Minor League Update — 6/15/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
21-41 (17.0 games back)

BUF 2 @ SYR 4

BUF 3 @ SYR 2

The Bisons traveled East to Syracuse to take on the Chiefs (Washington Nationals) for two seven-inning games. Syracuse won game one, led by Mike Vento’s two-hit, three-RBI game. Game two went to the Bisons, handing former Met Jorge Sosa the loss in relief.

• Javier Castillo collected two hits and scored two runs in game one, but went 0 for 3 in the nightcap
• Wily Mo Pena had a pair of hits in each game, he has had a hit in 18 of the last 20 games that he has played
• Jesus Feliciano had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run, he is now batting .301
• Pat Misch, recently acquired from the San Francisco Giants, lost in his first start with Buffalo, pitching a complete game (six innings) and allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits and a walk, he struck out five
• Kyle Snyder allowed two runs (both earned) as game two’s starter, he pitched four innings, allowed five hits and walked one
• Javier Valentin was placed on the seven-day disabled list

Binghamton Mets (AA):
26-36 (8.5 games back)

Binghamton had the day off and will start a series tomorrow in Harrisburg against the Senators (Washinton Nationals).

• Josh Thole is batting .348/.418/.459/.877 in 2009 and leads the club with 18 doubles
• Ruben Tejada, 19 years old, is batting .277/.363/.374/.737 and has stolen seven bases
• Tobi Stoner was promoted to AAA Buffalo, he had a 2.68 ERA in 47.0 innings with Binghamton this year

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
30-30 (7.5 game back)

STL 4 @ DAY 5

St. Lucie pieced together four runs in the third inning, but poor pitching and three team errors allowed the Daytona Cubs (Chicago Cubs) to squeek by with a 5-4 victory. Jake Opitz hit a pair of doubles and drove in two for the victorious Cubs.

• Ike Davis went 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis had a double in five at bats, but struck out three times
• Angel Calero allowed four runs (only one earned) on eight hits in six innings, he struck out six and now has a 4.43 ERA

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
30-34 (8.0 games back)

SAV 0 @ ROM 4

The Sand Gnats and Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves) held a scoreless standoff until the bottom of the sixth inning, which was when the Braves scored three times on a wild pitch and a two-run single. Dimaster Delgado pitched six scoreless innings (four hits and no walks) while striking out six, he was relieved by David Francis who was perfect for three innings, striking out three.

• Jefry Marte was 1 for 4, but threw a ball away in the field –his 26th error of the season
• Sean Ratliff was hitless in three at bats and struck out twice
• Wilmer Flores collected a hit in three at bats; the 17-year-old is batting .256/.304/.314/.618 for Savannah, which is impressive considering his age and level of competition –Miguel Cabrera hit .268/.328/.382/.710 as an 18-year-old in A-ball
• Elvin Ramirez took the loss (3-5, 3.42 ERA) after allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks in 6.2 innings while striking out five

Minor League Update — 6/13/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
19-40 (16.5 games back)

DUR 7 @ BUF 2

The Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) and Buffalo Bisons were tied 2-2 entering the ninth inning, but the Bulls scored five times, capped off by a Ray Olmedo triple with two on, and won the game 7-2. Henry Mateo had three hits, including a triple of his own, for the Bulls.

• Chip Ambres, recently added to the roster after being acquired from Pawtucket (Boston Red Sox), had two hits, including a double, and drove in one of the team’s two runs
• Wily Mo Pena was 1 for 4 with a run scored, he has now had at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games played
• Nelson Figueroa pitched the first 6.2 innings for Buffalo and struck out nine, he gave up two runs (both earned) on eight hits and three walks

Binghamton Mets (AA):
25-36 (9.5 games back)

BIN 4 @ TRE 0

BIN 1 @ TRE 5

Tobi Stoner tossed a complete game shutout against the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) in game one of today’s double header (two seven-inning games), but Jeff Niesen, making his AA debut, was roughed up in game two, losing 5-1. Marcos Vechionacci took Niesen deep in the second inning of game two for a three-run homer, it was his fourth of the season.

