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Nothing better than winning the first half of the season and poppin bottles! #gnats #playoffsbaby @You_Found_Nimmo pic.twitter.com/608R0WLKPg

— Kevin Plawecki (@kplawecki26) June 15, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS 6, LAS VEGAS 2: The Sky Sox scored three runs in the seventh against Sean Henn to break a 2-all tie. Ike Davis went 1-for-4. Box

BOWIE 6, BINGHAMTON 3: Scott Atchison and Pedro Feliciano tossed scoreless innings, but the B-Mets were held to five hits and had a six-game winning streak snapped. Josh Rodriguez went 0-for-2, ending his 23-game hitting streak. Cory Mazzoni (2-2) allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings. Bowie starter Tyler Wilson faced one batter over the minimum through four innings. He did not allow a hit until Xorge Carrillo singled with two outs in the fifth. Kyle Hudson singled to open the game against Mazzoni. Former B-Met Niuman Romero followed with a homer. Mazzoni then retired nine straight hitters, but ran into trouble again in the fourth. With two outs and a runner on second base, Garabez Rosa hit a grounder up the middle that brought home Caleb Joseph. Aaron Baker's RBI single made it 4-0. In the fifth, Josh Horton led off with a bloop double. After a sacrifice bunt, Romero singled to plate the final run against Mazzoni. In the sixth, Danny Muno and Rodriguez each walked to start the inning. Two hitters later, Allan Dykstra blasted a three-run homer that ended Wilson’s night. Reliever Chris Petrini gave up a single to Richard Lucas, but Darrell Ceciliani grounded into an inning-ending double play. The rehabbing Atchison tossed a scoreless seventh. Feliciano followed with a scoreless inning . In the ninth, Ryan Fraser walked three and gave up a sacrifice fly. Box

SAVANNAH 2, GREENVILLE 1 (12 innings): For the second time in four games, Brandon Nimmo plated the winning run in extra innings. For the third time in four years, the Savannah Sand Gnats won the first-half Southern Division championship. With one out in the 12th, Jeff Reynolds and Phillip Evans singled. Eudy Pina then walked to load the bases. On Tuesday, Nimmo drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th on a bases-loaded walk. On Friday, he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field. Reynolds, running from third, paused on the way home. The throw from center fielder Cory Koback hit him in the foot, allowing him to score the winning run. The Gnats (41-26) scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Maikis De La Cruz doubled, advanced to third on Stefan Sabol’s single and scored on Cole Frenzel’s comebacker to the pitcher. De La Cruz doubled twice. The Drive (22-45) evened the game in the eighth. Mookie Betts, who had three hits, singled and scored to even the game at 1. Savannah starter Steven Matz struck out a season-high 10 batters in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two singles and two walks. Jayce Boyd, in line for a promotion with the first half ending, was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. His groundout in the 10th inning snapped a streak in which he had reached base safely in 10 straight plate appearances. Savannah reliever Bret Mitchell worked two scoreless frames to earn his third win. Greenville reliever Gerardo Oliveras, who entered in the 11th, took the loss. Box

Compiled from team reports

TACOMA 11, LAS VEGAS 0: Zack Wheeler allowed a one-out solo homer to Carlos Peguero in the fifth but no other hits in his final Triple-A start. Wheeler was pulled at 85 pitches after issuing a two-out walk in the sixth. His final line: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2, BB, 7 K. He finished his Pacific Coast League career with a 3.93 ERA. Wheeler likely will pitch the evening game Tuesday in Atlanta, with Matt Harvey handling the matinee. In his Triple-A debut, left-hander Jack Leathersich inherited a baserunner from Wheeler and struck out Brad Miller, the first Pacific Coast League batter he faced. Leathersich has struck out 195 batters in 115 professional innings. Leathersich ended up getting charged with a seventh-inning run when he departed with a runner on third and two outs and Gonzalez Germen ultimately surrendered a two-run double in what became a three-run frame. Germen then surrendered four homers in the eighth. Ike Davis went 0-for-3. Box

BINGHAMTON at TRENTON (ppd.): Box

ST. LUCIE 5, CLEARWATER 4: T.J. Rivera's two-out, go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth lifted the Mets (34-30) to the victory. Rivera lined a single to right to score Gilbert Gomez. The Threshers had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom half. Chasen Bradford then struck out Aaron Altherr for the second out. T.J. Chism picked up the save, retiring Chris Serritella on a groundout. Jonathan Clark and Dustin Lawley each had RBI doubles and Dimas Ponce added an RBI single. Domingo Tapia allowed two runs on five hits and five walks in four innings. Angel Cuan also allowed two runs in four innings and picked up his sixth win. The Florida State League All-Star Game will be held in Dunedin, Fla., on Saturday. The Mets return to action on Monday. Box

SAVANNAH 9, GREENVILLE 4: Jayce Boyd finished 4-for-4 with a triple, homer and walk as the Gnats (40-26) opened a 1½-game lead over Charleston with three to play in the first half. Eudy Pina doubled and scored the game's opening run in the first on Maikis De La Cruz's sacrifice fly. In the third, Boyd lined a three-run homer -- his fourth long ball of the season -- for a 4-0 lead. Savannah starter Jake Kuebler retired the first 13 batters he faced, nine on groundouts, before a bouncer off his glove in the fifth resulted in Greenville's first hit. Kuebler tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits en route to his second win this season. The Gnats added a run in the fifth on De La Cruz's RBI single. The Drive cut Savannah's lead to 5-3 with a three-run sixth against reliever Marco Camerena. In the seventh inning, Boyd tripled and scored on Cole Frenzel's single to put the Gnats up, 6-3. Greenville put the tying runs on base in the top of the eighth against reliever Beck Wheeler, but settled for one run on a sacrifice fly. Savannah posted three runs in the bottom half, highlighted by Brandon Nimmo's RBI triple. Box

Compiled from team reports

LAS VEGAS 8, TACOMA 6: Zach Lutz, playing in his first game since injuring an oblique on May 26, hit a two-out, walk-off three-run homer in the ninth to lift Vegas. Newly demoted Robert Carson had suffered a blown save in the top half of the inning, surrendering a three-run single with Tacoma down to its last strike as the Rainiers took a 6-4 lead. Ike Davis went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and two walks, including a base on balls ahead of Lutz's game-ending homer. Mike Baxter went 2-for-4. Wilmer Flores went 3-for-5, including an RBI single in the ninth. The three runs charged to Carson were unearned because of a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Hicks earlier in the ninth. Box

