 1.04 ERA): 2 IP, 4 K

The post Mets Minors Recap: Rosario Records 3 Hits in 51s Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

(Jacob Resnick/MetsMerized)

WEEK IN REVIEW

The Las Vegas 51s (8-7, second in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern division) put together a strong week, salvaging a series with Fresno on Friday, then sweeping Sacramento before taking the opener from Fresno on Tuesday. During the five-game winning streak, the 51s averaged 5.4 runs per game.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (5-6, fourth in the Eastern League Eastern division) went 1-3 against Erie and Portland from Friday to Tuesday, before Wednesday and Thursday’s contests were postponed due to rain. The Rumble Ponies rode a home run from Kevin Kaczmarski and a solid performance from knuckleballer Mickey Jannis on Monday to an 8-3 victory, tying their highest scoring output of the season.

The St. Lucie Mets (7-8, tied for third in the Florida State League South division) endured a bumpy week, putting up a few high scoring totals, as well as falling victim to their opponents’ offensive outbursts. The Mets reached double digit runs in consecutive games to open their series with Dunedin on Monday and Tuesday, but were shut down 9-1 the next night.

The Columbia Fireflies (9-6, tied for second in the South Atlantic League Southern division) went 3-3 last week, but continue to receive outstanding outings from their starting pitchers. Jordan Humphreys held Rome to one run over six innings on Wednesday, which lowered his season ERA to 0.96 through three starts.

METS MINORS NEWS & BUZZ

RHP Witt Haggard underwent Tommy John surgery last week in New York, and will miss the entirety of the 2017 season. The 25-year-old had been on the Columbia Fireflies’ disabled list. Read more here.

Mets OF Juan Lagares completed a three-game rehab stint with the St. Lucie Mets as he recovered from an oblique strain. He went 4-11 (.364) with a double, triple, and one batted in. Lagares returned to the big league Mets on April 13.

SS Luis Guillorme continued his uncharacteristically hot start at the plate this season with a five-hit game for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on April 12. The quintuple of hits tied a Binghamton record, last done by Gavin Cecchini in 2015. Read more on Guillorme here.

Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith made the April 14 version of the Baseball America Hot Sheet. Read more here.

The Mets’ extended spring training schedule got underway this week. Infielder Hansel Moreno led the offensive attack in the first game by going 2-3 at the plate.

The Mets signed a pair of right-handed pitchers, Jhoanfran Escalona and Felix Sosa, to minor league contracts on Wednesday. Both players will report to the Mets’ complex in the Dominican Republic.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS

AVG – Anthony Dimino .481 (STL/COL), Luis Guillorme .375 (BNG), Amed Rosario .370 (LVG), Josh Rodriguez .367 (LVG), J.C. Rodriguez .340 (BNG/STL)

OPS – Josh Rodriguez 1.124 (LVG), Anthony Dimino 1.035 (STL/COL), Jeffrey Diehl .947 (STL), Jhoan Urena .942 (STL), Luis Guillorme .932 (BNG)

HR – Travis Taijeron 3 (LVG), Dale Burdick 2 (STL), Gavin Cecchini 2 (LVG), Jeffrey Diehl 2 (STL), Patrick Mazeika 2 (STL), Josh Rodriguez 2 (LVG), Tim Tebow 2 (COL), Jhoan Urena 2 (STL)

RBI – Dash Winningham 12 (COL), Patrick Mazeika 11 (STL), Jeffrey Diehl 9 (STL), Michael Paez 9 (COL), Dominic Smith 9 (LVG), Tim Tebow 9 (COL)

SB – Luis Carpio 7 (COL), Michael Paez 5 (COL), Jacob Zanon 4 (COL), Champ Stuart 4 (BNG), Five tied with 3

STARTER ERA – Merandy Gonzalez 0.00 (COL), Tyler Pill 0.00 (LVG/BNG), Jordan Humphreys 0.96 (COL), Colin Holderman 1.13 (COL), P.J. Conlon 1.12 (BNG)

RELIEVER ERA – Alberto Baldonado 0.00 (BNG), Justin Brantley 0.00 (STL), Tim Peterson 0.00 (BNG), Kyle Regnault 0.00 (LVG/BNG), Scarlyn Reyes 0.00 (BNG)

SO – Jordan Humphreys 22 (COL), P.J. Conlon 16 (BNG), Harol Gonzalez 14 (COL), Craig Missigman 14 (STL), Blake Taylor 14 (COL)

SV – Chase Bradford 3 (LVG), Paul Sewald 2 (LVG), Joseph Zanghi 2 (COL), Six tied with 1

WHIP – Colin Holderman .125 (COL), Jordan Humphreys .604 (COL), Merandy Gonzalez .606 (COL), David Roseboom .645 (LVG), Scarlyn Reyes .667 (BNG)

PROSPECT PULSE

RHP Matt Blackham was selected by the Mets in the 29th round of the 2014 draft, from Middle Tennessee State University. The former Blue Raider made his professional debut with the Kingsport Mets that season, before highlighting the Brooklyn Cyclones’ rotation in 2015.

