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INDIANAPOLIS 4, BUFFALO 1: The Herd, which had a four-game winning streak snapped, scored its lone run against Rick VandenHurk in the first inning, when Corey Wimberly successfully had a delayed straight steal of home with Valentino Pascucci batting. "I basically told Corey, 'If you think you can steal home, go for it,'" manager Wally Backman said. "It was a success due to the position of the third baseman." It is the first time a Bison has stolen home since Chris Clapinski on May 16, 2004 at Columbus. Said Wimberley: "I told Wally if the pitcher lobs the ball back, I'm going home. I caught them sleeping, so I went for it." Jack Egbert, who started in place of Jeremy Hefner, who was called up to the Mets, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in two innings. In relief of Egbert, Chuck James tossed three scoreless innings. Backman was ejected in the third inning for arguing a caught stealing call by the third base umpire. The Bisons activated reliever Jeff Stevens and welcomed Edgar Ramirez to the club's roster. In his first Triple-A action since 2009, Ramirez allowed two runs (one earned) in three innings. Chris Schwinden was recalled by the Mets. Infielder Michael Fisher was demoted to Double-A Binghamton. Box

BINGHAMTON 11, PORTLAND 7: The B-Mets collected 12 hits and scored in all but one inning. The rubber-game victory secured Binghamton’s third straight series win and kicked their record above .500 for the first time in May. Binghamton grabbed the lead three batters into the game against Sea Dogs starter Chris Balcom-Miller. Matt den Dekker extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games with an infield single. After advancing to second on a throwing error by third baseman Kolbrin Vitek, the first of four errors for Portland, den Dekker moved to third on a sac bunt and scored on Reese Havens’ groundout. The B-Mets added two runs in the second, when Juan Lagares scored on a wild pitch and Pedro Zapata supplied a sac fly. Raul Reyes lashed an RBI double in the third and den Dekker drove in a run with a single in the fourth, Balcom-Miller’s final inning. The righty was tagged for five runs (three earned) on four hits and walked five in four innings. Binghamton kept the offense rolling against reliever Jeremy Kehrt. Lagares ripped an RBI double in the fifth and Sean Kazmar drove in two with a double in the sixth. Kazmar scored later in the three-run inning on a fielding error by Reynaldo Rodriguez at first. The frame gave Binghamton a 9-2 lead. Portland's Jeremy Hazelbaker got the Sea Dogs on the board in third with a solo homer against starter Greg Peavey and Derrik Gibson added a sac fly in the fourth. Down by seven in the sixth, Portland chased Peavey by getting the first four to reach safely. Ronald Bermudez’s RBI single with the bases loaded ended Peavey’s day. The righty allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings. With the bases loaded and no outs, Kevin Mulvey entered and induced Gibson to bounce back to the mound, starting a double play. Heiker Meneses struck out to end the threat. The seventh was not as smooth for Mulvey. He walked one and hit a batter before serving up a three-run homer to Rodriguez, cutting Binghamton’s lead to three. Jeff Kaplan took over and allowed the first four he faced to reach safely. Gibson ripped an RBI single to center with the bases loaded to make it 9-7. However, Kaplan retired the next two batters to end the inning. He posted a perfect eighth. The B-Mets added runs in the eighth and ninth, highlighted by Jefry Marte's solo homer. Adrian Rosario navigated around two walks to post a scoreless ninth. Peavey (3-1) snapped a five-start winless streak. Box

LAKELAND 2, ST. LUCIE 1: Ryan Fraser allowed two runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief to get tagged with the loss. Starter Angel Cuan limited Lakeland to one hit and two walks while striking out three in 6 1/3 scoreless innings. St. Lucie mustered three hits. The lone run came in the sixth when Cory Vaughn, Richard Lucas and Blake Forsythe all walked, and Vaughn scored on a subsequent Lakeland error. Box

SAVANNAH 5, AUGUSTA 3: Savannah had a comfortable 5-0 lead heading to the ninth, but the GreenJackets scored three times and had the tying run at second with two outs when reliever T.J. Chism induced a comebacker to end the game. The Gnats lost the first two games of the series, each by one run, while stranding the tying run at second. On Sunday, Savannah scored the game’s opening run in the second. Dustin Lawley walked and scored on Brian Harrison’s RBI double over the head of center fielder Carlos Willoughby. Savannah added two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh innings. Lawley began the sixth by lining a homer just to the right side of the batter’s eye. Travis Taijeron followed with a triple up the right-center gap and came home on Aderlin Rodriguez’s hustle double on a pop fly into shallow center to put the Gnats up 3-0. T.J. Rivera added a two-run homer in the seventh. In the ninth, making his first Savannah appearance, reliever Randy Fontanez walked two batters and hit one to load the bases. A sacrifice fly trimmed the Gnats’ lead to 5-1. A single reloaded the bases and chased Fontanez. With the tying run at the plate, Chism struck out pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson. However, Willoughby dumped a double down the left-field line to drive in two. He raced to second as the tying run. Chism then induced a chopper back to the mound to end the threat and game. Gnats starter Rafael Montero allowed one infield hit in six innings. He faced one over the minimum through five innings. Box