BINGHAMTON 6, TRENTON 5: Danny Muno's three-run homer highlifted a four-run second inning against Mikey O'Brien. Cesar Puello followed with a single, moved to second on a botched pickoff and scored when Allan Dykstra singled off the glove of shortstop Carmen Angelini. Erik Goeddel (6-2) surrendered two runs in the bottom half of the frame, but no other damage while working six innings and striking out a season-high eight. With two outs in the sixth, Goeddel issued a walk and surrendered a single. He capped his night, though, by striking out Kevin Mahoney to preserve a 4-2 lead. Binghamton tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth against reliever Danny Burawa. Left fielder Ramon Flores dropped a fly ball from Richard Lucas and Blake Forsythe walked. Wilfredo Tovar then laced a two-run single. B-Mets reliever Chase Huchingson allowed three straight to reach with two outs in the eighth. Jose Pirela cut Binghamton’s lead to three with an RBI single. Jack Leathersich entered with two runners on and surrendered a single to Flores. Neil Medchill attempted to score from second on the play, but was thrown out by left fielder Joe Bonfe. Medchill barreled Forsythe at the plate, but the catcher held on to the ball to end the inning. Jeff Walters pitched the ninth and surrendered a two-run homer to Kyle Roller, trimming the lead to one. Walters rebounded to strike out Angelini and secure his league-leading 16th save. Puello left the game after getting thrown out at second base in the seventh. He walked off under his own power. Josh Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a first-inning single. The B-Mets are undefeated in the last nine games Goeddel has started. Binghamton (39-25) has won 21 of it last 28. Box

ST. LUCIE 4, CLEARWATER 2 (10 innings): Dustin Lawley hit a two-run homer in the 10th as the Mets (33-29) won their third straight. Aderlin Rodriguez had a two-out single before Lawley ripped his team-leading 12th homer. Chasen Bradford struck out Maikel Franco with runners at first and second in the ninth to escape the jam. Bradford earned his third win. Hamilton Bennett allowed back-to-back singles with two outs in the 10th before striking out Kyrell Hudson looking to end the game for his fourth save. Alex Panteliodis pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs and nine hits. Estarlin Morel pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Rodriguez had an RBI single to score Matt Reynolds in the first and Cam Maron singled to plate Charley Thurber in the second. Box

ASHEVILLE 4, SAVANNAH 3 (8 innings)
SAVANNAH 1, ASHEVILLE 0 (11 innings): Brandon Nimmo's bases-loaded walk in the 11th forced in the winning run as Savannah (38-26) split the doubleheader. Starter Logan Taylor tossed six scoreless innings. Paul Sewald and Bret Mitchell (2-2) combined for five scoreless relief innings. The Gnats lost the first game in extra innings when Beck Wheeler (0-3) surrendered an eighth-inning run. Starter Gabriel Ynoa allowed three runs in the sixth after Savannah took an early 3-0 lead. Box 1, Box 2

Compiled from team reports

LAS VEGAS 7, TACOMA 1: Starter Carlos Torres contined to resurrect his season. The ex-Rockies/White Sox pitcher tossed a complete game two-hitter. He has produced consecutive complete games and won his past five starts. Since allowing nine runs on May 8 against Round Rock, the right-hander has a 1.65 ERA over six starts. Brandon Hicks contributed a grand slam and Eric Campbell also homered for the 51s (33-28). Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4. Box

BINGHAMTON 5, ALTOONA 2: Travis Taijeron completed a four-RBI night with a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth. Taijeron launched a 1-1 offering from reliever Jason Townsend over the right-field fence for his second homer in two games since a promotion. He is 5-for-9 with six RBIs since joining the B-Mets (38-25). Jeff Walters retired all three batters in the ninth for his league-leading 15th save. Justin Howard had given the Curve the early lead with a solo homer against B-Mets starter Jacob deGrom. Howard struck again in the fourth with an RBI single. Altoona spot starter Ethan Hollingsworth had a scoreless effort through four innings. Allan Dykstra cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth with his eighth homer. Altoona reliever Kenn Kasparek surrendered three singles in the seventh, capped by Taijeron tying the score at 2 by dumping an RBI hit into center. DeGrom returned for the seventh and ended his night with a perfect frame. He allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four over seven innings. Jack Leathersich walked a tightrope with two outs in the eighth. The southpaw walked Adalberto Santos and surrendered a double to Alex Dickerson. With two runners in scoring position, Leathersich preserved the tie and ended the inning by striking out Drew Maggi. Leathersich (2-0) collected the win after Taijeron’s blast in the ninth. Josh Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to an Eastern League-best 21 games with a single in the seventh. Box

JUPITER 2, ST. LUCIE 1 (8 innings)
ST. LUCIE 4, JUPITER 1 (14 innings): In a game suspended from Saturday, Jupiter won in walk-off fashion in the eighth when Brent Keys doubled with two outs and shortstop Matt Reynolds had a throwing error on Austin Barnes' ensuing grounder. St. Lucie (31-29) then won the regularly scheduled game in 14 innings. The Mets loaded the bases with none out in the top of the 14th on Reynolds' leadoff double, Aderlin Rodriguez's walk, a wild pitch, then an intentional walk to Dustin Lawley with first base open. Charley Thurber's ensuing grounder to first base resulted in a forceout at the plate, but catcher Wilfredo Gimenez's throwing error allowed Rodriguez to score. Robbie Shields and Cam Maron followed with RBI singles in the three-run frame. Chasen Bradford tossed a perfect bottom half for his third save. Starter Matt Bowman limited Jupiter to one run in six innings. T.J. Chism, Hamilton Bennett, Carlos Vazquez, Estarlin Morel and Chism combined for eight scoreless relief innings. Box 1, Box 2

ROME 6, SAVANNAH 3: Hunter Carnevale and South Atlantic League All-Star Bret Mitchell combined to surrender six runs over the final two innings as the Gnats (37-25) squandered a late three-run lead. Tied at 3 entering the bottom of the ninth, Mitchell surrendered a three-run walk-off homer to Josh Elander. Mitchell had allowed four earned runs in 25 innings all season, but allowed another four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings Sunday. The defeat spoiled six scoreless innings from Luis Cessa, who allowed seven hits and no walks while striking out six. Savannah had broken a scoreless tie with a three-run seventh that included Brandon Nimmo's RBI double and Jayce Boyd's run-scoring single. Box

Compiled from team reports

Rainy Lara forced his way into the Brooklyn Cyclones rotation in 2012 by excelling in extended spring training and getting on the radar.

This season, the 6-foot-4 right-hander’s performance at low-A Savannah, which included two South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week awards, has resulted in a promotion to St. Lucie.

The 22-year-old Lara has a combined 1.38 ERA in nine starts between the two Class A levels this season, best among Mets farmhands. The ERA ranks sixth in all of minor league baseball among qualifiers.

In his Florida State League debut last Thursday, Lara allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a hit batsman while striking out four in eight innings.

“I saw him a little bit this spring, and I only saw him one [regular-season] game so far,” St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan said. “It’s impressive in that he threw very few balls above the knees, kept everything down, went eight innings. I think after five innings he only had 50-something pitches, which is unusual for a young pitcher. He got every pitch over. I guess the thing that really impressed me, probably even more than that, was his composure. He wasn’t nervous. He seemed like he fit right in.”

Said Lara in Spanish, with teammate Gilbert Gomez translating: “The most important thing for me to be successful is getting ahead in the count and just pounding the strike zone as much as I can.”

Lara’s fastball registers 89-92 mph, with an occasional 93 mph. He also throws a slider and changeup. His biggest asset is the sink on his pitches.

He was born in Bani in the Dominican Republic. He said he started playing baseball at eight years old, mostly as a second baseman in the early years. He began pitching at 15 and his velocity shot up a year or two later.

“I started throwing with velocity when I was 16 or 17,” Lara said.