Blackham’s 2016 season was over before it began, as he suffered a fracture of the olecranon in his pitching elbow at the end of spring training, costing him a full year of action. Now, Blackham has returned with a vengeance at Low-A Columbia, where he has struck out ten batters in four appearances out of the Fireflies’ bullpen.

Matt joined MMO for a Q&A, where he discussed his rehab, Tebowmania, and more.

On his goals entering the season…

“My goals coming into this season were to stay healthy! That being said, I have worked really hard to find myself a routine for the season that will help keep my body strong.”

On the experience of sitting out a full season with an injury…

“Not being able to play an entire season makes you realize how much you truly love the game. It was an emotional roller coaster for sure, but if it weren’t for my fiancé, family, and my baseball family around me, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

On how he has grown as a pitcher since being drafted…

“I had to learn how to actually be a pitcher. When I was drafted I went out and did my own thing, but over the past few years I’ve learned how much it truly takes to get to the next level. I also learned how mentally strong you need to be, and after coming off an injury you have to be able to stay positive and believe that you’ll be able to come back better than ever.”

On the coaches that have helped him throughout his career…

“I am lucky to have had such a great support group and coaches helping me understand the game over the years, including Tom Gamboa, Jonathan Hurst, Ron Romanick, Bob Zimmerman, Casey Shaw, and many others. Before I got hurt last season, I actually was taking classes with (Air Force pitching coach) Tim Dixon, learning how to strengthen my mental game. That’s another thing that helped me get through my injury, and get me to this point.”

On his typical game plan…

“The biggest thing for me would have to be my mentality. Instead of always being worried about things you can’t control, I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. I am 24 years old playing baseball; a kids game. I am blessed that I still have the opportunity to still be playing, especially after having my fourth elbow surgery. Luckily, I had a great surgeon, Dr. David Altchek, who did an amazing job. I want to go out there and play every single game as if it were my last, and love every second of playing, making life long friends, as well as memories that will last a life time.

Pitching wise, I want to attack the opposing hitters with my fastball, and keep throwing it until they prove that they can hit it.”

On playing with Tim Tebow…

“Playing with Tebow has been great! It’s a good experience being around someone who has been so successful and trying to learn as much as you possibly can from him on and off the field.”

TRANSACTION REPORT

4/15

Kevin Canelon, Chase Ingram activated from St. Lucie’s inactive list….Joel Huertas, Darwin Ramos assigned to extended spring training from St. Lucie….Jeurys Familia sent on rehab assignment at St. Lucie.

4/17

Jeurys Familia‘s rehab assignment transferred to Binghamton….Chase Ingram placed on St. Lucie’s disabled list….Adam Atkins assigned to St. Lucie from extended spring training.

4/18

Cameron Griffin assigned to St. Lucie from Columbia….Darwin Ramos assigned to St. Lucie from extended spring training….Adam Atkins and Tyler Bashlor placed on St. Lucie’s disabled list….Joel Huertas assigned to Columbia from extended spring training.

4/19

Tyler Pill assigned to Las Vegas from Binghamton….Logan Taylor assigned to Binghamton from Las Vegas….Jhonfran Escalona and Felix Sosa signed to minor league contracts.

4/20

Sean Gilmartin and Rafael Montero optioned to Las Vegas from New York….Kevin Plawecki recalled to New York from Las Vegas….L.J. Mazzilli assigned to Las Vegas from Binghamton….Donovan Hand assigned to Binghamton from Las Vegas….Jeff Glenn activated from Las Vegas’ disabled list.

Photo by Ed Delany

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

This week’s award goes to a pair that has been doing some serious damage down in St. Lucie this past week. Third baseman Jhoan Urena and outfielder Jeff Diehl are the newest recipients of the award.

Urena has been as hot as they come over the last seven days, hitting .364/.500/.773, and driving in four runs. Back for his third season in St. Lucie, he has begun to rekindle the success that he found with the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2014. For the season, Urena is hitting .321/.424/.518, with seven RBI and seven extra-base hits.

Diehl, on the other hand, has not only found success at the plate, but on the mound. Pressed for fresh bullpen arms on Monday, manager Chad Kretuer turned to Diehl, who trotted in from his position in left field and recorded the final out of the eighth inning to preserve a one-run lead. Diehl retired his man via the strikeout, no less, and was reported to have hit 96 mph on the radar gun.