Compiled from team reports

BUFFALO 9, CHARLOTTE 3: Buffalo (22-16) put a close to their 10-game trip with a 9-3 triumph over Charlotte at a rain-soaked Knights Stadium on Monday night. Valentino Pascucci homered and drove in three. The Bisons made quick work of Monday's contest by scoring six runs in the first two innings. While the first two tallies came on hits by Fred Lewis and Pascucci, only one was scored conventionally. Pascucci hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season, but before that, Lewis raced home on a throwing error from Osvaldo Martinez after tripling to right field. Oswaldo Navarro closed out the three-run first by driving in Matt Tuiasosopo for his first RBI with the Bisons. Buffalo broke open the game with three more runs in the second inning on a Lewis RBI-double, a Vinny Rottino single and a run-scoring groundout from Pascucci. That was more than enough for Jeurys Familia to earn his third consecutive winning decision. The righty fanned seven in five innings of work and allowed just one run on five hits. Buffalo added single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings for insurance. Pascucci's single in fourth gave him three RBI on the night and a team-high 25 for the season. The final two Bisons runs scored on wild pitches. It wasn't all good news for the Bisons on Monday. Before the game, the club learned that infielder Zach Lutz had a broken left hamate. He was placed on the team's disabled list. Box

SAVANNAH 6, CHARLESTON 2: Savannah (23-13) scored four runs in the 10th to defeat Chalreston Monday night. Tied 2-2 with the bases loaded and two outs, an error by Charleston allowed Dustin Lawley to score the go-ahead run. Brandon Brown then drove in two with a single and Camden Maron made it 6-2 with another single. Jeffrey Walters pitched the ninth and the 10th to secure the win, his third of the year. He gave up just one hit and walked one batter. The game was a pitcher's duel between Rafael Montero and William Oliver. Charleston went up 1-0 in the first but Savannah answered with two in the third when Lawley (2-for- 5, two RBIs) drove in two. Charleston tied in the eighth. Montero gave up four hits and one unearned run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five. Box

ST. LUCIE 4, BRADENTON 1: Jenrry Mejia pitched six effective innings and struck out seven in his second start of the season since returning from Tommy John Surgery and the Mets (29-8) pounded out 11 hits in a 4-1 victory over the Bradenton Marauders on Monday. Mejia allowed one run on three hits and did not walk a batter. He gave up a home run to former Mets farmhand Stefan Welch in the second.Mejia underwent Tommy John Surgery on May 16 of last year. He picked up his first victory and had excellent command. He threw 73 pitches and 53 for strikes.The Mets hit back-to-back home runs in a three-run third fourth inning to take the lead. Cesar Puello ripped a go-ahead solo homer to left with one out to give the Mets a 2-1 advantage. Francisco Pena followed with a solo blast to left-center. Danny Muno delivered a two-out, RBI single into right field to score Rafael Fernandez to make it 4-1. The Mets jumped out to the lead in the first inning. Muno drilled a leadoff double down the right field line and scored on an RBI groundout by Cory Vaughn. Yohan Almonte pitched three scoreless innings and struck out six to record his first save. Almonte struck out the side in the eighth inning and fanned five straight batters at one point. He did not allow a hit and walked just one. Richard Lucas went 3-for-4 and Wilfredo Tovar finished 2-for-3 at the plate for the Mets. Muno recorded two hits with a run scored and an RBI. The Mets host the Bradenton Marauders on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Chris Young is the scheduled starter for the Mets. Box

Compiled from team reports

BINGHAMTON 2, HARRISBURG 1: Josh Rodriguez singled in the bottom of the ninth to score Pedro Zapata with the winning run for the B-Mets' first walk-off victory this season. Zapata started the ninth with a single off reliever Marcos Frias (0-2) and moved to second on a groundout. With two outs, Rodriguez shot a groundball into right field. Zapata rounded third and scored without a throw after Chris Rahl bobbled the ball in the outfield. Binghamton had been 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Losers of two straight, Binghamton sent Greg Peavey to the mound hoping to avoid the sweep. He delivered his longest appearance this season, allowing one unearned run over seven innings. He struck out three and allowed four hits in a no-decision. Harrisburg scored its only run on a throwing error in the fourth. With two outs in a scoreless game, Rahl attempted to steal third base. Catcher Juan Centeno’s throw to third was off target and rolled into left field, allowing Rahl to score. Binghamton tied the score in the fifth on a throwing error by Harrisburg’s catcher. With the bases loaded, Reese Havens sent a chopper to first that Tim Pahuta fielded and fired to the plate to nab Peavey. Sandy Loen’s throw back to first bounced off Havens’ helmet and allowed Matt den Dekker to score from second to tie the game. Following Peavey’s strong outing, Armando Rodriguez (1-0) took the reins in the eighth. He threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit and earned his first win thanks to Binghamton’s rally in the ninth. The B-Mets (14-15) open a three-game series Monday against New Britain. Left-hander Mark Cohoon opposes left-hander Andrew Albers. Box

DUNEDIN 5, ST. LUCIE 3
ST. LUCIE 8, DUNEDIN 0: In the first game, the Blue Jays jumped to the lead with a four-run fourth inning off Mets starter Chase Huchingson. Huchingson (4-2) allowed five runs on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Despite trailing 5-0, the Mets rallied with a three-run fifth. Wilfredo Tovar had a run-scoring fielder’s choice and Danny Muno added an RBI groundout. Still, the Blue Jays limited the Mets to three hits. John Church pitched two scoreless innings with two walks and three strikeouts in relief. In the second game, the Mets scored single runs in the first and third innings. The Mets added to their lead with three runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. Richard Lucas went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Cesar Puello had three hits, including a double, and two runs scored. Rafael Fernandez also recorded three hits and drove in two. Muno had two hits and hit his third homer of the season. Juan Torres added an RBI single. Kyle Allen pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings and worked around seven hits with three strikeouts. Ryan Fraser pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two hits. Hamilton Bennett pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts. Box 1, Box 2