The Mets signed him in 2009 after watching him pitch in the Dominican Prospect League.

Organization leaders

Average: Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .358; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .343; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, .312; Josh Satin, Vegas, .311; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .310; Travia Taijeron, St. Lucie, .308; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .299; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, .299; T.J. Rivera, St. Lucie, .296.

Homers: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 11; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Vegas, 10; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 9; Josh Satin, Vegas, 9; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 9; Travis Taijeron, St. Lucie, 9.

RBI: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 40; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 40; Wilmer Flores, Vegas, 39; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 38; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, 37.

Steals: Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 15; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 14; Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 13; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, 8; Danny Muno, Binghamton, 7.

ERA: Rainy Lara, St. Lucie, 1.38; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 2.71; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.73; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.74; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.81; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 2.87; Luis Cessa, Savannah, 3.69; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.86; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 3.86; Carlos Torres, Vegas, 4.31.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 7; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 7; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 6; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 6.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 13; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 9; Beck Wheeler, Savannah, 5; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 5.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 71; Carlos Torres, Vegas, 63; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 61; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 59; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 59.

Short hops

• Right-hander Noah Syndergaard (2-3, 2.81 ERA), second baseman T.J. Rivera (.296, 0 HR, 25 RBIs) and outfielder Dustin Lawley (.242, 11 HR, 40 RBIs) have been selected to represent St. Lucie in the Florida State League All-Star Game on June 15 at Dunedin, Fla.

• Savannah placed five players in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game: catcher Kevin Plawecki (.343, 6 HR, 40 RBIs), first baseman Jayce Boyd (.348, 3 HR, 37 RBIs), outfielder Brandon Nimmo (.314, 1 HR, 16 RBIs), right-hander Gabriel Ynoa (7-2, 2.87 ERA) and closer Bret Mitchell (1.13 ERA, 9-for-9 in save conversions). The game will be played June 18 at Lakewood, N.J. Savannah manager Luis Rojas and pitching coach Frank Viola also will represent the Gnats. Plawecki and Boyd are expected to receive promotions after that event, which coincides with the end of the first half of the Gnats’ season.

• St. Lucie outfielder Travis Taijeron earned his second Florida State League Player of the Week award this season. Taijeron, an 18th-round pick in 2011 from Cal Poly Pomona, hit .500 for the week and had a three-homer doubleheader. He is hitting .308 with nine homers and 27 RBIs and has a .399 on-base percentage this season.

• Luis Cessa earned the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week award. The 21-year-old right-hander combined to limit Augusta and Kannapolis to one run on nine hits and two walks while striking out 17 in 14 1/3 innings over his past two starts.

• Third baseman Josh Rodriguez, who was signed as a minor league free agent last year, has a 20-game hitting streak with Binghamton. That is the longest in Double-A this season. Rodriguez, 28, went 1-for-12 with a walk and hit by pitch with the Pirates in 2011 after being selected in the Rule 5 draft from Cleveland. He was returned to the Indians a month into the 2011 season, but then was purchased by Pittsburgh that June.

• The MLB draft takes place Thursday through Saturday in Secaucus, N.J. The Mets pick at Nos. 11, 48, 76, 84 and 116, then every 30 after that. Their total available signing bonus money is $6.99 million.

LAS VEGAS 6, FRESNO 5: Kirk Nieuwenhuis' second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the eighth, provided a one-run lead and lifted Las Vegas to the victory (31-26). Brian Bixler had pulled the 51s within a run earlier in the eighth with a solo homer, also against Dan Runzler. Nieuwenhuis has eight homers in his past 14 games. Starter Chris Schwinden allowed four runs on seven hits and no walks in 5 2/3 innings. Josh Edgin earned his first Pacific Coast League victory with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Gonzalez Germen struck out the side in the ninth for his second Triple-A save. Box

BINGHAMTON 8, TRENTON 0: Erik Goeddel (5-2) tossed a season-high seven innings and allowed only two hits as he won his fourth consecutive decision. Ramon Flores walked to open the game and Slade Heathcott followed with a single to put runners at first and second with nobody out. But the righty retired 16 consecutive batters and never let a baserunner get to third base. Meanwhile, the offense broke through against Trenton starter Zach Nuding in the second inning. With two outs, Wilfredo Tovar blooped a single into right-center to score Richard Lucas. Danny Muno followed with an RBI double. Cesar Puello made it 3-0 in the third with a solo homer. Puello leads the team with nine homers. He has hit four homers in four games against the Thunder this season. In the seventh, Alonzo Harris and Tovar had back-to-back singles. After Muno advanced them with a bunt, Josh Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Darrell Ceciliani struck out, but Puello came through with a ground-rule double to put Binghamton (34-24) on top, 5-0. The B-Mets busted the game open in the eighth against Trenton's bullpen. Muno hit a two-run double, and Ceciliani added an RBI single. Jack Leathersich and John Church tossed scoreless relief innings. Box

LAKELAND 5, ST. LUCIE 0: Alex Panteliodis surrendered five runs in 5 2/3 innings. St. Lucie (30-26) mustered only five hits. Gilbert Gomez doubled and Jonathan Clark followed with a single in the third, but T.J. Rivera grounded into an inning-ending double play. Box

SAVANNAH 9, LEXINGTON 2: The Gnats (35-22) used five singles and two walks in a six-run second to overcame an early 2-0 deficit. Savannah has won four straight. Jeff Reynolds evened the score at 2 with a bases-loaded single. Maikis De La Cruz then put the Gnats in front with a bases-loaded walk. Brandon Nimmo followed with a line single to add a fourth run. Jayce Boyd also drew a walk to force in a run. Kevin Plawecki capped the inning's scoring with a sacrifice fly. The Gnats added a run in the sixth on Nimmo's second RBI single of the game. Nimmo finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs. The Gnats plated two more runs in the seventh, highlighted by Stefan Sabol's solo homer, his fifth long ball of the season. The Legends (30-28) scored their only two runs in the top of the first against Savannah starter Logan Taylor. Taylor (strained oblique) was making his first start since April 21. On a limited pitch count, he lasted 3 2/3 innings and surrendered two hits and one walk while striking out five. The Savannah bullpen combined for 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Marco Camarena, who contributed four outs, earned the win. Box

Compiled from team reports

LAS VEGAS 2, FRESNO 1: Zack Wheeler limited Fresno to one run on three hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings. He threw 95 pitches (62 strikes). Wheeler doubled off the outfield wall and scored on Kirk Nieuwenhuis' fifth homer in his past nine games to give Las Vegas a 2-1 lead in the third. Justin Hampson, Gonzalez Germen, Josh Edgin and David Aardsma combined for three scoreless relief innings. Wilmer Flores was limited to coaching first base a day after being struck in the hand with a pitch, which caused inflammation. X-rays were not required. Box