• Salvador Paniagua homered in the top of the fifth inning of game one and then hit a three-run double in the very next inning, accounting for all four of Binghamton’s runs
• Josh Thole had a hit in four at bats in game one, but did not play in game two
• Ruben Tejada had just one hit in six at bats today, dropping his average down to .277
• Tobi Stoner struck out five, walked none and gave up only three hits during his shutout in game one, his ERA now stands at 2.68
• Jeff Niesen lasted just five innings in his Binghamton debut, giving up five runs (all earned) on three hits, four walks and two home runs; he struck out three
• Brian Bruney started game one of the double header for the Thunder; his opinion did not matter

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
29-29 (8.0 game back)

TAM 8 @ STL 3

The Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees) exploded for eight runs in today’s affair, benefiting from the duo of Damon Sublett and Brandon Laird who combined for five hits, three doubles and four RBI.

• Iike Davis went deep for the second consecutive night in the ninth inning, he now has seven home runs on the season
• Carlos Guzman had two hits and scored a run in five at bats
• Matt Bouchard went 1 for 4 with a two-run single in the eighth inning
• Nicholas Carr gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings, he struck out three and now has a 3.59 ERA

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
29-33 (8.0 games back)

AUG 6 @ SAV 2

Trey Webb tossed three shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants) which helped to secure a 6-2 victory over the strlugging Sand Gnats.

• Rafael Fernandez had two hits in four at bats and scored a run
• Joshua Satin had a rough night, going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts
• Jean Luc Blaquiere hit a solo home run in second inning, it was his third of the season
• Robert Carson gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks over five innings, he struck out five and now has a 2.74 ERA

Minor League Update — 6/12/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
19-39 (15.5 games back)

DUR 0 @ BUF 1

Rashad Eldridge hit a double with two outs in the sixth inning to give the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) their first team hit of the night. The Bulls would add two more hits but couldn’t manage to score a run, losing the pitcher’s duel 1-0.

• Rene Rivera and Mike Lamb hit back-to-back doubles in the second inning to score the game’s only run
• Javier Valentin, start in his first game since Tuesday, was 1 for 4
• Jon Niese was impressive, giving up only two hits and walking three while striking out seven over 7.1 innings; it was Niese’s first victory of the season (1-6, 6.31 ERA)

Binghamton Mets (AA):
24-35 (10.0 games back)

BIN 0 @ TRE 1

The B-Mets lost to the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) 1-0 in an impressive pitcher’s duel. Ivan Nova, Trenton’s starter, allowed only three hits over eight innings and struck out eight. The only run of the game came on a solo home run by left fielder Noah Hall.

• Nick Evans left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, he was hit by a pitch earlier in the game and went 0 for 1 with a strikeout
• Josh Thole, now batting .355, was 1 for 4
• Lucas Duda began the game in left field, but moved to first base after Evans left the game; he was 1 for 4
• Michael Antonini gave up seven hits, including the home run, over seven innings –he struck out five

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
29-28 (7.5 game back)

TAM 5 @ STL 3

The Mets were swpet in the organizational Subway Series, losing all three matchups with Yankee affiliates. St. Lucie lost its part of the series 5-3, led by a three-run top of the first by the Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees). Jeremy Bleich was impressive for Tampa; he allowed only four hits and struck out four over seven scoreless innings.

• Iike Davis hit his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, and also had a single in four at bats
• Kirk Nieuwenheis had a 1 for 4 night, he scored a run and drove in a run
• Dylan Owen allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, a walk and four strikeouts; he now has a 2.45 ERA for St. Lucie

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
29-32 (7.0 games back)

AUG 2 @ SAV 3

Savannah rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom the ninth, winning tonight’s game with the Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants) by the final score of 3-2. Juan Perez, Augusta’s second baseman had a 3 for 4 night with a double and an RBI in the loss.

• Sean Ratliff had two hits and a walk in four plate appearances
• Wilmer Flores hit a single in four at bats, he is now batting .259
• Chris Schwinden gave up two runs (both earned) over 6.1 innings of six-hit ball, he struck out four

Minor League Update — 6/10/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
17-39 (16.5 games back)

All three AAA leagues (International League, Mexican League, Pacific Coast League) were off tonight. The Bisons will resume play on Thursday, hosting the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays).