LAKEWOOD 4, SAVANNAH 0: Lakewood snapped the Gnats’ six-game winning streak. Lakewood (10-18) scored the game’s first runs in the fifth against Savannah starter Rafael Montero. After a single and walk, Gustavo Gonzalez brought home the game’s first run with a single. Two batters later, Gauntlett Eldemire singled to plate the inning’s second run. Montero (2-2) lasted five innings, yielding two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three. Montero entered Sunday with only one walk in 27 2/3 innings, but twice walked BlueClaws shortstop Tyler Greene. The BlueClaws doubled their lead to 4-0 in the sixth with a two-run homer from Aaron Altherr. The Gnats (18-13) collected four hits in the game, and only put one runner on third base all game. T.J. Rivera was 2-for-4 to lift his batting average to .368 in 29 games. Box

Compiled from team reports

ROCHESTER 2, BUFFALO 1 (GAME 1); ROCHESTER 5, BUFFALO 0 (GAME 2): The Herd competed gamely in a Saturday doubleheader against the Red Wings, but was swept with losses of 2-1 and 5-0. On Saturday, the Bisons played decently but could not come up with the big hit when it was needed most. In the first game, the Bisons took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd on Omar Quintanilla's RBI single, but could not generate any more runs the rest of the way. Rochester starting pitcher P. J. Walters allowed the Bisons seven baserunners in the 2nd inning, but retired his last 14 batters faced to close the game.Walters pitched a complete game for Rochester, the first such occurrence for the Red Wings this season. The Red Wings rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the third, and took the lead on Brian Dozier's sacrifice fly in the 5th that scored Rene Rivera. This was all the offense the Wings would need, as Walters would not allow a base runner the rest of the way.The Bisons could not get the bats going in the second game of the doubleheader, either. Rochester used a revolving door of pitchers to get the job done against the herd, limiting the Bisons to four hits on the game. Red Wings starter Brandon Wise pitched three innings, giving up three hits, and a trio of relievers finished the job. The Bisons had a solid opportunity to get back into the game in the 6th, when Josh Satin and Matt Tuiasosopo were hit by pitches on consecutive at-bats with one out. Rochester made a pitching change at this point, replacing Deolis Guerra with Tyler Robertson. The Bisons would load the bases with Lucas May's two-out walk, but Michael Fisher popped out to end the inning. The majority of Rochester's offense came in the third inning. The Red Wings started the inning with three consecutive singles that produced one run, and Darin Mastroianni's two-out double scored two runs later in the inning. Box 1, Box 2

HARRISBURG 2, BINGHAMTON 1 Harrisburg starter Danny Rosenbaum faced two over the minimum en route to a 2-1 complete game victory over the B-Mets (13-15) Saturday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium.The B-Mets managed just five hits against the current Eastern League ERA leader, bounced into three double plays and had one caught stealing, resulting in a season-low one left on base. Harrisburg packed their offense into the fourth. B-Mets starter Darin Gorski walked leadoff hitter Destin Hood and surrendered a single to Chris Rahl. An attempted pickoff throw to second sailed into center, allowing both runners to advance. With runners at second and third, Sandy Leon plated Harrisburg’s first run with a groundout to second and Jose Lozada collected his fifth RBI of the year with a single to left. Gorski (2-1) finished after six innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out four in the losing effort. Binghamton scored its only run in the sixth. Oswaldo Navarro walked to start the inning. After a pair of groundouts, Pedro Zapata ripped a double to left to bring Navarro home.The B-Mets had singles in the seventh and eighth innings that were quickly erased by double plays. The B-Mets attempt to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 PM. RHP Greg Peavey matches up against RHP Robert Gilliam. Box

SAVANNAH 5, LAKEWOOD 3: The Savannah Sand Gnats (18-11) tied a season-high with their sixth-straight win, beating the Lakewood BlueClaws 5-3 Saturday night in front of 2,481 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium. Michael Fulmer threw five shutout innings to earn his place in the winner’s circle for the first time as a professional. Fulmer, the 44th overall pick in the 2011 draft, struck out four, gave up two hits, and did not allow a runner to third base. The Gnats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on left fielder Dustin Lawley’s bases loaded sacrifice fly. Savannah eventually built a 4-0 lead. In the fifth inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Travis Taijeron lined a single into left field to plate two for a 3-0 Savannah advantage. Taijeron finished 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to six straight games. He is hitting .560 (14-for-25) with seven extra-base hits in his last six games. Brandon Brown lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to put the Gnats ahead 4-0.The BlueClaws (9-18) scored three unearned runs off Gnats’ reliever Jeffrey Walters in the top of the eighth inning, aided by three Savannah errors in the frame. Walters struck out first baseman Harold Martinez looking to end the inning with the tying run at second with Gnats leading 4-3.The Gnats added an insurance run to set the game’s final score in the bottom of the eighth when shortstop Luis Nieves drove home first baseman Brian Harrison.The Gnats will look for their seventh straight win Sunday at 2:05 pm when they send righty Rafael Montero (2-1, 3.58) to the hill against Kenny Giles (0-1, 4.76). Box