Diehl’s spontaneous pitching performance should not, however, overshadow his recent showing at the dish. Over the last week, he hit a remarkable .429/.520/.810 and drove in eight runs. Diehl’s slugging percentage is tops among Mets minor-leaguers in that span.

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

Las Vegas: @ Fresno (4/21), @ Sacramento (4/22-25), OFF (4/26), Albuquerque (4/27-30)

Binghamton: @ Erie (4/21-23), @ Akron (4/24-26), OFF (4/27)

St. Lucie: @ Daytona (4/21-23), OFF (4/24), Lakeland (4/25-27)

Columbia: Lexington (4/21-23), Asheville (4/24-26), @ Hickory (4/27-30)

The post Mets Minors Weekly: St. Lucie Sluggers Share Player of the Week Honors appeared first on Metsmerized.

El Paso Chihuahuas 0, Las Vegas 51s 2 

• Amed Rosario SS: 2 for 4, RBI

• Phillip Evans 3B: 1 for 4, RBI

• Dominic Smith 1B: 1 for 3, R, BB

It was a scoreless contest through six innings for El Paso and Las Vegas, with starters Bryan Rodriguez (El Paso) and Wilfredo Boscan matching zeros through five innings. Vegas broke through in the top half of the seventh, working three straight walks by Dominic Smith, Travis Taijeron, and Kevin Plawecki. Third baseman Phillip Evans grounded into a force-out, plating Smith with the first run of the game. The 51s added their second run in the eighth, when Amed Rosario singled in Josh Rodriguez. Rosario now has at least one hit in the first five games of the season, and is batting .400 with eight hits (leads the team). Newly signed Desmond Jennings went 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

• RHP Wilfredo Boscan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, HBP, 2 SO

• RHP Beck Wheeler  (1-0, 0.00 ERA, ) 2  IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 4 SO, Win

•LHP David Roseboom (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, Hold (2)

• RHP Chasen Bradford (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, Save (2)

27-year-old Wilfredo Boscan made his 2017 debut with Las Vegas, signing as a minor league free agent with the Mets back in February. Boscan was efficient, throwing only 58 pitches (39 for strikes) through five shutout innings, limiting the El Paso batters to just two hits. Wheeler, Roseboom, and Bradford combined for four scoreless innings for the 51s.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies 5, Portland Sea Dogs 8

• David Thompson 3B: 2 for 5, 2B, R

• Patrick Biondi LF: 2 for 4, HR, RBI, R

• Matt Oberste 1B: 1 for 4, 2B, R

• Tomas Nido C: 1 for 4, RBI

The Rumble Ponies took an early lead in the second, with back-to-back doubles from Matt Oberste and Kevin Taylor, and a run-scoring single by Luis Guillorme. The Sea Dogs took the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs off Binghamton’s starter Casey Delgado, and adding another in the fourth. A fifth inning solo shot by left fielder Patrick Biondi brought the Rumble Ponies within two, but the Sea Dogs would add another three runs in the seventh. Catcher Tomas Nido would add an RBI single in the eighth.

• RHP Casey Delgado (0-1, 9.00 ERA) 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO, Loss

• RHP Luis Mateo ( 0-0, 16.20 ERA) 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO

• LHP Kyle Regnault (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO

Casey Delgado started for the Rumble Ponies, working out of trouble in the second with runners on second and third. He wasn’t so lucky in the third, as he walked the leadoff hitter Aneury Tavarez, followed by four straight hits. Delgado got through five innings on 89 pitches (52 for strikes). Right-hander Luis Mateo, who had a 2.87 ERA in 48 Double-A games in 2016, didn’t fare well in his 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. The loss puts Binghamton at .500 on the year (2-2).

Bradenton Marauders 6, St. Lucie Mets 4

• Juan Lagares CF: 2 for 3, 3B, RBI, R

• Wuilmer Becerra DH: 2 for 4, 2B, RBI

• Dale Burdick SS: 1 for 5, HR, RBI, R

• Peter Alonso 1B: 1 for 4

After opening the 2017 season with two straight loses, the St. Lucie Mets were hoping the tides had turned when they split the four-game series with the Palm Beach Cardinals over the weekend. St. Lucie welcomed Bradenton for a three-game set, and took an early 2-0 lead after three innings. However, the Marauders took the lead in the fourth after Will Craig was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Two singles and a triple by Kevin Krause drove in three, before St. Lucie retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning, with a steal of home by Jeff Diehl and RBI triple by the rehabbing Juan Lagares. But that would be all St. Lucie would add, as Bradenton scored again in the sixth and added two more runs in the eighth.