BINGHAMTON 6, NEW HAMPSHIRE 0: Rafael Montero fired seven scoreless innings and the B-Mets collected a season-high 15 hits. The victory, their third shutout of the season, lifted the B-Mets (32-24) into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division. Montero has not allowed a run with the B-Mets in his last 16 2/3 innings. Facing New Hampshire starter Ryan Tepera for the third time this season, the B-Mets jumped on the righty early. Danny Muno broke a slump of 24 straight hitless at-bats with a leadoff single in the second. Cory Vaughn plated him with a double. Muno, whose three-hit game was his third of the season and first since May 13, contributed again in the second. With Wilfredo Tovar aboard on a throwing error by third baseman Kevin Ahrens, Muno homered for a 3-0 lead. The run support was more than enough for Montero (6-3), who put together his second straight scoreless performance. The righty effortlessly shut down the Fisher Cats over seven scorelesss frames. He surrendered five singles, walked one batter and struck out four in his longest outing as a B-Met. The Fisher Cats put two aboard and threatened in the first, but Montero induced Kevin Nolan to fly out to begin a stretch of 10 straight retired batters. Chase Huchingson took over in the eighth and posted two scoreless innings. Vaughn had a solo homer in the eighth. Box

CHARLOTTE 2, ST. LUCIE 1 (7 innings)
ST. LUCIE at CHARLOTTE (ppd.): Willie Argo hit a tiebreaking double in the sixth against reliever T.J. Chism as the Stone Crabs defeated the Mets (29-23) in seven innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader. The nightcap was postponed due to rain. The teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday, with two seven-inning games beginning at 3 p.m. Charley Thurber hit a solo homer in the second inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The Stone Crabs tied the score in the fifth when Ryan Brett ripped a solo homer against starter Domingo Tapia. Tapia allowed one run over five innings while striking out four and walking one. The Mets had runners at first and second in the seventh, but Nate Garcia struck out Gilbert Gomez looking to end the game. Angel Cuan is scheduled to pitch Game 1, with Matt Bowman on the mound for the Mets in the second game Sunday. Box

SAVANNAH 5, KANNAPOLIS 0: Luis Cessa went 7 2/3 innings, striking out 10, walking none and allowing two hits. He combined with Tim Peterson and Tyler Vanderheiden on a five-hit shutout. Savannah (33-22) took a 1-0 lead in the second when Cole Frenzel's double plated Kevin Plawecki. The Gnats tacked on three more runs in the third, highlighted by Brandon Nimmo's RBI double. Yucarybert De La Cruz and Nimmo scored on wild pitches during the inning. Box

Compiled from team reports

LAS VEGAS 11, RENO 1: Brandon Hicks, Josh Satin and Brian Bixler all homered. Hicks and Wilmer Flores drove in three runs apiece. Starter Chris Schwinden limited Reno to one run in 6 2/3 innings as the 51s (26-26) reached .500. Box

BINGHAMTON 6, ALTOONA 4: Josh Rodriguez's single drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth as the B-Mets (31-23) took the rubber match. Rodriguez’s 16-game hitting streak is the longest by a B-Met since Matt den Dekker had a 17-game streak last season. Jarek Cunningham's solo homer opened a three-run second inning against B-Mets starter Cory Mazzoni. Fielding letdowns contributed. Gift Ngoepe's grounder went through third baseman Richard Lucas' legs for the game's first error. After moving to third base on a groundout, Ngoepe scored on shortstop Danny Muno's fielding error. Binghamton cracked the scoreboard in the fifth. Mazzoni led off with a single. Two batters later, Rodriguez tripled. Puello followed with a sharp single to make it 3-2. Andrew Lambo answered in the top of the sixth with a towering solo homer. Darrell Ceciliani opened the next half-inning with a bloop single. On the next pitch, Lucas delivered a run-scoring double. After Xorge Carillo singled to put runners on the corners, Joe Bonfe hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to tie the score at 4. Mazzoni received a no-decision. He struck out a season-high nine over six innings. Adam Kolarek (2-1) pitched two perfect relief innings, striking out four. In the eighth, Quinton Miller plunked Carillo. Alonzo Harris pinch-ran and moved to second on a sac bunt. After Muno also was hit by a pitch, Rodriguez singled to plate Harris. Puello's RBI single capped the scoring. Jeff Walters tossed a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 13th save. Dylan Owen (right knee strain) was placed on the DL. Ryan Fraser was promoted from St. Lucie. Box

JUPITER 4. ST. LUCIE 3: Rehabbing Casey Kotchman delivered a bases-loaded single in the 10th against Randy Fontanez to sink St. Lucie (29-22). Right-hander Luis Mateo, activated from the Binghamton DL and transferred to St. Lucie, pitched a scoreless ninth. Starter Rainy Lara has limited Jupiter to three runs (one earned) in eight innings. Travis Taijeron's two-run homer in the second inning against rehabbing Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi had given the Mets an early 2-0 lead. A fielding error by shortstop Matt Reynolds contributed to a three-run fifth against Lara. Box

SAVANNAH 8, KANNAPOLIS 2
KANNAPOLIS 5, SAVANNAH 4 (11 innings): The Gnats won the completion of a suspended game behind Marco Camarena, who allowed one run and one hit in five innings. Stefan Sabol finished the game 4-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs. Jayce Boyd and Kevin Plawecki also drove in two runs apiece. In the regularly scheduled game, Paul Sewald -- in his third inning of relief -- surrendered a walk-off RBI single to Jake Brown in the 11th. Eudy Pina and Maikis De La Cruz homered in the loss. Brandon Nimmo went 2-for-5 and snapped an 0-for-25 hitless drought. Left-hander Steven Matz was placed on the DL with a blister. Box 1, Box 2

Compiled from team reports

Right-hander Matt Bowman was unsure in March whether he would break camp with low-A Savannah. He suspected he might have to wait until Brooklyn started play in June in order to begin his regular season.

Now, Bowman has breezed past Savannah to high-A St. Lucie. He and second-round pick Matt Reynolds are the only 2012 Mets draft picks to already have reached the Florida State League.

“I’m incredibly happy about it,” said Bowman, who is a combined 7-0 with a 2.50 ERA in nine starts between the two Class A levels. “Going into spring training I was hoping to make the Savannah team as a starter. I actually thought I might be going to Brooklyn as a starter because I was piggybacking last year. And I knew the Brooklyn staff last year was so successful that I thought it would be hard to crack that rotation. I was very happy to go to Savannah. And I was more than a little surprised when they told me I was going up here to Port St. Lucie.”

Bowman, drafted in the 13th round out of Princeton after his junior year, should complete his degree in economics this fall. He also spent last fall at the Ivy League institution after pitching for Brooklyn during the summer.

Princeton students are required to write junior- and senior-year theses. Bowman wrote his first thesis on MLB ticket pricing on the secondary market in conjunction with the Phillies. He plans to pick his senior-year thesis shortly and work on it in the mornings during the baseball season, since the fall alone will not be enough time to complete it.

Another Princeton graduate, ex-Met Chris Young, also chose a baseball topic for his thesis. He studied the impact of Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier in baseball on the tone of race coverage in general in The New York Times during that era.

“It might look into sabermetrics,” Bowman said about his thesis ideas. “I know that doing a baseball topic will keep me interested. I’ve also looked into certain things like different ways we can pay for college tuition in national programs. But I think if I’m going to stay interested, I’ll probably do another baseball topic.”

Bowman currently throws five pitches, but plans to scrap his changeup once he gets more comfortable with his split-finger fastball. He touched 94-95 mph in Brooklyn last year while working a few innings in relief of the starter every fifth day, but rarely shows that velocity this year as a starter -- mostly because his fastball tends to flatten out and stay up in the zone with the extra oomph. He will show it occasionally with two strikes.