ST. LUCIE 5, DUNEDIN 3:St. Lucie catcher Blake Forsythe hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh as the Mets defeated Dunedin 5-3 on Saturday at Digital Domain Park.The Mets took the opener of the four-game series in a battle of two first-place teams. Forsythe hit a two-out, solo blast off Blue Jays reliever Trystan Magnuson to give the Mets at 4-3 lead in the seventh. Adam Kolarek picked up the victory with two scoreless innings in relief with three strikeouts. Adrian Rosario struck out the side in the ninth for his seventh save. Cory Mazzoni received a no-decision as he allowed two runs on six hits in six innings with two walks and one strikeout. Taylor Whitenton allowed two hits and allowed a run in relief. Wilfredo Tovar hit an RBI double in the third inning to plate Alonzo Harris to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Robbie Shields added to the lead with an RBI single to right-center to bring home Tovar.The Blue Jays tied the score with a pair of runs in the fifth inning off Mazzoni. The Mets took the lead in the sixth inning as Cory Vaughn ripped his eight home run of the season to left to make it 3-2. Shields (3-for-4) drilled a solo home run in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 5-3.The Mets will host the Blue Jays in a doubleheader on Sunday. Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. and game 2 will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest. Box

Compiled from team reports

BUFFALO 4, LEHIGH VALLEY 1: A day after snapping Lehigh Valley's six-game winning streak, the Bisons won again by the same score as Jeremy Hefner (2-1) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. The only blemish on Hefner's line: an unearned run in the first inning on a passed ball. Hefner faced the minimum in innings four through seven. Hot-hitting Zach Lutz doubled home Bobby Scales in the fourth inning to tie the score. In the seventh, Scales provided the clutch hit with a two-out RBI double. Scales then scored along with Jordany Valdespin on Valentino Pascucci's two-run single. With a walk and a double, Scales upped his streak of getting on base twice to 11 straight games. His on-base percentage actually went down on Wednesday to .551 after going 1-for-3 with a walk. Justin Hampson retired all six batters he faced to earn his first save. Hampson's save was the second of his pro career. He earned the first on April 21, 2011 against Rochester. Buffalo will go for the series win Thursday afternoon, with Garrett Olson facing ex-Bison Scott Elarton. Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the series finale. Box

NEW HAMPSHIRE 2, BINGHAMTON 0: The B-Mets scratched out only two hits and were shut out for the second time this season. The game was a battle of prospects as Zack Wheeler made the start for Binghamton against right-hander Deck McGuire for New Hampshire. With the help of timely Fisher Cats hits, McGuire triumphed. Wheeler turned in a solid performance in his third Double-A start. He struck out six in his first three innings before allowing a run in the fourth. Mike McDade led off the frame by dumping a single to left field. He advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Kevin Howard’s double to right-center. It was the only run allowed by Wheeler in his six innings. The right-hander struck out eight and walked two, but got no help from the offense. The B-Mets struggled to put solid contact on the ball against McGuire. The righty had just three strikeouts, but allowed only one hit in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Binghamton threatened with two runners on base with one out in the second, but McGuire struck out Josh Rodriguez and induced Juan Centeno to ground out. Binghamton would not have another scoring chance until the seventh, when Eric Campbell walked to start the inning. Juan Lagares traded places with him on a fielder’s choice, but was quickly erased by catcher A.J. Jimenez on a steal attempt. McGuire’s night ended after he walked Travis Ozga with two outs. Former B-Met Clint Everts entered from the bullpen and allowed a single to Rodriguez, but bounced back to strike out Centeno, stranding both runners. After Everts breezed through the eighth and the Fisher Cats added an insurance run against Edgar Ramirez in the bottom of the inning, Ronald Uviedo took over in the ninth. He issued a pair of walks, but induced Centeno to pop out in foul territory to end the game. Uviedo earned his fourth save. The B-Mets (5-7) head back to Binghamton for a seven-game homestand, starting Thursday night against Portland. Left-hander Darin Gorski opposes right-hander Billy Buckner. Box

SAVANNAH 4, ROME 3
SAVANNAH 2, ROME 0: In the resumption of Tuesday's suspended game, Savannah rallied with two seventh-inning runs for a comeback victory. Brian Harrison contributed a game-tying RBI double as part of a 4-for-5 game spanning two days. Jack Leathersich earned the save with two no-hit relief innings that included three strikeouts. In the regularly scheduled game, which was limited to seven innings, Rafael Montero and Estarlin Morel combined on a three-hit shutout. Savannah scored both runs in the final frame, all with two out. Charlie Thurber singled. Travis Taijeron walked. Then Gregory Pron and Luis Nieves contributed RBI singles. Box 1, Box 2