• RHP Joe Shaw (0-0, 7.20 ERA) 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

• RHP Johnny Magliozzi (0-1, 0.00 ERA) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 SO, Blown Save (1)

• RHP Joshua Torres (0-1, 2.70 ERA) 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, Loss

• RHP Craig Missigman (0-0, 3.00 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO

Joe Shaw took the mound for St. Luice Monday, but had a rough go of it in the fourth inning, surrendering St. Lucie’s early 2-0 lead by giving back three runs to Bradenton. Three St Lucie relievers combined for four innings of two-run ball, however, St. Lucie’s offense couldn’t muster a run after the fourth inning.

Hickory Crawdads 0, Columbia Fireflies 3

• Luis Carpio 2B: 2 for 4, R

• Dash Winningham 1B: 1 for 2, RBI, BB

• Gene Cone PR-RF: 1 for 4, 2 R,

• Michael Paez SS: 0 for 2, 2 RBI

Columbia remains perfect to start the 2017 season, now 5-0 after the 3-0 victory over the Hickory Crawdads Monday. The Fireflies got on the board early, as Dash Winningham singled in the first, moving Gene Cone – who replaced the injured Jacob Zanon in right – to third and Desmond Lindsay to second after he walked prior to Winnigham’s at -bat. Shortstop Michael Paez hit a sac fly (one of two on the day), allowing Cone to score to take the early 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Winningham hit a sac-fly to center, plating Cone who had singled to start the inning. Paez added his second RBI in the seventh with his second sac-fly. Winningham has been off to a hot start, collecting at least one hit in the first five games of the season, and is second in the South Atlantic League in RBI (10).

• RHP Colin Holderman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 SO

• RHP Matt Blackham (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, Hold (1)

• RHP Joseph Zanghi (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, Save (1)

The Mets’ 9th round selection in 2016, Colin Holderman made his first minor league start in grand style, pitching six shutout innings, allowing only a third inning double to Ricardo Valencia. He walked none, and had 11 strikeouts. Even with the high strikeout total, Holderman was extremely efficient with his pitch count, tossing 83 pitches (53 strikes) over his six innings of work. Blackham and Zanghi contributed three scoreless innings, striking out five. As a team, Columbia has the second best ERA in the South Atlantic League (2.20), 2nd best WHIP (1.07), and third most strikeouts (55). This was Columbia’s third shutout win on the season, and second in a row.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Holderman Strikes Out 11, Columbia Remains Perfect appeared first on Metsmerized.

Las Vegas 51s 4 , El Paso Chihuahuas 2  Box Score

• Gavin Cecchini 2B: 1 for 5
• Amed Rosario SS: 1 for 4
• Dominic Smith 1B: 2 for 4, 2B, R
• Travis Taijeron RF: 1 for 4, HR
• Phillip Evans 3B: 1 for 4, R, Error

Desmond Jennings made his debut in center field going 1 for 3 with a walk. The big hit of the night came from Josh Rodriguez with a pinch-hit game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

• RHP Ricky Knapp (0-0, 1.50 ERA) 6 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 3 K
• LHP David Roseboom (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.1 IP, 0 BB 0 ER
• RHP Erik Goeddel (1-0, 13.50 ERA) 0.2 IP, 2 H, ER, Win
• RHP Chase Bradford (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1 IP, 2 K, Save

Knapp needed only 81 pitches, 52 strikes to finish six innings in his season debut.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies vs New Hampshire Fisher Cats (PPD)

The Rumble Ponies’ opening was postponed yet again because of wet grounds. They will have a double header tomorrow to make up for today’s game, with the first game starting at 5:35 PM.

Palm Beach Cardinals 3, St. Lucie Mets 2 Box Score

• Wuilmer Becerra DH: 1 for 3, BB, 2 K
• Peter Alonso 1B: 0 for 4, 3 K
• Jhoan Urena 3B: 1 for 4, 2B, RBI
• Enmanuel Zabala RF: 2 for 4

St. Lucie couldn’t get much offense going, only scoring two runs on six hits, while also striking out 14 times. They got their two runs in the sixth on a Patrick Mazeika RBI infield single and a Urena RBI double. 2016 draft picks Alonso and Colby Woodmansee both struggled, going a combined 0 for 7 with five strikeouts and a walk.