Bowman’s most interesting facet may be his delivery, which is similar in style to Tim Lincecum’s.

“It’s a little bit of coincidence, a little bit of conscious decision-making,” Bowman said. “In high school I was a pretty standard-looking pitcher. But when I tried to get a little extra on my pitches, I’d do that lean back and it would look pretty similar. And then I actually saw him while I was in high school, after I started doing that. And I thought, ‘Wow, it’s very impressive that he’s so small, but he can throw the ball so hard.’

“I sort of used that as a model for a little bit. I tried to mimic some of the things he did, but I think I almost tried to be too much like him. He is certainly more athletic and flexible and has better body control than I do. So I sort of toned it down. Now I’m sort of at a happy medium where it’s a little bit of my style and there are similarities in look, but certainly not stuff.”

Organization leaders

Average: Andrew Brown, Vegas, .371; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .354; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .346; Omar Quintanilla, Vegas, .328; ; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, .306; Josh Satin, Vegas, .303; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .300; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .297; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, .296.

Homers: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 10; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 9; Josh Satin, Vegas, 8; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Vegas, 7; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 7.

RBI: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 37; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 37; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 36; Wilmer Flores, Vegas, 32.

Steals: Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 13; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 12; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 12; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, 7; Danny Muno, Binghamton, 6.

ERA: Rainy Lara, St. Lucie, 1.42; Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.50; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.74; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.86; Rafael Montero, Vegas, 3.03; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.07; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 3.19; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 3.69; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 4.13.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 7; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 6; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 6; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 5; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 5.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 12; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 9; Beck Wheeler, Savannah, 5; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 4; Jack Leathersich, Binghamton, 3.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Vegas, 67; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 59; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 54; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 53; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 52.

Short hops

• Omar Quintanilla, who could be called up to replace Ruben Tejada if the Mets shortstop continues to struggle, has produced stellar May numbers. Quintanilla is hitting .403 with one homer, nine RBIs and 11 walks in 23 games this month. One complication for a Quintanilla call-up: He is not on the 40-man roster.

• Left-hander Angel Cuan was named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. Cuan, signed in 2007 out of Panama, has tossed 14 scoreless innings over his past two starts.

• Brandon Nimmo went 0-for-5 Tuesday with Savannah, in his first game since April 29. Nimmo, the organization’s 2011 first-round pick, had dealt with a bruised hand and then a back issue. In a drought spanning the absence, Nimmo is now hitless in his last 25 at-bats. But because of a torrid start with the Gnats, Nimmo nonetheless is hitting .305.

• Zach Lutz has joined Andrew Brown on the Las Vegas DL with an oblique injury. Both are on the 40-man roster, limiting the healthy options the Mets have if they want to make a roster substitution.

• Savannah first baseman Jayce Boyd is hitting .354. That is ranked first in the South Atlantic League, narrowly ahead of teammate Kevin Plawecki (.346). Boyd, a Florida State product, has been limited to DH duty in 10 starts since May 15 because of a shoulder issue. The Mets are not expected to promote players, including Boyd and Plawecki, until the first half of the SAL season is completed.

• Pedro Feliciano remains battling sporadic food-poisoning symptoms. He is at the Mets’ Port St. Lucie complex, participating in workouts as tolerable to preserve his arm strength.

• Francisco Pena, son of Yankees coach Tony Pena, is hitting .385 with four homers and 10 RBIs in eight games since a promotion to Las Vegas.

• Michael Fulmer, who has had a slow return from spring-training surgery to repair a torn meniscus, threw an inning in an extended spring training game Tuesday.

RENO 6, LAS VEGAS 5: Armando Rodriguez surrendered a pair of eighth-inning runs as Reno rallied past Las Vegas (24-26). Collin Cowgill, Josh Satin and Wilmer Flores had three hits apiece in the loss. Josh Edgin surrendered a pair of runs in one inning, lifting his Pacific Coast League ERA to 10.50. Catcher Juan Centeno went 1-for-5 in his return from the disabled list, including a game-ending groundout. Box

BINGHAMTON 8, ALTOONA 5: The B-Mets (30-22) used a four-run seventh to break a 4-all tie. Their fourth straight victory moved them into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division. With two on and one out in the seventh, Josh Rodriguez gave Binghamton a 5-4 lead with an RBI single. Cesar Puello walked to load the bases. Allan Dykstra then hit a run-scoring single. Altoona reliever Luis Sanz struggled to find the strike zone and walked Cory Vaughn to force in another run. Darrell Ceciliani added a sacrifice fly. B-Mets starter Erik Goeddel fell behind early. After walking Adalberto Santos to start the game, Andrew Lambo singled him in to give the Curve a 1-0 lead. Santos hit a two-run single in the second to put Binghamton in a 3-0 hole. The righty was locked in for the rest of his outing, however. Goeddel retired the final 10 hitters he faced. He allowed three hits in the start.

Blake Forsythe hit a solo homer in the second to put Binghamton on the board. Puello and Dykstra led off the fourth with back-to-back doubles to trim the Altoona lead to 3-2. Binghamton took its first lead in the bottom of the sixth. With two on and two outs, Ceciliani knocked a two-run double down the left-field line for a 4-3 lead. Shawn Teufel relieved Goeddel in the seventh and struggled. The lefty walked the only three batters he faced. Adam Kolarek entered and Mel Rojas Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score at 4, but Kolarek retired the next two batters to escape. After Binghamton broke the tie with four runs in the seventh, Kolarek returned for the eighth. He gave up a leadoff triple, followed by an RBI single. When he walked Charlie Cutler to put runners at first and second with one out, Jack Leathersich entered for a five-out save opportunity. Leathersich struck out five of the six batters he faced for his third save. Binghamton has reached 30 wins before June 1 for the first time since 2004. Rodriguez extened his hitting streak to 14 games. Box

ST. LUCIE 0, JUPITER 0 (suspended): Noah Syndergaard retired all seven batters he faced, two via strikeout, before the game was halted in the top of the third inning. It will resume Wednesday as part of a doubleheader. Box

SAVANNAH 8, GREENVILLE 3: Jeff Reynolds went 3-for-4 with four RBIs as the Gnats improved to 30-20. 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo went 0-for-5 and started in center field in his first game since April 29. Starter Steven Matz departed in the fourth inning with an apparent injury. Julian Hilario earned the win in relief with three scoreless innings. Box

Compiled from team reports

2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo, who was shut down with a hand bruise and then developed a back issue when he was nearing a return, has been activated from the disabled list with Class A Savannah.

Nimmo, 20, last played April 29. Despite an active 0-for-20 funk that carries over from before landing on the DL, Nimmo still is hitting .322 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 90 at-bats this season. He has a .421 on-base percentage.

Binghamton outfielder Cory Vaughn is the reigning Eastern League Player of the Week.

He starred alongside Nats ace Stephen Strasburg and White Sox closer Addison Reed for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State.

And Vaughn’s father, Greg, played 15 big league seasons, primarily with Milwaukee.

Yet the 24-year-old Vaughn’s story extends beyond all of those topics.