Compiled from team reports

BUFFALO 2, PAWTUCKET 1: Omar Quintanilla's ninth-inning RBI followed some solid bullpen work, giving the Herd a split of its two-game opening series. Quintanilla's first hit as a Bison came with two outs in the top of the ninth after it looked like PawSox reliever Tony Pena Jr. was going to wiggle out of trouble. Zach Lutz and newly promoted Raul Reyes collected back-to-back one-out singles, but pinch runner Bobby Scales was thrown out at home on a grounder from catcher Rob Johnson. With two outs, Quintanilla worked Pena Jr. to a 2-2 count before lining the fifth pitch into right field for the game-deciding run. Trailing 1-0 since the first inning, the Herd got the game-tying run in the fifth when Lutz singled home Vinny Rottino. The win for Buffalo went to Dylan Owen (1-0), who was very sharp in relief of Triple-A rookie Jeurys Familia. Owen put up 3 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing two hits. Familia worked the first 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run, five hits and three walks. The 22-year-old Familia struck out four and threw 95 pitches in his Bisons debut. Fernando Cabrera pitched the ninth for his first save. It was Cabrera's first appearance with the team since pitching in 78 games for Buffalo in 2004-2006. Cabrera saved 44 games with Pawtucket during the 2009 and '10 seasons. The Bisons' road trip continues Saturday at Rochester. Reyes was in the lineup after being promoted from Double-A Binghamton to replace Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Nieuwenhuis is on his way to New York for his major league debut. Incidentally, Quintanilla is the first Bisons player with a last name to begin with Q since outfielder Carlos Quintana played 39 games with the Herd in 1954. Box

AKRON 2, BINGHAMTON 1: In his first start as a Binghamton Met, Zack Wheeler allowed two runs and four hits while walking three and hitting a batter in a 71-pitch effort over three innings. Wheeler, who struck out four, was tagged with the loss. Regarded as the top prospect in the New York Mets system, Wheeler kicked off his Double-A career by striking out Tim Fedroff to start the game. He escaped unscathed after walking a pair in the inning by inducing Ryan Rohlinger to bounce into a double play. After fanning two in a scoreless second, the righty from Georgia ran into trouble in the third. Michel Hernandez lined a single up the middle and Fedroff reached on an infield single to third. With runners on first and second, Juan Diaz dumped a double just inside the left-field line. The hit brought home Akron’s only runs of the game. T.J. McFarland made the start for Akron and tossed three scoreless innings before allowing the B-Mets to crack the scoreboard in the fourth. Allan Dykstra led off the frame by looping a double to right. He scored two batters later when Jefry Marte one-hopped a double against the right-center wall. It would be the only offense supplied by the B-Mets. McFarland worked around a double by Pedro Zapata to post a scoreless fifth and handed things off to the bullpen. After firing seven scoreless innings Thursday night, the Aeros pen came through agai. Three relievers combined to hurl four scoreless frames. After Eric Campbell’s leadoff single in the sixth against Bryan Price, the final 12 B-Mets were retired in order. Price put up two scoreless innings, Bryce Stowell tossed a scoreless eighth and Preston Guilment notched the save in his Double-A debut with a scoreless ninth. The B-Mets bullpen pulled together and put up a strong effort. Edgar Ramirez, Elvin Ramirez, Brad Holt and Josh Edgin combined to throw six scoreless innings. They allowed one hit and struck out eight. The B-Mets fanned 12 Aeros in the game. The B-Mets (0-2) wrap up their series against the Aeros on Saturday afternoon. Left-hander Darin Gorski will make his Double-A debut. Box

ST. LUCIE 5, BRADENTON 1: Gonzalez Germen limited the Marauders to one run and six hits while striking out three and walking none in six innings for the win in his Florida State League debut. Taylor Whitenton and Adam Kolarek combined for three scoreless relief innings. Darrell Ceciliani and Cory Vaughn each had two hits, including a double, and scored twice. Richard Lucas went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Box

AUGUSTA 6, SAVANNAH 5: Estarlin Morel suffered the blown save, allowing three ninth-inning runs. Third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez had three RBIs, but also committed his fourth error in two games, leading to an unearned run. Trailing 5-3, Augusta (1-1) put the first two men on against Morel, on a walk and a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Jose Cuevas lined a single into left field to tie the score at 5. Ben Thomas followed with a double into the left-field corner bringing home Cuevas with the go-head run. The Gnats had built a 4-0 advantage through five innings. Center fielder Tillman Pugh scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Rodriguez ripped a three-run double deep to right-center. The GreenJackets began their comeback against Savannah starter Rafael Montero in the sixth. A hit-by-pitch and a pair of singles helped produce two runs in the frame. Montero tossed 5 2/3 innings, yielding two runs and five hits, with four strikeouts and no walks. The teams traded runs in the seventh inning to run the score to 5-3. Right-hander Cody Hall earned the win for Augusta for throwing a scoreless 8^th and 9^th inning with two strikeouts. The Gnats and GreenJackets play game three of their four-game set Saturday. Savannah will send left-hander Alex Panteliodis to the hill against left-hander Adalberto Mejia for the 'Jackets. Box

Compiled from team reports

Only hours remain in spring training for the Mets. The Amazin's complete their Grapefruit League schedule against Andy Pettitte and the Yankees at noon today in Tampa, then fly home. Next up: Johan Santana versus Tommy Hanson on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field.

Check back at ESPNNewYork.com later today for a revealing feature on Santana, ESPN Stats & Information's Mark Simon looking at upcoming Mets statistical milestones, scouts breaking down the Mets pitching staff and an in-depth series preview with Atlanta Braves info.