• RHP Thomas McIlraith (0-0, 3.00 ERA) 3.0 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, K
• LHP Kevin Canelon (0-0, 3.00 ERA) 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER, 5 K
• RHP Johnny Magliozzi (0-1, 0.00 ERA) 2.0 IP, H, R, 2 K
• RHP Alex Palsha (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, 2 K

McIlraith was solid in his first start after an injury shortened 2016 season. Magliozzi took the loss after a run scored because of his throwing error allowed the runner to go to 3rd, followed by an infield single which brought in the run.

Columbia Fireflies 7, Augusta GreenJackets 0 Box Score

• Luis Carpio 2B: 1 for 3, 2 R, 2 BB
• Desmond Lindsay CF: 2 for 4, 2 R, BB
• Dash Winningham 1B: 2 for 5, 2B, 4 RBI
• Jacob Zanon LF: 3 for 3, 3B, BB

After the Columbia offense exploded for 14 runs in their first game, the Fireflies had another excellent night at the plate, scoring seven runs on 11 hits and eight walks. Winningham, who spent all of 2016 in Columbia as well, had the big night for the Fireflies, driving in four runs. Tim Tebow went 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

• RHP Jordan Humphreys (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 5.2 IP, 3 H, BB, 9 K
• RHP Austin McGeorge (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 2.1 IP, 2 BB, K
• RHP Joseph Zanghi (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, BB, 3 K

Three Columbia pitchers combined to shutout Augusta. Humphreys was dominant, striking out nine in his 5.2 innings. Zanghi continues to impress after signing as a minor league free agent last year.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Two More Hits For Dominic Smith in 51s Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Las Vegas 51s 10 (45-39), Salt Lake Bees 4 (Angels, 39-44) Box Score

• Gavin Cecchini SS 2 for 5, RBI, 2 K .335
• Michael Conforto LF 1 for 5, K, .289
• T.J. Rivera 3B 1 for 4 .351
• Kevin Plawecki C 2 for 4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI .300

Cecchini had his 27th error of  the year. Conforto continues to only pull the ball instead of using an all-fields approach.

• Darin Gorski LHP 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K 3.79 ERA
• Josh Smoker LHP 2 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 3 K 5.50 ERA

Gorski has been solid since returning to the Mets on a minor league deal. This is Smoker’s fourth time pitching multiple innings.

This is a great article from Betsy Helfand on the Mets’ Effect on Foreign Players, and the effort to learn English for players coming from other countries. 

Hartford Yard Goats 11 (Colorado, 46-37) Binghamton Mets 3 (36-48) Box Score

• Phillip Evans 2B 2 for 5, HR, 3 K .307/.331/.431
• Amed Rosario SS 1 for 5, CS, E  .392/.446/.529
• Dominic Smith 1B 1 for 3, 2 BB .281/.342/.442
• Jayce Boyd LF 2 for 4, BB, K .228/.298/.276

Smith is on a ten-game on base streak. Rosario has recorded a hit in 13 out of 14 games since being promoted to Double-A.

• Jim Henderson RHP IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, K 27.00 ERA
• Luis Mateo RHP IP, H, 2K, 2.37 ERA

Henderson has been abysmal in Double-A.

Fort Myers Miracle 14 (Minnesota, 43-38), St. Lucie 0 (41-38) Box Score

• John Mora RF 2 for 4, .262/.339/.344
• Kevin Taylor 1B-2B 2 for 3 .314/.396/.473
• Luis Guillorme SS 1 for 2 .258/.329/.306

Taylor was named Florida State League Player of the Week after a 13 for 31 and two homers and two duubles, driving in 11 runs.

• Chris Flexen RHP 4.1 IP 12 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 3 K, Loss (5-8) 3.91 ERA
• Domingo Tapia RHP 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB 4.50 ERA

This is easily Flexen’s worst start of the season. Tapia has been 92-94 in relief starts after being 96-98 pre-Tommy John Surgery.

Columbia Fireflies 4 (40-43), Charleston Riverdogs 3 (Yankees, 47-34) Box Score

• Dash Winningham 1B 1 for 4, RBI .246/.300/.383
• Eudor Garcia 3B 0 for 4
• Milton Ramos SS 1 for 2 .224/.290/.280

It’s Garcia’s full season debut after being suspended for 80 games for PED’s in the offseason. (Writer’s note) Go get em’ kid.

• Kevin Canelon LHP 8 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 K, Win (5-6), 3.18
• Tyler Bashlor RHP IP, Save, 1.43 ERA

Bashlor has dominated the South Atlantic League.

Brooklyn Cyclones 5 (9-10), Batavia Muckdogs (Miami, 4-15) Box Score

• Nick Sergakis 2B 2 for 3, 2B, RBI, BB, K .250/.361/.317
• Blake Tiberi 3B 1 for 3, RBI .179/.267/.231

Cyclones should be receiving Pete Alonso this week, and Michael Paez next week.