Since being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at 11 years old, Vaughn has been required to monitor his blood sugar, even during games. If his blood sugar is a little high, he will change the dial on the insulin pump in the back, left pocket of his baseball pants to increase his insulin dose. A tube runs into his body. He slides on his right side -- the opposite side from the pump.

“Everybody thinks it’s like a cell phone or a pager in my pocket when I’m up there, but it’s just the insulin pump,” Vaughn said. “It’s not easy, but it could be much worse. I’ll probably test like five times during the game just to make sure, because if my numbers are a little bit off -- if I’m high -- it’s like the sugar surrounds your cornea and whatnot and your vision gets a little blurry. I just have to make sure it’s in the happy median range. If I go too low, I’m sluggish and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

While many of his St. Lucie teammates received promotions after winning a first-half division title in 2012, Vaughn remained in the Florida State League for the full season, ultimately hitting .243 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs in 456 at-bats.

Now, he is having a strong season with Double-A Binghamton (.298, 5 HR, 27 RBIs in 121 at-bats). And with the Mets’ outfield thin and Vaughn needing to be added to the 40-man roster after the season if the Mets want to protect him from Rule 5 draft eligibility, continued production could land Vaughn a September call-up.

“When I was in Savannah, I was hitting .350 with two weeks left to go in the first half and I started panicking about home runs because I only had four,” Vaughn said. “I panicked and I dropped to .286 with two weeks left and I went like 0-for-32. Ever since then, I’ve never been one to panic off of power numbers. This year I’ve been trying to be a complete player and take what they give me.”

B-Mets hitting coach Luis Natera noted power does not always come right away as a professional, so Vaughn should not have fretted and changed his approach when he was not producing homers in low-A. Now, Vaughn is doing a better job with selectivity even within the strike zone.

“I think I’m just not panicking as much,” Vaughn said. “I’m just going out there and having fun. Up here, if it’s 3-1, 2-0, they’re not just going to be throwing a ‘cookie’ every time. If they throw me a slider 3-1 and I’m not looking for it, or looking wherever they throw it, I’m going to take it as opposed to just swinging and getting a rollover groundout.”

Said Natera: “The most important thing right now is he’s not afraid to hit with two strikes. So he doesn’t swing at borderline pitches early in the count. He’s not afraid. Now, he gets more good pitches to hit.”

Organization leaders

Average: Andrew Brown, Vegas, .371; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .356; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .338; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, .315; Josh Satin, Vegas, .303; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .303; T.J. Rivera, St. Lucie, .300; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, .298; Rylan Sandoval, St. Lucie, .291; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, .287.

Homers: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 10; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 8; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 6; Josh Satin, Vegas, 6.

RBI: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 36; Andrew Brown, Vegas, 32; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 32; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, 30; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 30.

Steals: Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 13; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 9; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 8; Danny Muno, Binghamton, 6; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, 6.

ERA: Rainy Lara, Savannah, 1.17; Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.49; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.62; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.74; Steven Matz, Savannah, 2.86; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.28; Rafael Montero, Vegas, 3.38; Hansel Robles, St. Lucie, 3.38; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 3.55.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 6; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 6; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 5.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 12; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 8; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 4; Beck Wheeler, Savannah, 3.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Vegas, 59; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 53; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 48; Rainy Lara, Savannah, 47; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 47.

Short hops

• Rafael Montero’s spot start with Triple-A Las Vegas was solid. Montero took a scoreless effort into the final inning of a seven-inning game Tuesday at Iowa in his Pacific Coast League debut. He allowed a leadoff homer in the seventh to Brian Bogusevic that evened the score at 1. After a two-out walk in that frame, Josh Edgin entered and allowed the inherited run to score as Montero (6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) was charged with a hard-luck loss.

• Bradley Marquez, a 16^th-round pick in 2011, has arrived at the Mets’ complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Marquez splits his time between playing college football at Texas Tech and playing in the minors for the Mets. He suffered a season-ending ligament tear in his right knee last fall playing football, but is OK to play with a short-season baseball affiliate this summer. A wide receiver, he participated in Red Raiders spring football with the exception of scrimmages that might expose the knee to serious contact. Marquez was limited to nine games last season with Kingsport because of a quadriceps injury.

• Right-hander Rainy Lara (4-1, 1.17 ERA) has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the second time in three weeks. Lara, 22, appeared an afterthought early in 2012 but forced his way into Brooklyn’s rotation last year after solid production in extended spring training.

• Zack Wheeler, who received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder for modest swelling in the AC joint last Wednesday, returns to Las Vegas’ rotation this afternoon at Iowa after missing one turn. Wheeler has a 1.35 ERA over his past three starts with the 51s.

• Right fielder Cesar Puello is heating up with Binghamton. His two-run homer Tuesday at New Britain was his sixth long ball in May. He is hitting .338 this month.

• Veteran reliever David Aardsma, 31, has joined Las Vegas. He last appeared in the majors for one appearances last season with the Yankees.

• Mets officials say Brandon Nimmo was prepared to return from a long absence for a bruised hand when he tweaked his lower back. Nimmo, the organization’s 2011 first-round pick, last appeared for Savannah on April 29.

• Michael Fulmer, who underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, will resume pitching in an extended spring training game next week.

• Left-hander Darin Gorski, who suffered a shoulder strain while with Las Vegas, is due to throw two innings in extended spring training.

• Binghamton speedster Alonzo Harris received five stitches in the index finger on his right hand after cutting himself during a stolen-base attempt Monday. The stitches need to stay in for 10 days, and Harris may not return until they are removed.

Francisco Pena spent time in major league clubhouses from a young age with his father, five-time All-Star catcher Tony Pena.

“That’s where I was born,” the Mets farmhand said. “I breathe baseball. I eat baseball. I do everything baseball.”

This March, the father and son got to share a championship experience. The 23-year-old Pena was the backup catcher on the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic-winning team, which was managed by his father.

The Double-A Binghamton catcher had only two at-bats while playing behind Carlos Santana, but he would not have traded the experience of being among all those superstars on a team managed by his father.

“We treated each other as a ballplayer and a manager,” Pena said. “But, as well, everybody knew that he was my dad. We have a real good relationship. When I saw him, I always treated him with respect. I always give him a kiss when I saw him. We have a father and son relationship as well.

“It wasn’t as much playing time, but it was a great experience,” Pena continued. “I learned a lot with all of those stars on our team, like Robinson Cano, Jose Reyes, Edwin Encarnacion. I tried to get some time with Robinson Cano -- seeing his approach and how he had his game plan and routine, all the stuff he did in the cage, off the field, and learn the little stuff. Just being around Reyes and being around Encarnacion, with the big year he had as well, and seeing those approaches and plans they have.”

Francisco returned to Mets camp after the WBC 20-25 pounds lighter than during the 2012 season, which he split between Class A St. Lucie and Binghamton. He had undergone surgery for a stress fracture on the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in 2011 that required insertion of a pin. So losing weight meant less stress on the foot. He subbed water for soda and juices and increased his consumption of vegetables and chicken.