Wednesday's news reports:

• After all the talk about potential DL trips, it turns out the only players landing there apparently will be Pedro Beato (shoulder) and D.J. Carrasco (ankle). Closer Frank Francisco, lefty specialist Tim Byrdak and center fielder Andres Torres all are ready to break camp with the team. Francisco threw a bullpen session Tuesday, two days after receiving a cortisone shot in his ailing left knee. The closer said he is pain-free, despite some residual inflammation. Sandy Alderson acknowledged the issue could linger -- "especially for a guy who weighs 260 pounds," the GM told reporters.

Byrdak recorded three outs in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game, exactly three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Torres, who had resumed game action during the weekend on the minor league side, had two plate appearances Tuesday in his first Grapefruit League game since March 20, when he suffered a strained left calf. He singled against Ivan Nova and was hit by a pitch. Read more on the positive health resolutions in the Star-Ledger, Record, Journal, Daily News, Post and Newsday.

• As a result of the trio's health, Vinny Rottino and Daniel Herrera have been dispatched to Buffalo. The Mets also had held back Kirk Nieuwenhuis in Port St. Lucie after the center-field prospect's Triple-A teammates had departed, but Nieuwenhuis was cleared by late Monday to head north to join the Mets' top minor league affiliate.

• Because the three players avoided the disabled list, the Mets will only need to clear two 40-man roster spots -- for backup lefty-hitting outfielder Mike Baxter and spot starter/long reliever Miguel Batista.

• Ike Davis hit a walk-off homer and the Mets beat the Yankees, 7-6, Tuesday in the first spring-training meeting between the clubs in Port St. Lucie since 1995. Mike Pelfrey limited the Yankees to a Nick Swisher solo homer and one other hit while striking out five and walking none in four innings. Read more in Newsday, the Times, Post and Star-Ledger.

• Swisher reminisced to David Waldstein in the Times about growing up at the Mets' spring-training complex. Writes Waldstein:

From age 8, when his father, the former major leaguer Steve Swisher, was a minor league manager with the Mets and later a coach with the big-league club, Swisher was a fixture at the Mets’ spring training. There were the days when he won $100 off Todd Hundley, joked around with the eccentric Bill Pulsipher and took what he estimated were a million swings on the back fields. Returning here Tuesday as a 31-year-old Yankees right fielder brought back a stream of memories for Swisher, who celebrated his return by hitting a home run in a 7-6 loss to the Mets in the same park where he used to shag fly balls as a youngster.

• Paul DePodesta, who oversees the Mets' farm system and amateur scouting, participated in a chat at Baseball Prospectus. DePodesta addressed the new collective bargaining agreement, which will restrict Mets spending on draft picks. He also discussed left-handed prospect Josh Edgin's future, 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo (who will participate in extended spring training rather than break camp with full-season Savannah), the plan to give Jordany Valdespin limited exposure to center field while keeping him primarily in the middle infield, the elimination of the Mets' Gulf Coast League team, and under-the radar-prospects. On that last subject, DePodesta identified Domingo Tapia and Rafael Montero as legit prospects not getting hype. "Both guys have a chance to emerge as our next group of top-tier potential major league starting pitchers," DePodesta predicted. "They have power stuff. Tapia routinely touched 100 mph last summer. And both pound the strike zone."

DePodesta added that while the organization is committed to building from within, they also realize they need to strategically add capable free agents. "It's awfully difficult to build a championship-caliber club just with your own minor league players (though the Rockies basically did)," DePodesta said. "But if we can build up a core, and we absolutely believe we can and we will, then we will have plenty of capacity to make strategic free-agent or even trade decisions."

On top prospect Zack Wheeler, DePodesta said: "Like most young pitchers with big stuff, it's just a matter of consistency. He has a major league repertoire right now. In fact, it's better than most major league starters. The difference is simply how consistently he's able to make the ball go where he wants and do what he wants. He's making progress and isn't far off, and we'll see stretches this year when he's locked in and looking like a big leaguer."

DePodesta said his children have selected Lucas Duda as the player most likely to pick up the Linsanity mantle.

• Read ESPNNewYork.com's position-by-position analysis of the Mets, including scout comment.

• Matt Harvey will start Buffalo's opener Thursday at Pawtucket. He will be followed in the Bisons' rotation by Jeurys Familia, Chris Schwinden, Jeremy Hefner and Garrett Olson. "It's a huge honor," Harvey told Mike Harrington at the Buffalo News' Bisons blog. "I wasn't sure going into spring training exactly where I was going to start [between Buffalo and Binghamton]. Wally [Backman] told me the whole time I had a good chance of going with him. As soon as they told me, I was extremely honored and happy."

Double-A Binghamton, which opens at home, will have Collin McHugh on the mound Thursday, in Game 1. Lynn Worthy profiles the B-Mets in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. Wheeler, Edgin, Juan Lagares, Matt den Dekker and Darin Gorski highlight the Double-A roster.

See the full minor league roster assignments here.

• The Mets will have a group seating/party area between the old and new left-field walls at Citi Field, with ticket prices ranging from $100 to $200 per person and including food and drink. Meanwhile, executive VP Dave Howard acknowledged Tuesday that Opening Day is not yet sold out. Read more in the Times, Post and Newsday.

• Rhiner Cruz, the hard-throwing right-hander plucked from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, has made the Opening Day roster of the Astros. Cruz will need to stick with Houston at the major league level for the full season in order to officially become Houston property.