• Nabil Crismatt RHP 4 IP, 2 H, ER, BB 3.27 ERA
• Joel Huertas LHP 4 IP, 2 H, 4K, Win (1-2), 8.20 ERA

Crismatt made his starting debut with one run in four innings. Huertas had his best outing of the year. Justin Dunn appeared the night before and struck out two in two innings and sat 95-97. Merandy Gonzalez was in the 93-96 mile per hour range according to Brooklyn Beat Writer Stuart Johnson.

Greeneville Astros 10 (5-8), Kingsport Mets 3 (4-9) Box Score

• Angel Manzanarez 2 for 5, SB, CS, 2 K .147
• Ricardo Cespedes 2 for 5, RBI, K .271

Cespedes has hit well since starting the season 0-9.

• Jordan Humphreys RHP 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K 3.94

Humphreys’ fastball was reportedly in the 91-94 range tonight.

GCL Mets 3 (6-4), GCL Cardinals 2 (5-6) Box Score

• Reed Gamache 2B 2 for 4, 3B, BB, K .500/.522/.667
• Wagner Lagrange CF 3 for 3, 2 2B, RBI, 2 BB .472/.558/.583
• Kenneth Bautista RF 2 for 5, RBI, K .185/.250/.259
• Juan Uriarte C 1 for 3, BB .148/.200/.185

Lagrange is on fire, recording hits in eight of nine games. He was the DSL Sterling Award Winner last year.

• Sixto Torres LHP 5 IP, H, 6 K 2.00 ERA
• Christian James RHP 1.2 IP, K 0.00 ERA
• Dariel Rivera RHP IP, H, K 0.00 ERA

Torres had his second start since 6/29, and the best start of his career.

DSL Mets1 5 (12-14), DSL Pirates 2 (9-18) Box Score

• Gregory Guerrero SS 1 for 4, RBI .309/.391/.340

Guerrero has been hitting .359 in his last 10 games.

• Ramon Laguere RHP 5.2 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 2 K 2.20 ERA

DSL Mets2 8 (8-19), DSL Astros Orange 2 (14-12) Box Score

• Andres Gimenez SS 1 for 5, K .344
• Raul Beracierta CF 0 for 5, .333
• Edinson Valdez RF 2 for 4, 2B, RBI, BB .330/.406/.386

The post Mets Minors Recap 7/5: Plawecki Homers in Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Marcos Molina (Photo: Bryan Green)

Las Vegas (68-56) 6, Iowa 5 Walk-Off

For the second straight night the 51’s beat the Cubs in walk-off fashion after Danny Muno hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the 12th inning on Monday night. Dan Rohlfing was hit by the pitch as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to end the game last night. The win holds the 51’s lead in the Pacific Southern division at 1.5 games over El Paso.

Jacob Lugo (Seth) was solid in his second AAA start of the year going 6 innings allowing three runs on eight hits walking none and striking out four. Alex Torres retired the two batters he face striking out one, he as walked none and allowed one run in 3 AAA innings so far. John Church picked up his 2nd win in as many nights pitching a scoreless top of the 9th inning.

Dilson Herrera was 3-4 with a walk, RBI, 23rd double, and two runs scored. Dilson is hitting .421 over his last ten games. Matt Reynolds was 2-5 with a run scored and his 58th RBI of the season. Kirk Nieuwenhuis went 2-4 with a walk in his second game back with Las Vegas (1-4 on Monday). Kevin Plawecki went 1-4 with a double while catching and batting 7th.

Jayce Boyd made a rare start in left field going 2-4 before being lifted for a pinch runner. Brandon Nimmo sat against a lefty start, riding the pine for the 2nd time in three nights. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning. Box Score

Binghamton had their game rained out and will play a doubleheader starting at 5:35 ET tomorrow. They are currently in second place in the division but are 4 games up on the Trenton Thunder for a playoff spot.

Bradenton 5, St. Lucie (60-61) 2

The big news on the field was that David Wright played all 9 innings in the field and went 0-1 with three walks at the dish. He didn’t get many pitches to hit all night and seemed a little anxious in his last at bat when he struck out swinging. He made a throwing error in the 4th inning that led to four unearned runs.

However, the announcer clearly said that Dominic Smith got the errant throw and came back to the bag before the runner got there meaning the ump missed the call. Wright also made a nice play towards the line on the backhand and threw the runner out at first. After the game the Captain said this: “Didn’t expect to be where I am five games into my rehab.”