“It’s all about eating healthy,” Pena said. “Once I got routine down it was easy. I worked hard in my offseason. I played a lot of winter ball back home in the Dominican Republic. Before games I used to wake up early and just do my job. It was my game plan to try to lose a little bit of weight and try to be ready to go into spring training and have a good season here, being healthy. I had an injury, a broken foot. I’m just trying to put less stress on that foot and trying to be quicker and lose some weight. That’s what I did and it’s been working so far.”

This season, Pena is hitting .258 with four RBIs through 66 at-bats with the B-Mets while sharing duties behind the plate with 2010 third-round pick Blake Forsythe.

Pena has been with the organization since signing as a teenager in 2006. It has been a slow ascent -- his career average is .234 -- but things are now going well.

“I signed when I was 16,” Pena said. “My first year was when I was 17. And from the get-go they sent me to A-ball. I had never played baseball as much. I played baseball all my life, but we played baseball in the Dominican Republic probably like two times a week. We just practiced and practiced. We didn’t have that much repetition playing-wise.

“I’m not making excuses, but it’s hard for a young guy leaving his family, leaving his mom, leaving all his friends and just playing baseball. But now, the experience playing winter ball back home in the Dominican Republic, playing in the States for so many years, I think it’s been helping me a lot.”

Organization leaders

Average: Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .374; Andrew Brown, Vegas, .359; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .351; Brandon Nimmo, Savannah, .322; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .320; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, .299; T.J. Rivera, St. Lucie, .295; Josh Satin, Vegas, .291; Omar Quintanilla, Vegas, .284; Rylan Sandoval, St. Lucie, .284.

Homers: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 8; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 6; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 5; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 5; Josh Satin, Vegas, 5.

RBI: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 31; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, 30; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 29; Andrew Brown, Vegas, 27; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 25.

Steals: Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 11; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 8; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 7.

ERA: Rainy Lara, Savannah, 1.42; Domingo Tapia, St. Lucie, 2.23; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.47; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.61; Hansel Robles, St. Lucie, 2.64; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.74; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.15; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 3.47; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 3.74; Luis Cessa, Savannah, 3.93.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 6; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 5; Rainy Lara, Savannah, 4; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 4; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 4.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 10; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 4; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 3.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 54; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 47; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 42; Rainy Lara, Savannah, 38; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 38.

Short hops

• St. Lucie prospect Domingo Tapia, whose 2.23 ERA ranks second among qualifiers in the organization, is not expected to be out long after burning his left, non-pitching hand cooking. He needs to wait for blistering to subside so that he can again put on a glove. Curiously, Tapia is the second St. Lucie pitcher to burn a hand in three years. Jeurys Familia also did so while with the Florida State League club.

• Princeton product Matt Bowman, the organization’s 13th round pick last year, has not missed a beat since a promotion. Bowman, who has a Tim Lincecum-style delivery, moved to a collective 6-0 between Savannah and St. Lucie after combining with T.J. Chism on a one-hit shutout Tuesday. In two Florida State League starts, Bowman has a 2.08 ERA and .152 opponent batting average in 13 innings.

• Noah Syndergaard, the right-hander acquired from the Blue Jays in the December trade for R.A. Dickey, is on a tear with St. Lucie. Since allowing seven runs in three innings against Fort Myers on April 18, Syndergaard has allowed four runs (two earned) in 26 innings over four starts -- for an 0.69 ERA during that span.

• Brandon Hicks, the former Braves/A’s infielder who cleared waivers at the end of spring training and remained with the organization, should quickly move to Las Vegas. Hicks recently played in extended spring training games after recovering from a calf injury. He appeared in a St. Lucie game for the first time Tuesday.

• 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo is taking full batting practice with Savannah and should reenter games any day. Nimmo has not played since April 29 because of a bruised hand.

• The Mets are proceeding very slowly with right-hander Michael Fulmer, who underwent surgery for a torn meniscus during spring training. Fulmer pitched two innings in an extended spring training game a couple of weeks ago, but has not been in a game since. The Mets say nothing is wrong, but they don’t want to go too quickly and do damage to his arm.

LAS VEGAS 6, ROUND ROCK 5: Trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Collin Cowgill delivered consecutive doubles to even the score at 5. Josh Satin then plated Cowgill with an RBI single. Greg Burke pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Zach Lutz and Wilmer Flores had contributed early solo homers as Las Vegas built a 4-0 lead. Chris Schwinden took a scoreless effort into the seventh, when he and Gonzalez Germen combined to surrender five runs. Box

HARRISBURG 6, BINGHAMTON 1: Paul Demny and Ian Krol combined to throw the first no-hitter against the B-Mets since Aug. 13 , 2001. Demny hit a batter and walked another in the first inning, but escaped unscathed. He retired seven in a row until walking Allan Dykstra in the fourth. His night ended at 113 pitches after eight innings. Krol threw a perfect ninth. Cesar Puello went 0-for-3, ending his 15-game hitting streak, which had been the longest active in Double-A. Binghamton scored its lone run in the seventh. After Dykstra led off with his third walk of the game, he moved to third base on a throwing error by Demny. With runners on the corners, Francisco Pena grounded into a run-scoring 3-6-1 double-play. Harrisburg got its offense going right away against B-Mets starter Jacob deGrom. After a throwing error by the catcher Pena on a bunt attempt in the first inning, Anthony Rendon doubled in a run. He came around to score when Jerad Head singled. Harrisburg scored another unearned run in the second, on Dykstra's throwing error. In the sixth, the Senators busted the game open. After Jimmy Van Ostrand doubled and Sandy Leon was intentionally walked, Ricky Hague doubled down the left-field line to knock in both runners. He then scored a batter later when Demny helped himself out with an RBI double. DeGrom’s night ended after 5 2/3 innings. He gave up six runs on nine hits. He is now 0-4 in five Double-A starts. In deGrom’s outings, Binghamton has scored a total of five runs. Box

ST. LUCIE 17, PALM BEACH 1: Noah Syndergaard matched a career high by logging seven innings and struck out seven and Matt Reynolds had three hits and five RBIs as St. Lucie produced its sixth straight win in a rout. Syndergaard (2-1) retired 15 consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff double in the first. He allowed just two baserunners through six innings. He walked one. T.J. Chism struck out two in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Gilbert Gomez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Robbie Shields finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Cam Maron had two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs. Dustin Lawley had two RBIs and reached base twice. The Mets scored four times in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Shields. Reynolds had a bases-clearing double in a five-run third. The Mets also scored six times in the sixth, which included a two-run double by Maron and a two-run double by Gomez. Box

SAVANNAH 3, ROME 1: Down 1-0 in the sixth, South Atlantic League batting-average leader Kevin Plawecki drew a walk to begin what ended up being a three-run frame. A hit-by-pitch and then a single loaded the bases. Plawecki scored on a wild pitch by Braves starter Rafael Briceno to even the score at 1. Greg Pron followed with a walk to reload the bases and chase Briceno. Facing reliever Alex Wilson in his Rome debut, Jeff Glenn lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Cole Frenzel. The other runners, Maikis De La Cruz and Pron, also tagged. Braves third baseman Carlos Franco's throw to second, in his attempt on Pron, sailed into right field, allowing De La Cruz to score the Gnats' third run. De La Cruz, who was added to the Gnats' roster on Thursday, was 2-for-4. The Braves scored the game's first run on a solo homer by Casey Kalenkosky in the second against left-hander Steven Matz. Matz (2-0, 1.85 ERA) completed six innings for the first time this season. He allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk. The Gnats turned double plays behind him in the fifth and sixth innings to help him out of jams. 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo (hand) has landed on the DL. Box

Compiled from team reports

While a prep athlete in Tulsa, Okla., Matt Reynolds strongly considered playing college basketball instead of baseball. A point guard, he received interest from Iowa State as a walk-on as well as from Butler, Furman and “a little bit” from Kansas.