• Among Post baseball writers, Ken Davidoff and Mike Vaccaro predict the Mets finishing fourth in the NL East, ahead of the Braves. George King, Mike Puma, Joel Sherman, Kevin Kernan and Dan Martin pick the Mets for the basement.

Kernan has a National League preview. Kernan's Mets comment: "Offense will be fine if Wright is healthy because Ike Davis and Lucas Duda can crush, but this is a transitional season. Not enough pitching. Looking forward to seeing Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia join the rotation and watching Zack Wheeler grow."

Sherman has these Mets predictions in a 2012 crystal ball column:

Johan Santana needs two DL stints to survive just a 15-start season, but uses his savvy to go 8-5 with a 3.58 ERA when he does pitch. Jon Niese’s command and maturity catch up to his competitiveness and stuff, allowing him to become a 15-game winner with an ERA in the threes. Andres Torres tanks and the Mets turn to Matt den Dekker, who proves to be Devon White Lite: Long legs and a long swing leading to ace defense, bunches of strikeouts and some lefty pop. Ike Davis and Lucas Duda each top 30 homers, but Davis does it with Gold Glove contention defense while Duda is so troublesome in right the Mets are forced to consider whether he can play there long term. The same goes for Daniel Murphy as a definitely-can-hit, but-can’t-field second baseman.

Frank Francisco’s knee issues and inability to deal with the running game leads to Terry Collins going with a hot-hand approach at closer and no Met recording more than 18 saves. Ruben Tejada is not Jose Reyes, but he proves himself an everyday major league shortstop by making all the plays defensively while maintaining a good on-base percentage in the .350 range. David Wright is helped by the shortened Citi Field fences and rebounds to a .285, 24-homer season, but nothing helps Jason Bay, who finishes with just 10 homers.

Here's Puma's Mets preview. And here's Davidoff wondering if New York could become a Mets town again.

• Andy Martino in the Daily News writes Jon Niese's deal will be close to the five-year, $28.5 million guarantee the Texas Rangers gave to left-hander Derek Holland, but "not necessarily quite that lucrative."

• Omar Minaya, now a lieutenant to GM Josh Byrnes in San Diego, tells Christian Red in the Daily News that Ruben Tejada will be a capable alternative to Jose Reyes. “He’ll surprise you,” Minaya told Red. “Listen, you’re not going to replace Jose. But I don’t think Ruben is of that mindset. Ruben is a fine shortstop. He’s a young kid who can throw, catch, who is going to hit the ball into the gap. He’s a well-rounded baseball player.”

• Columnist John Harper writes in the Daily News the Mets really could use the Yankees' Brett Gardner. Meanwhile, he quotes Alderson on the lack of Yankees first-team players who attended the game in Port St. Lucie as saying: “That’s an issue for Major League Baseball, not for us. But I don’t know whether Yankees fans are happy to see a Yankee uniform or would prefer to see somebody recognizable in the uniform.”

TRIVIA: Who has been the only player other than Reyes to bat leadoff for the Mets on Opening Day since 2005?

Tuesday's answer: Schwinden led Buffalo in strikeouts last season with 134, in 145 2/3 innings.

Center fielder Matt den Dekker and right-hander Matt Harvey were the only prospects not on the 40-man roster to be invited to major league camp.

Several other minor leaguers, though, have been invited to a top-prospect camp at the team's complex in Port St. Lucie, ahead of the regular reporting date for farmhands.

The list of participants:

Right-handed pitchers
Yohan Almonte
Gonzalez Germen
Erik Goeddel
Michael Hebert
Cory Mazzoni
Collin McHugh
Rafael Montero
Dylan Owen
Greg Peavey
Tyler Pill
Domingo Tapia
Logan Verrett
Zack Wheeler

Left-handed pitchers
Mark Cohoon
Angel Cuan
Darin Gorski
Chase Huchingson
Jack Leathersich
Alex Panteliotis

Catchers
Juan Ceteno
Albert Cordero
Blake Forsythe
Kai Gronauer
Dustin Lawley
Cam Maron
Francisco Pena

Infielders
Phillip Evans
Jefry Marte
Danny Muno
Aderlin Rodriguez
Wilfredo Tovar

Outfielders
Darrell Ceciliani
Brandon Nimmo
Cory Vaughn

Mets VP Paul DePodesta, who oversees the farm system and amateur scouting, takes time with ESPNNewYork.com to break down the organization's minor leagues.

You have almost completed a full minor league season, had a draft. What’s the state of the farm system in a general sense?

“I certainly think we’re making progress. It’s been probably well-documented from the draft, and even to what we did at the trading deadline. One of the things we really sought out is potential impact talent. To the extent that it works out, we won’t know for a while. But it’s certainly been a target. And we’ve been able to bring some of these guys into the system. Some other guys that already have been in the system, we’ve been able to move them along fairly rapidly. I think in that sense I’m very pleased. I think the overall depth of the system is pretty solid. Our goal is to certainly make it better.

“On the impact end, I think we’re making some progress. Again, I think there was probably a little bit more here when we first arrived than was sort of generally accepted. There were a couple of guys last year that didn’t have great years who I think have high-end talent. So when we came in, they weren’t heralded as maybe they should be. A guy like (right-hander) Jeurys Familia, he has a chance to be a big-time guy, and probably hasn’t gotten at least that type of attention. Having him now with (2010 first-round pick Matt) Harvey and having (fellow right-hander Zack) Wheeler (from the Carlos Beltran trade) behind those guys, it’ll start to show what kind of talent he is. Overall, I’m pleased. There’s certainly still room for us to get better, both on the scouting side and on the development side. But I like where we are as of right now.”