The big news off the field was not positive as the St. Lucie Mets placed starting pitcher Marcos Molina back on the disabled list after two appearances with the same elbow soreness that put him on the shelf originally. Molina had a rough outing on Monday giving up five runs in 4 innings in what unfortunately could be his last start in awhile. Hope for the best, but there were whispers of TJS the first time and it sounds like he was unable to pitch through whatever the Mets saw in the initial prognosis.

Amed Rosario went 1-3 with a walk, RBI, and his 12th stolen base of the year. Smith had his 11-game hitting streak snapped going 0-3 with a walk while lowering his average to .310 for the year. Kyle Johnson continued to struggle in his rehab assignment going 1-5 with two strikeouts. Box Score

Savannah (72-48) 1, Augusta 0 F/6

The Sand Gnats won their 15th straight game behind fantastic pitching by Ricky Knapp who pitched a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts and allowed just three singles. He moved his record to 7-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.43 for the year. Michael Katz was 1-3 while knocking in the only run of the game in the first inning.

Wuilmer Becerra went 1-3 and scored the only run of the game, he is now hitting an even .300 in 101 games this year. Luis Guillorme was 1-2 with a walk and his .308 average is 5th in the South Atlantic League. Eudor Garcia had his 10-game hitting streak snapped going 0-2 with a walk. Oswald Caraballo was 1-2, he is 3-9 with a walk since being promoted from Brooklyn. Box Score

Princeton 10, Kingsport (29-25) 5

Dash Winningham continues to crush the ball going 3-5 with his league leading 12th homerun and adding to RBI to that league leading total of 45. Patrick Mazeika went 2-4 with a walk and his 43rd RBI (2nd in league) raising his league leading average to .367.

Kevin Kaczmarski was 2-4 with his 3rd triple, walk, and two runs scored. He is now 2nd in the league in runs scored at 68 and 2nd in average at .351. Ivan Wilson was 3-4 with a walk, 7th stolen base, and his 6th double. He is 11-30 in his last eight games while not striking out in his last two. Milton Ramos was 1-4 with a RBI, he has hit .341 with 9 RBI over his last ten games. Box Score

GCL Marlins 10, GCL Mets (25-25) 4 

Mets 2015 2nd round pick Desmond Lindsay went 1-3 with a walk and his first professional homerun, a solo shot to left field in the 9th inning. He is now hitting .313/.411/.479 ins 15 games but has also struck out 16 times. Anthony Dimino went 3-4 with a run scored and his 2nd stolen base of the year, his hitting .310/.405/.366 for the year. Box Score

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Iowa 4, Las Vegas (66-56) 3

Vic Black struck out Mike Baxter to start the 9th inning before allowing a double that right fielder Travis Taijeron misplayed allowing the hitter to go to third. Matt Szczur successfully executed the squeeze play to knock in the winning run. Black would then strike out Javier Baez and get a groundout to end the inning.

Kevin Plawecki went 0-4 but the big story was him making his first appearance of the year at first base. He played one game there last year for Las Vegas and 17 at 1B for St. Lucie in 2013. He didn’t have any balls hit to him at first and caught every ball thrown to him. Kevin also played some first base when he was in college at Purdue. Another way to get him and Travis d’Arnaud in the same lineup.

Dilson Herrera was 2-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Matt Reynolds was 1-4 with his 12th stolen base, two strikeouts, and his 11th error of the season at shortstop. Brandon Nimmo didn’t start the game and popped up while pinch hitting in the 7th inning.

Lefty Chase Huchingson pitched two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts lowering his ERA to 1.82 but has walked 17 hitters in 24.2 innings. Scott Rice gave up one hit while striking out two and lowering his ERA to 1.95, however he has walked 24 batters in 32.1 innings. Box Score

Binghamton (64-54) 3, New Britain 0

Tyler Pill moved to 3-0 since being sent down from Las Vegas to help out the B’Mets rotation. He pitched 6 scoreless innings allowing four hits and a walk while striking out two. Tyler helped himself with the bat as well going 3-4 with a RBI. L.J. Mazzilli had a big night with the bat going 4-5 with a double, run scored, and two RBI.

Erik Goeddel made his return to Binghamton where he started 25 games back in 2013 with a scoreless 7th inning allowing a double and striking out two. He threw 16 pitches with 12 of them being for strikes. Jon Velasquez pitched a perfect 8th to lower his AA ERA to 1.64 in 33 innings with the league hitting only .167 against him. Paul Sewald struck out two in the 9th to pick up his 20th save of the year.