When he got to his senior year, though, Reynolds decided college baseball could provide him the best future. So he enrolled at the University of Arkansas and parlayed that into getting drafted in the second round last year by the Mets.

“I loved both sports. Both of them were my passion,” Reynolds said. “It was a tough decision to give up basketball. And if I decided to play basketball, it was going to be a tough decision to give up baseball. But I realized baseball was where my future was at, and I loved it equally.”

Where would he be now if he had chosen hoops?

“I’d still be in college, finishing up my degree,” Reynolds said. “That’s for sure.”

Reynolds, 22, is hitting .264 with one homer and 15 RBIs through 110 at-bats as the shortstop for Class A St. Lucie.

He actually primarily played third base in college with the Hogs, but exclusively has moved back to shortstop in pro ball.

“I played shortstop all of high school,” Reynolds said. “I went into college as a shortstop. I played shortstop my freshman year and got hurt [with a borderline stress fracture in a shin]. I came back my sophomore year and we needed a third baseman. Our other shortstop [Tim Carver] played well. So they put me at third for an extra bat out there.”

Said St. Lucie manager Ryan Ellis: “I was actually very surprised to hear he was a third baseman in college. I’m thinking if he’s playing third, who the heck is playing short? … He’s like an extra pitcher on the field. He’s moving the guys around. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time. With that said, tools-wise, I think he’s a little bit limited running. But his bat, I think potentially, he can show a little more pull-side power the more experience he gets. He has a very strong arm.”

In his first pro season, Reynolds hit .259 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 42 games at low-A Savannah after the draft in 2012.

“I feel like the SEC prepared me for pro ball, especially in low-A -- just the velocity part of pitchers,” Reynolds said. “In the SEC we’re facing [Kevin] Gausman and Bobby Wahl and all those types of guys that are first-rounders, or who are going to be first-rounders.”

One thrill for Reynolds so far: He was borrowed from minor league camp and appeared in three Grapefruit League games. He had an RBI double against Detroit’s Jose Alvarez on March 24 and a single against St. Louis’ Nick Greenwood two days later before his perfection finally got spoiled on the last day of spring-training play, on a grounder to third against Baltimore sidearmer Darren O’Day.

“The third baseman made a diving play and screwed me a little bit,” Reynolds said with a laugh.

Organization leaders

Average: Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .400; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .381; Andrew Brown, Vegas, .367; Juan Lagares, Vegas, .346; Brandon Nimmo, Savannah, .322; Josh Satin, Vegas, .313; Jamie Hoffmann, Vegas, .305; Cory Vaughn, Binghamton, .291; T.J. Rivera, St. Lucie, .290; Rylan Sandoval, St. Lucie, .284.

Homers: Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 6; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 5; Aderlin Rodriguez, St. Lucie, 5; Josh Satin, Vegas, 5.

RBI: Jayce Boyd, Savannah, 28; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 28; Andrew Brown, Vegas, 27; Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 22.

Steals: Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 11; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 8; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 7; Danny Muno, Binghamton, 5; Brian Bixler, Vegas, 4; Stefan Sabol, Savannah, 4.

ERA: Rainy Lara, Savannah, 1.45; Domingo Tapia, St. Lucie, 2.23; Hansel Robles, St. Lucie, 2.36; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 2.90; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.95; Collin McHugh, Vegas, 2.98; Robert Gsellman, Savannah, 3.00; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 3.49; Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 3.54.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 5; Rainy Lara, Savannah, 4; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 4; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 4.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 8; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 4; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 3.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Binghamton, 48; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 40; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 33.

Short hops

• St. Lucie outfielder Travis Taijeron has been named Florida State League player of the week. Taijeron, an 18th-round pick in 2011 from Cal Poly Pomona, hit .474 with one homer and six doubles in six games through Sunday. Third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez also has heated up with the FSL club. Rodriguez is 7-for-17 with two homers and nine RBIs in his past four games, which has upped his season average to .218.

• Mets third base coach Tim Teufel got a treat during Monday’s off-day. Teufel watched his son Shawn Teufel pitch three scoreless innings in relief for Binghamton at Trenton. It was the first time the elder Teufel had seen his son pitch since Pedro Feliciano helped the 26-year-old left-hander drop down to a submarine arm slot from a conventional delivery earlier this year.

• Binghamton outfielder Cory Vaughn has been out since April 29 with a sprained ulna collateral ligament in his right, throwing arm. Vaughn has started throwing lightly and is taking batting practice. Vaughn had been off to a solid start with the B-Mets. He is hitting .291 with four homers, 17 RBIs and three steals and has a .391 on-base percentage through 92 plate appearances.

• Right-hander Jeff Walters, whose eight saves with Binghamton lead the Eastern League, has an interesting distinction. Walters was drafted five times -- out of high school, twice out of junior college, then after his junior and senior years at the University of Georgia. He signed after being selected in the seventh round by the Mets in 2010. Told getting drafted five times must be some type of record, Walters said he actually knows another person who experienced it -- his former high school pitching coach, Randy O’Neal, who ended up being the 15th overall pick in the 1981 draft by the Detroit Tigers the final time.

• Left-hander Jack Leathersich continues to put up gaudy strikeout totals. He now has 27 in 15 innings with the B-Mets and 166 in 99 2/3 professional innings since getting drafted in the fifth round in 2011 out of UMass Lowell. Leathersich isn’t a flamethrower. He sits at 91-94 mph. Nor is he particularly tall. He’s listed at 5-foot-11. But he does make it difficult to pick up the ball and is getting hitters to chase fastballs up and out of the zone.

• Brandon Nimmo still has not returned to the lineup since April 29 because of a bruised hand. The Mets have not believed Nimmo’s issue is serious, but will get him checked out as the absence lingers.

• Matt Bowman made his Florida State League debut Tuesday after being promoted from Savannah, where he went 4-0 with a 2.64 ERA in five starts. Bowman, a Princeton product who has a Tim Lincecum-style delivery, earned the win against Daytona in his first FSL appearance. Robert Gsellman, who had been plugging a spot with St. Lucie, went to the Gnats to take Bowman’s spot.

• Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Collin Cowgill both will see center-field action with Las Vegas.

• The Mets planned to get Feliciano to a higher level of the minors than St. Lucie by now, but Feliciano’s food-poisoning issue slowed the ascent.

• The Mets are taking it slow with Michael Fulmer as he returns from surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Fulmer has not pitched again in a game since throwing two innings in an extended spring training game last Monday.

• Right-hander Luis Mateo is making progress with a throwing program after leaving his Double-A debut April 15 with elbow inflammation. He was due to throw a bullpen session either yesterday or today.