• Jesus Feliciano leads Buffalo in batting average, .292, for qualified batters; for comparison, Fernando Martinez was batting .291 when he was promoted
• Wily Mo Pena and Michel Abreu are tied for the current club lead with four home runs, Fernando Martinez had eight home runs when he was promoted
• Jesus Feliciano leads the club with eight stolen bases, he was caught stealing twice –Argenis Reyes is 7 for 7 in attempts
• Brandon Knight leads the club in innings pitched, 60.2 innings, and in strikeouts, 58
• Elmer Dessens (1.21 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP) has been terrific as the team’s closer (eight saves in 29.2 innings)

Binghamton Mets (AA):
24-33 (8.5 games back)

HAR 7 @ BIN 10

Binghamton broke open a 6-4 game with a four-run eighth inning, however, the Harrisburg Senators (Washington Nationals) rallied in the top of the ninth, but came up short –scoring three runs and stranding two base runners to lose the game 10-7. Edgardo Baez had three hits, including a solo home run, for the Senators in the loss.

• Jose Coronado had three hits in four at bats, scored two runs and drove in three
• Nick Evans had two hits, including a home run with a man on, and scored two runs
• Josh Thole had three hits in five at bats and is batting .357
• Shawn Bowman had three hits of his own, scored two runs, drove in two runs, and drew a walk
• Eric Brown allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks in 6.1 innings, he struck out six and earned the victory –his fourth of the season (4-4, 4.94 ERA)

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
28-27 (8.0 game back)

DUN 8 @ STL 5

The Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays) and St. Lucie Mets combined for 27 hits (13 and 14 respectively) in an offensive game that featured nine extra-base hits. Moises Sierra was the star of the game, collecting four hits –two being doubles, and driving in four runs.

• Seth Williams was the only member of the St. Lucie Mets without a hit, the left fielder went 0 for 3 with a hit-by-pitch
• Ike Davis had two hits in five at bats, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth with two outs
• Francisco Pena led the club with three hits and drove in a pair of runs
• Angel Calero gave up five runs (all earned) on seven hits and four walks, the loss drops him to 1-6 on the season with a 4.75 ERA

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
27-32 (8.0 games back)

ROM 3 @ SAV 4

The Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves) intentionally walked Jefry Marte to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-3 game, but reliever Clayton McMillan immediately walked Joshua Satin to bring in the go-ahead, and eventual winning, run before retiring the next three batters.

• Joshua Satin had two hits, including a double, and the bases loaded walk to drive in a run
• Wilmer Flores also had two hits, a single and a double, and drew a walk
• Elvin Ramirez gave up three runs (only one earned) on five hits and a walk, he struck out two and has a 3.36 ERA

Minor League Update — 6/7/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
16-38 (16.5 games back)

IND 2 @ BUF 0

Luis Cruz hit a two-run double off of Jon Niese in the third inning, giving the Indianapollis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) all of the offense they needed for victory. Niese settled down though, pitching scoreless frames over the next three innings.

• Wily Mo Pena added a hit tonight, extending his hitting streak to 13 games
• Mike Lamb and Jonathon Malo each went 0 for 4 and are both batting under .200 with the Bisons (.181 for Lamb and .198 for Malo)
• Jonathon Niese allowed two runs (both earned) on six hits and a walk, he struck out four and lowered his ERA to 7.36 for AAA Buffalo
• The bullpen (Tim McNab, Jon Switzer and Elmer Dessens) combined for three shutout, one-hit innings

Binghamton Mets (AA):
23-32 (8.0 games back)

CON 10 @ BIN 6

Tobi Stoner was impressive over eight innings, but Ruben Tejada made a costly error with two outs in the ninth inning of a 5-4 game, which allowed the Connecticut Defenders (San Francisco Giants) to score six runs in the ninth. Mike McBryde capped off the ninth inning rally with a grand slam.

• Nick Evans had two hits in five at bats, including a double, and now has a .219 batting average thanks to a recent hot streak
• Josh Thole had two hits and drove in a pair of runs on a bases loaded double
• Shawn Bowman hit a solo home run in the second innings, his seventh of the season
• Josh Petersen pinch hit for pitcher Roy Merritt in the ninth and hit a solo shot of his own
• Tobi Stoner allowed four runs (all earned) on six hits, he struck out six and now has a 3.15 ERA
• Roy Merritt pitched the ninth inning and allowed six runs (none earned) on three hits and a walk

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
27-24 (6.5 game back)

Today’s game between the Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays) and St. Lucie Mets was postponed due to rain. The two teams will play a double header on Monday, starting a five p.m.

