Minor League Update — 6/14/09

Buffalo Bisons (AAA):
20-40 (16.5 games back)

DUR 1 @ BUF 8

Buffalo scratched out six hits in a five-run second inning, which led to a defeat of the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) 8-1. Jon Weber had Durham’s only extra-base hit of the game, a double to lead off the fourth.

• Robinson Cancel had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs
• Javier Castillo, recently acquired from the Chicago White Sox, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth
• Jesus Feliciano had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run, he is now batting .301

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

BIN 7 @ TRE 1

Carl Loadenthal and Josh Petersen hit back-to-back triples in the top of the fifth inning (Loadenthal’s was hit with the bases loaded) to break open a close game. Binghamton went on to defeat the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) 7-1. Michael Dunn pitched three scoreless innings of relief for Trenton, he struck out three.

• Nick Evans had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run –his batting average is now up to .250
• Shawn Bowman also had two hits and is now batting .283, an impressive rebound season for the often injured third baseman
• Josh Thole was 0 for 3, but he managed to draw two walks
• Edgar Ramirez started the game and threw three shutout innings, he struck out three while allowing three hits
• Edgar Alfonzo relieved Ramirez and pitched three scoreless innings of his own; Alfonzo recieved the win, his fourth of the season

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
30-29 (7.5 game back)

TAM 3 @ STL 4

An errant throw by Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees) third baseman Brandon Laird led to two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the tying and go-ahead runs, for St. Lucie. The single-A affiliate won the game 4-3, stealing five bases along the way.

• Greg Veloz had two hits and drove in a run, he stole home plate on a double steal in the first inning
• Kirk Nieuwenheis was 0 for 1 with a pair of walks and reached on an error, he stole second base three times in the game
• Matt Bouchard had three hits, including a double, and scored a run
• Scott Shaw allowed two runs (both earned) over 6.1 innings, he struck out six and allowed five hits

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
30-33 (8.0 games back)

AUG 0 @ SAV 2

The Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants) could only manage to push two runners to third base, falling to Savannah 2-0 , despite receiving an impressive performance from starting pitcher Ari Ronick –who took the loss after allowing just two runs (both earned) on four hits and six strikeouts in eight innings.

• Sean Ratliff had a hit (solo home run) in three at bats
• Jefry Marte was hitless in three at bats, he also struck out twice
• Kyle Allen pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, he gave up three hits and walked three but struck out five en route to his fourth victory of the season

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 — 6/9/09

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

IND 10 @ BUF 2

The Indianapollis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) slugged five home runs (two a piece for Garrett Jones and Steve Pearce who went back-to-back in the fourth inning) in today’s 10-2 clobbering of the Bisons. Jones was the star of today’s game with three hits, four runs and three runs batted in.

• Jesus Feliciano had Buffalo’s first hit of the game, a one-out single in the seventh inning
• Rene Rivera, a catcher, made a pair of fielding errors while playing out of position at third base
• Michel Abreu, who had a pinch hit home run on Monday, had a hit in two at bats and drew a pair of walks
• Brandon Knight allowed six runs (all earned) on nine hits and two walks in 4.1 innings, he struck out three and gave up four home runs
• Kyle Snyder relieved Knight and was roughed up for three runs (all earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings

Binghamton Mets (AA):
23-33 (8.5 games back)

HAR 3 @ BIN 0

The B-Mets collected 10 hits today, but failed to score a run and lost to the Harrisburg Senators 3-0. Joel Guzman, who the Dodgers once traded in a package for Julio Lugo, drove in a run and led the Senators with two hits, one being a double.

• Nick Evans had two hits today (four at bats) and now has a .234 batting average in his attempt to reconcile his 2009 campaign
• Josh Thole also had two hits and is batting .351 for 2009; offensively he appears to be major league ready, but his defensive abilities still need the final polishings
• Ruben Tejada had a hit and now has a .757 OPS with AA Binghamton, he is rebounding fantastically after a disappointing 2008 season with St. Lucie
• Ryan Coultas allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits and a walk in 5.2 innings, he took the loss and is now 4-3 on the season with a 2.78 ERA

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
28-26 (8.0 game back)

DUN 2 @ STL 3

Celson Polanco blew the save and took his first loss of the season as he allowed two runs to the St. Lucie Mets in the bottom of the eighth inning; the Mets beat the Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays) 3-2. Charles Huggins, recently promoted and starting his third game for Dunedin, gave up only one run (earned) on two hits and two walks in seven, he struck out five.