Gavin Cecchini was 1-2 with three walks, he now leads the league with his .316 average and his 191 total bases. His .818 OPS ranks him 5th in the Eastern League, he has scored 61 times which ties him for 2nd, and his .441 slugging puts him in 7th and .014 points above Pirates 1B prospect Josh Bell. Box Score

St. Lucie (60-59) 5, Bradenton 3

Rafael Montero made the start going three inning allowing one run on two hit, two walks, and struck out one. He threw 46 pitches with only 25 of them for strikes. Jake Kuebler pitched three innings in relief with two strikeouts and gave up one run to pick up his third win of the year and lower his ERA to 1.53.

James Duff pitched two scoreless with two strikeouts to pick up his first hold with St. Lucie, he has a 2.84 ERA in 6.1 innings since being promoted from Savannah. Robert Coles pitched a scoreless 9th inning allowing one hit and striking out one to collect his 4th save of the season.

Dominic Smith went 2-4 with his 2nd stolen base, his league leading 32nd double, and two RBI to give him 72 on the year which ranks second in the Florida State League. He is also tied for 2nd in total bases with 177 behind Pirates outfield prospect Austin Meadows who has 183.

Jeff McNeil was 2-5 with his 16th stolen base, 35th RBI, and his league leading 74th run scored. Amed Rosario went 1-3 with a walk, 19th double, and scored a run. Las Vegas outfielder Kyle Johnson was 1-4 with a double, RBI, and run scored in his 5th rehab game with St. Lucie. Box Score

Savannah (70-48) 4, Greensboro 0

Michael Gibbons was promoted before the game to make the start and pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing five baserunners while striking out two leading the Sand Gnats to their 13th straight win. He improved to 2-3 with the Sand Gnats (4-4 overall) and lowered his season ERA to 3.24 over four different levels. Outfielder Oswald Caraballo was also promoted from Brooklyn with Savannah placing closer Cameron Griffin and outfielder John Mora on the DL.

Ben Griset struck out two in his scoreless 6th inning of work, he now has 39 strikeouts in 35.1 innings this year. Tim Peterson pitched two scoreless and struck out five while allowing three hits and a walk. Luis Mateo pitched a perfect 9th inning with two strikeouts, he has now allowed three runs on nine hits in 17.1 innings this year returning from TJS.

Sand Gnats produced only four hit but walked seven times in 1.1 innings against the Grasshoppers starter Enderson Franco. Catcher Tyler Moore was 1-3 with a walk and a solo homerun for his second of the season. Luis Guillorme had his hitting streak snapped at 13 games going 0-1 with two walks and a sac bunt.

Wuilmer Becerra was 0-2 with two walks and saw his 7 game hitting streak come to and end. Eudor Garcia was 1-4 extending his own hitting streak to 9 games and is hitting .395 over that span. Patrick Biondi went 1-4 and stole tow bases giving him 33 for the season. Box Score

Hudson Valley 3, Brooklyn (25-30) 2 F/11

Cyclones blew an early 2-0 lead by giving up a run in the 7th, 9th, and 11th innings to lose their sixth straight game. Andrew Church made a fantastic start pitching 6.2 innings allowing only and unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts. He the 78 pitches (57 strikes) and the run was walked in by reliever Craig Missigman.

Corey Taylor pitched a perfect 8th inning with one strikeout, he has allowed one earned run in his first 16 pro innings. Cyclones closer Alex Palsha blew his first save of the year and had his scoreless streak end at 19.2 innings when he allowed a run in the 9th.

David Thompson was 1-3 with two walks and has reached base six time in his last three games after going hitless in his previous 12 at bats. Enmanuel Zabala was 2-4 with Brooklyn’s only RBI on the night. Brandon Brosher went 0-4 with a walk and four strikeouts. Box Score

Kingsport (28-24) 8, Princeton 5

Dash Winningham went 2-4 with his 15th double, scored a run and had two RBI giving him 43 and the Appalachian League lead. Patrick Mazeika was also 2-4 with his league leading 24th double, run scored, and two RBI giving him 41 on the year. Patrick is leading the league with his .367 average and 2nd in the league with his 1.046 OPS.

Dash had himself a monster weekend going 5-13 with three homeruns and eight RBI including two homeruns and five RBI in a 7-6 Mets victory on Saturday.

Kevin Kaczmarski was 2-4 with a walk, double, two runs scored, and his 15th steal of the year while raising his average to .340. Milton Ramos was 2-4 with two RBI, he is hitting .324 with nine RBI over his last ten games. Ivan Wilson was 1-3 with a walk, RBI, and double. Luis Carpio went 1-5 with a RBI and run scored lowering his average to .306 for the year.

Gabriel Llanes got the win despite giving up five runs on then hits with three strikeouts in 6 innings. Dillon Becker got a ground ball out to end the game with the bases loaded to pick up his first professional save. Box Score

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