• Kirk Nieuwenheis leads the St. Lucie Mets with eight home runs and thirty-five runs scored
• Carlos Guzman leads the club with 94 total bases –he has hit 15 doubles, one triple and seven home runs
• Ike Davis leads the club with an .828 OPS; Davis currently has a .367 OBP
• Dylan Owen, demoted from AA Binghamton, pitched four innings of relief on Saturday and allowed one run (earned) on two hits, while striking out five

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
26-30 (7.0 games back)

SAV 5 @ AUG 7

The Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants) dropped the Sand Gnats 7-5 this afternoon. Augusta scored five runs off of five hits and two errors in the second inning –there were no extra base hits in the frame.

• Rafael Fernandez had a single and a walk and scored two runs in five plate appearances
• Wilmer Flores had an RBI single in four at bats, but made a costly throwing error in the second inning
• Jefry Marte went 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly, but made a pair of fielding errors and now has 24 for the season
• Chris Schwinden allowed seven runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk in four innings, he struck out five and now has a 4.06 ERA
• Jake Goldberg pitched three perfect innings in relief and struck out two; Rhiner Cruz and Michael Powers combined to pitcher a hitless bottom of the eighth inning –Cruz and Edgar Alfonzo (manager) were ejected after Cruz hit a GreenJacket batter

Minor League Update — 6/4/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
16-36 (15.5 games back)

BUF 1 @ NOR 0

Jesus Feliciano had an RBI single to right field in the fifth inning, scoring the games only run as the Bisons defeated the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) 1-0. Both starting pitchers (Brandon Knight for the Bisons and Chris Waters for the Tides) lasted just four innings, but neither allowed a run.

• Jesus Feliciano had two hits, including the RBI single, and drew a walk, he is now batting .302 for the 2009 campaign
• Luis Rivera, playing second base, had a hit in two at bats and laid down a sacrifice bunt –he scored the game’s only run
• Brandon Knight pitched four innings and allowed only one hit, no runs, while striking out four and walking none; he didn’t factor into the decision
• The bullpen (Kyle Snyder, Jon Switzer, and Elmer Dessens) combined for five scoreless innings while only allowing two hits

Binghamton Mets (AA):
22-29 (6.5 games back)

BIN 2 @ POR 3

Emmanuel Garcia tied today’s game in the sixth inning with a two-out solo home run and Nick Evans broke the 1-1 tie with a single to right in the eighth, but Mark Wagner drove in a pair in the bottom of the inning with a double to left field that was misplayed by relay-man Ruben Tejada; the hit gave the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) a 3-2 lead. Binghamton attempted a comeback in the ninth, but a strike-’em-out-throw-’em-out double play ruined their chances.

• Emmanuel Garcia had just the one hit, the home run, in four at bats
• Nick Evans had a pair of singles and a walk in three at bats, he also drove in a run
• Josh Thole DH’d today and went 0 for 4
• Ruben Tejada drew a walk and had a single in two at bats; his defensive and offensive abilities have improved tremendously over the course of the season
• Eric Brown allowed a run (unearned) in seven hitless innings; he walked three and struck out six –the B-Mets allowed just one hit in the loss

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
25-24 (6.5 game back)

STL 4 @ LAK 2

STL 5 @ LAK 6

The St. Lucie Mets split a double header with the Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers) this evening, both games were seven-inning games. St. Lucie scored two runs in the first inning of game one on a single by Kirk Nieuwenheis and a sacrifice fly by Francisco Pena. Brahiam Maldonado put the game away in the seventh with a solo home run, making the score 4-2 (which was the final). Game two was an easy victory for the Flying Tigers, until the seventh inning. The Mets rallied with two outs for two runs (a two-run triple by Ike Davis and a wild pitch from Tigers pitcher Robbie Weinhardt with the bases loaded) but Carlos Guzman fouled out with the bases loaded in a one-run game to end the Mets rally.