• Kirk Nieuwenheis had RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings, he now has 22 RBI for the season
• Brahaim Maldonado led off the sixth inning with a walk, then stole a base and came around to score St. Lucie’s first run
• Scott Shaw gave up just two runs (both earned) on three hits and two walks, he struck out eight and now has a 3.43 ERA

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
26-32 (8.0 games back)

ROM 4 @ SAV 3

Savannah lost a close game to the Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves) 4-3; Rome broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth with a successful suicide squeeze by Shayne Moody. Braeden Schlehuber, Rome’s catcher, had a career night with three hits, including two doubles,  and scored two runs.

• Stefan Welch played first base and had two hits, one being his first home run of the season, and scored two runs
• Jefry Marte, back to hitting eighth in the lineup, had two hits and drew a walk
• Kyle Allen allowed three runs (all earned) on six hits and a walk in five innings, he struck out five and has a 4.70 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 — 6/5/09

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

Today’s game between the Buffalo Bisons and Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles) was cancelled due to rain and will not be rescheduled. The Bisons and Tides will not face each other again for the remainder of the regular season.

• Fernando Nieve was promoted to the major league roster; Nieve had a 3.70 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 24.1 innings with Buffalo, his usual control problems –only 10 walks, have not plagued him in 2009
• Pat Misch, claimed on waivers from the Giants, will join the team and fill the empty roster spot
• Wily Mo Pena has an 11-game hitting streak
• Jon Niese (0-5, 8.05 ERA) will start for the Bisons on Saturday against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Binghamton Mets (AA):
22-30 (7.5 games back)

CON 7 @ BIN 4

Brad Holt was impressive on the mound in his debut for the B-Mets and even contributed with a hit; however, Edgar Alfonzo and the defense imploded in the eighth, allowing four runs, which was more than enough to give the Connecticut Defenders (San Francisco Giants) a 7-4 victory.

• Nick Evans, 2 for 5, had a nifty afternoon; he had a double, scored a run and played solid defense over at first base
• Josh Thole, batting third, had a pair of walks in four plate appearances, he’s now batting .350
• Lucas Duda had an RBI double in the fifth and came around to score on a double by Carl Loadenthal
• Brad Holt didn’t give up a hit until a two-out single in the fourth; he allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and three walks in 6.1 innings –he struck out three
• Edgar Alfonzo allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, a walk, and sloppy defense in 1.1 innings

St. Lucie Mets (A+):
26-24 (6.5 game back)

STL 5 @ LAK 3

The Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers) chipped away slowly at Brant Rustich today, scoring single runs in each of the first three innings, but the St. Lucie Mets came back to win the game 5-3 in support of their, by default, ace. Rustich pitched himself into trouble in the second by allowing the first three runners to reach base, but then he settled down and struck out the next three, including catcher Jordan Newton who finished the day with four strikeouts.

• Greg Veloz added three more hits today, including a double, scored a run and drove in another; the toolsy infielder now has a .264/.332/.323/.659 line for the season
• Kirk Nieuwenheis, a powerful center fielder selected in the third round of last year’s draft, cracked a two-run homer in the seventh that broke a 3-3 tie; the shot was his eighth of the season and was the game winning hit
• Hector Pellot DH’d and went 2 for 3 with an RBI
• Brant Rustich lasted just four innings for St. Lucie, but he struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter; however, he allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits
• Jose De La Torre and Emary Frederick pitched five scoreless innings and, combined, only allowed one run

Savannah Sand Gnats (A):
26-28 (5.0 games back)

CHA 5 @ SAV 3

The Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees) erased a 2-0 deficit with a four-run top of the third and claimed a 5-3 victory over the Sand Gnats. Melky Mesa, who has already erupted for 12 home runs this season, had the big hit — a two-run double with the bases loaded in the third.

• Rafael Fernandez, batting leadoff, had his second consecutive three-hit game and scored a pair of runs
• Jefry Marte, batting second again, had a three hit night, including a double, and drove in a run
• Ralph Henriquez had three hits in four at bats
• Elvin Ramirez, who entered the game with 21 walks in 50.1 innings, had no control tonight; he walked seven in just 3.1 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits
• The bullpen (Michael Powers, Jake Goldberg, and Samuel Martinez) allowed only three hits over 5.1 scoreless innings; those three combined for 12 strikeouts –Savannah pitchers struck out 15 batters tonight

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