• Greg Veloz had two hits, including a double, and a walk today; he scored a run and drove in a run for the Mets
• Kirk Nieuwenheis had four hits, one being a double, scored three runs and drove in another; the center fielder has had a promising 2009 campaign so far
• Ike Davis had three hits today, including a triple and a home run, and drove in three runs –he scored two
• Scott Shaw allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in 5.2 innings; he struck out two and walked two in game one and recieved the win, improving to 2-3 on the season
• Angel Calero allowed five runs (all earned) in four innings for the Mets in game two; he struck out two, but allowed three walks and six hits –his record dropped to 1-5 with the loss

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
26-27 (4.0 games back)

CHA 4 @ SAV 7

Savannah scored seven runs on 13 hits today while hosting the Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees), who only scored four runs on six hits. Daniel Brewer and Taylor Grote each had a pair of hits for the RiverDogs, but the team failed to capitalize on its chances, going just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

• Rafael Fernandez had three hits, one being a double, in five at bats and drove in a run
• Jefry Marte, batting second to see some pitches, had two hits and drew a walk in four at bats
• Sean Ratliff had two hits in four at bats and drove in a run; one of his hits was a double
• Matthew Gaski had a perfect 4 for 4 game and scored three runs, he also drove in a run and stole a base; however, he made a fielding error
• Kyle Allen started for the Sand Gnats, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks; he struck out six in his outting, which lasted 4.1 innings

Minor League Update — 6/2/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
15-35 (16.0 games back)

Buffalo scored four unearned runs off of Chris Tillman, who committed two errors, to defeat the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) 4-2. Oscar Salazar, who is currently hitting .380/.417/.630/1.048 for Norfolk this season, had two hits and scored one of the team’s two runs. The Bisons put the game away in the fourth inning when the team scored three runs off of two errors by the Tides.

• Emil Brown had two of Buffalo’s six hits, he also scored a run
• Mike Lamb had the team’s only extra base hit, an RBI double in the fourth
• Cory Sullivan did not have a hit today, which snapped his hitting streak at nine games
• Nelson Figueroa pitched 7.2 innings and allowed only one run (earned) on six hits and a walk, he struck out three and now has a 3.17 ERA
• Lance Broadway still needs to be judged entirely by his profile picture

Binghamton Mets (AA):
22-27 (5.0 games back)

Mark Wagner hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and then scored on a double by Aaron Bates to lead the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) over the Binghamton Mets 3-2. Junichi Tazawa, Boston’s big name Japanese signing this off season, started for Portland and limited the B-Mets to just five hits and two runs over seven innings –he now has a 2.79 ERA for the seaosn.

• Lucas Duda is erupting, he hit a double and a home run, which now gives him two doubles, two home runs, six walks, and three RBIs since Friday’s game –he only had eight doubles and one homer before that game
• Josh Thole had a hit and scored a run, he is now batting .361/.432/.476/.908 for Binghamton
• Tobi Stoner took the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on four hits and four walks in 6.2 innings, he struck out five and now has a 2.81 ERA
• The B-Mets will wear Star Trek inspired jerseys on Friday, here is Josh Thole modeling the jersey

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
24-23 (6.5 game back)

St. Lucie’s impressive pitching performances contiuned today with Eric Niesen on the mound against the Clearwater Thrashers (Philadelphia Phillies), but the FSL Mets fell 4-1. Fidel Hernandez, four hits, and Dominic Brown, two home runs and three RBI, punished the St. Lucie pitchers, something that their teammates were incapable of doing.

• Greg Veloz had two hits in five plate appeances and scored St. Lucies only run –the team’s other eight hitters only had three hits combined
• Ike Davis had a hit in four at bats and drove in Greg Veloz with a two-out single in the bottom of the third
• Reese Havens was placed on the seven-day disabled list to make room Hector Pellot, Havens injury has not been specified
• Hector Pellot went 0 for 4 as the DH in his return to the lineup
• Eric Niesen allowed four runs (all earned) on nine hits in seven innings, he struck out five and allowed no walks, but gave up three home runs

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
25-26 (4.0 games back)

The Sand Gnats dropped today’s game against the Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees) by the final score of 5-3. David Adams hit a two-run double to left field in the third inning, which put the RiverDogs ahead 3-1 at the time, Melky Mesa then drove Adams in with a double of his own. Pat Venditte, the Yankees switch-pitching prospect tossed 1.1 scoreless innings against Savannah for his 15th save of the season, he now has a 0.81 ERA for 2009.

• Jean Luc Blaquiere was hitless in three at bats, but scored two runs for the Sand Gnats
• Jefry Marte had a hit and an RBI, on a bases loaded walk, in three at bats
• Wilmer Flores also had a hit, but committed an error in the field, his fifth of the season
• Luis Alen, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the second inning, had two hits in four at bats
• Jeffrey Kaplan gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks in four innings, he struck out five and now has a 1.46 ERA; Kaplan took the loss and is now 4-2 for 2009

Minor League Update — 5/28/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
13-32 (16.0 games back)

Wily Mo Pena led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run, his second of the season, which broke up the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ (Philadelphia Phillies) shutout bid. The IronPigs won the game, which was broadcasted this afternoon on SNY, 7-1. Former Met Miguel Cairo hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning and IronPigs pitcher Antonio Bastardo was brilliant, tossing seven shutout innings. Bastardo is becoming one of the top pitching prospects in the National League East, and could be called on this summer to help stabilize the Phillies rotation.

• Willy Mo Pena’s home run was his second of the season; Pena is struggling in his return to the Mets organization, hitting just .225
• Argenis Reyes doubled in the bottom of the eighth inning, extending his hitting streak to nine games
• Nelson Figueroa struck out six batters, but gave up six runs (all earned) in 6.2 innings
• Robinson Cancel batted as the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but he flew out to center field

Binghamton Mets (AA):
20-24 (5.0 games back)

The B-Mets attempted to win another game with a late inning rally today against the first place Connecticut Defenders (San Francisco Giants), but the Defenders escaped with the win, holding off the B-Mets 8-7. Connecticut scored four runs in the seventh inning and tacked on another two in the eigth to take an 8-5 lead. Binghamton scored a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth and then attempted to tie the game in the ninth, but the team hit into a fielder’s choice and had a runner caught stealing to squander its last chances.

• Ruben Tejada hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, the shot put the B-Mets ahead 4-2 at the time and was Ruben’s first round-tripper of the season
• Josh Thole had two doubles, drew a walk, drove in two runs, and scored two runs; he is now batting .356 (leads the Eastern League) and is only .001 behind the league leader in on-base percentage (Thole’s on-base percentage is .424)
• Tobi Stoner allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits and four walks in 6.1 innings today; Stoner now has a 2.49 ERA, despite striking out only 12 batters

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
21-22 (7.0 game back)

Chris Errecart homered to lead off the top of the eighth inning, putting the first place Brevard County Manatees (Milwaukee Brewers) ahead for good, winning the game 4-3. Carlos Guzman was the star of the night for St. Lucie, collecting three of the team’s five hits.

• Ike Davis doubled once in four at bats, but also struck out three times
• Reese Havens struck out in his only at bat of the night, but walked three times and scored one of St. Lucie’s 3 runs
• Carlos Guzman had three hits, including a double and a two-run single, and drove in all three of the team’s runs
• Scott Shaw started the game and allowed three runs  (all earned) in five innings; he walked two and struck out three
• Nicholas Carr relieved Shaw and gave up one run (earned) in four innings; both of St. Lucie’s pitchers uncorked a wild pitch

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
24-22 (2.0 games back)

Chris Schwinden pitched five shutout innings in relief, striking out six, and the Sand Gnatas shutout the Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies) 6-0. The victory was an all-around team effort, as the offense collected 13 hits and the pitching staff struck out 10.

• Joshua Satin had two hits, including a double, in five at bats and is now batting .327 in 2009
• Sean Ratliff had two hits for the second night in a row, and drove in two runs; Ratliff also walked and scored a run
• Jefry Marte doubled and drove in a run, but the young third baseman is struggling in the South Atlantic League, batting just .191
• Robert Carson started the game and struck out four in three innings, however, he walked three batters

Minor League Update — 5/27/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
13-31 (15.5 games back)

Jon Niese’s AAA struggles continued tonight, as he allowed five earned runs over six innings in a 5-3 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies). Kyle Kendrick started the game for the IronPigs and allowed just three runs over his six innings of work, the IronPigs bullpen threw three hitless innings in relief of Kendrick. The two teams finish their three-game series tomorrow with a 1:05 p.m. game.

• Argenis Reyes, batting leadoff and playing shortstop, had two hits in four at bats and is now batting .283 for the season
• Javier Valentin, getting the start at third base, had one hit on the night while batting third in the order, Fernando Martinez usual batting spot while in Buffalo
• Jon Niese pitched six innings and allowed five runs (all earned) on seven hits and three walks; Niese struck out two, but gave up two home runs; the performance lowered his ERA from 8.06 to 7.96
• Robinson Cancel batted as the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but he flew out to center field

Binghamton Mets (AA):
20-23 (4.0 games back)

The Binghamton Mets used late inning magic to win another extra-inning game from the first place Connecticut Defenders (San Francisco Giants). Binghamton trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but scored a run on a suicide squeeze laid down by shortstop Ruben Tejaeda. Connecticut turned to its perfect closer, Dan Otero (he had not allowed a run or blown a save heading into the game), in the bottom of the ninth inning. Otero struck out Nick Evans swinging and caught Lucas Duda looking to begin the ninth, but then gave up three consecutive singles to Shawn Bowman, D.J. Wabick, and Jose Corondao to blow the save. Binghamton won it in the 11th on an errant throw by pitcher Dan Griffin, who was attempting to turn a groundball into a force out at third.

• Josh Thole had an off night with just one hit in six at bats; he is now second in the league with a .349 batting average
• Lucas Duda had two hits in five at bats and drew a walk; he now ranks third in the league in walks (26)
• D.J. Wabick, Jose Coronado and Ruben Tejada (who played second base tonight) all had three hits; Coronado and Tejada each drove in two runs
• Michael Antonini allowed four runs (all earned) on five hits and two walks in 6.1 innings, he struck out eight and now has a 5.02 ERA for the season (4.88 heading into the game)

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
21-21 (7.0 game back)

The St. Lucie Mets played a double header with the first place Brevard County Manatees (Milwaukee Brewers) tonight. Each game was scheduled to last seven innings, however, it took the Manatees eight innings to win game one by the final score of 6-5. St. Lucie hit three home runs in the game (Daniel Stegall in the third, Zach Lutz in the fifth, and Brahiam Maldonado in the sixth.St. Lucie bounced back to win game two 5-0 behind a brilliant performance by starting pitcher Eric Niesen.

• Ike Davis struggled in today’s first game, going 0 for 4 at the plate, but rebounded for two hits, including a double, a walk and two runs batted in in the second game
• Reese Havens had two hits and scored two runs in the double header
• Zach Lutz home run in the fifth inning of game one came with two men on base, at the time it gave St. Lucie a 4-3 lead
• Jenrry Mejia pitched four innings in the first game and struck out eight; however, he left after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks; the 18-year-old has a 2.06 ERA this season
• Eric Niesen pitched six shutout innings in the second game of the double header, striking out six and only allowing two walks and five hits, he has a 2.16 ERA for the year

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
23-22 (2.5 games back)

The Sand Gnats scored a run in the bottom of the first inning and made it hold into the ninth, but the Lexington Legends (Houston Astros) scored three times in the top of the ninth inning and won the game 3-1. Savannah scored its run on an RBI single by Sean Ratliff, the team had nine more hits to follow but was incapable of scoring another run. Lexington scored their runs on a fielder’s choice, an infield single and a bases loaded walk.

• Jefry Marte was hitless in five at bats and is now batting just .190 for the season; Marte turns 18 on fathers day and may not be ready for long season baseball
• Sean Ratliff had two hits in four at bats and drove in the team’s only run
• Wilmer Flores continues to heat up, collecting another two hits on the night; the 17-year-old is now batting .255 for the 2009 season
• Jeffrey Kaplan pitched 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three; Kaplan has a 1.05 ERA for the seaosn

A+ Mets Update – 5/13/09

The St. Lucie Mets (18-14; Florida State League affiliate) finished off the 3-game sweep of the Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) with a 9-4 win in Roger Dean stadium.

Mets batters scored 24 runs, and the pitching staff held the Cardinals to just 10 runs. The impressive sweep followed a visit to Fort Myers, where the Miracles (Minesotta Twins) took all three games from the Mets.

Reese Havens, first round draft pick in 2008 out of the University of South Carolina, connected for his seventh homer of the season in today’s victory (one behind league leader Mike Stanton of the Jupiter Hammerheads, Florida Marlins). Carlos Gonzalez homered today for his sixth of the season, 21-year-old Kirk Niewenhuis also has six for the season. Even Ike Davis, first professional home run on April 28, looks comfortable at the plate this season.

St. Lucie has benefited from flashes of power from the team’s top offensive prospects but, as it has been for a numbers of years with the FSL, the team has been lead by a talented pitching staff  (2.56 team ERA, tied for the league lead).

The team’s top pitching prospects (Nick Carr, Brad Holt, Brant Rustich, and 19-year-old Jenrry Mejia) have all excelled and could all reach Binghamton by the end of the season.

St. Lucie returns home tomorrow to start a three-game series against the first place Miracles (20-11).

St. Lucie’s Top Prospects