In terms of the upper levels of the system, is it bad luck with injuries to players such as Kirk Nieuwenhuis (shoulder surgery), Zach Lutz (pair of concussions, broken ring finger)? Or have there been a lack of available players to where you had to, say, call up a third catcher?

“I think there are a couple of things. One is, a lot of the talent at the upper levels we have seen here (in the majors). I’d say Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada, Lucas Duda, I mean those guys were all projected to be at Buffalo this year and have been pretty significant contributors at this level so far. Beyond that, the saving grace for me in (corner infielder Zach) Lutz and (outfielder Kirk) Nieuwenhuis and (Fernando) Martinez and all the guys who have had some injuries is when they’ve played, they’ve all played extraordinarily well. Nieuwenhuis is a guy who is a really interesting case. Admittedly, from my standpoint, he’s not a guy I knew a lot about. I didn’t see him as an amateur at Azusa (Pacific University) when he was coming out. But he’s one of those guys from sort of a smaller school, and as he’s been in the minor leagues and moved up levels, he continues to get better at every level. His production continues to increase at every level, which is rare. So I’m excited about him. It’s really too bad he had the shoulder injury and is going to miss the rest of the year. I think he certainly has a bright future.

“I think at the Double-A level, a lot of the guys we had there weren’t necessarily ready to come here. But (infielder) Josh Satin had a terrific year and is now in Triple-A and hasn’t missed a beat. (Middle infielder) Jordany Valdespin had a great year, and has actually played shortstop extremely well and has gotten better month after month and is now, I think, absolutely a viable major league shortstop. (Second baseman) Reese Havens is sort of like Lutz and Nieuwenhuis. When he’s played, he’s been awfully good. And then on the pitching side, we did fill in an awful lot at Triple-A with some veterans. Gee was sort of the one young guy we felt like was poised and ready. One guy that had a real breakout year was (right-hander) Chris Schwinden. He’s put himself now in a position to help us.

“And then in Double-A we had some nice talent, but guys who were not quite ready to be here and we were probably pushing them even a little at Double-A -- guys like (left-hander Robert) Carson and now, through the course of the year, with Familia and Harvey there. Some other guys have had nice years. (Right-handers Brandon) Moore and (Collin) McHugh have pitched well. Both (right-handers Brad) Holt and (Josh) Stinson I think have pitched well now that they have been moved to the pen, which we all think is their ultimate roles. They seem to have adjusted well to that transition.

“But admittedly once (Jenrry) Mejia went down (with Tommy John surgery) and Gee came up, we didn’t have the stable of young, major league ready pitching. We were a little thin. But I think that layer that’s right behind them has a chance to be pretty darn good.”

You still project Mejia and Familia as rotation as opposed to bullpen guys?

“Yeah, I do. We’ll see as it happens. I think any player development system’s hope is you get to a point where players sort of force themselves on the major league roster -- they sort of force the front office to make a move for them because their performance is so dominant and they’re so clearly ready to be here, as opposed to bringing guys up just because you need them, you don’t have anybody else and something has happened. If we can get to that point on a pitching staff where our starting five is so good that some of these other guys are ready and knocking at the door, who knows what role they may end up in at that point? History will tell you a lot of quality minor league starters end up being quality bullpen guys. But as we sit here today, we certainly still project those guys as starting pitchers?”

If you conceivably are going to devote a lot of dollars to Jose Reyes in the offseason and you have to be more creative at other positions, are there any minor league players who have yet to make their debuts who can be introduced early next season and have an impact? Maybe Josh Satin?

“You mentioned Satin. I think he’s a guy who can contribute here. I think (Monday call-up) Mike Baxter is a guy who can contribute here. He has a different story because we just recently acquired him. I think Lutz is a guy. I think Nieuwenhuis is certainly a guy that can help. And I sort of hesitate to say this, because you never know what’s going to happen when guys do move to the pen -- but sometimes those guys can really come quick, because if they have the stuff, and they have the command, it almost doesn’t matter if it’s in A-ball or Double-A or in the big leagues. It plays and will continue to play at each level.

“In that respect, we’ll see what Stinson is able to do and we’ll see what Holt is able to do as they continue to adjust to that role. One other guy, and I hesitate to say it, because it’s a long way away, is Josh Edgin. He’s a left-handed reliever currently in St. Lucie. He started the year in Savannah. But he’s got major league stuff and he’s left-handed. Again, you just never know how quickly those guys can come. He’s in Port St. Lucie right now, which is why I’m squeamish about talking about 2012."

If Baseball America re-ranked the farm system after the trade deadline and placed Zack Wheeler No. 1, does that mean you made a great trade? Or is it a commentary on the system a little?

“I don’t know. Harvey is awfully good. It’s starting to show at Double-A too. His last few starts have each gotten better, and his last one was just absolutely dominant. Technically, he’s a little closer. Some of their midseason lists, I don’t know if it was Baseball America or somebody else’s, I think Harvey was maybe a couple of slots ahead of Wheeler. I think it’s debatable. We moved Familia to Double-A before Harvey. Certainly part of that was for development reasons. He was just ready earlier. But I don’t know why his ceiling is different than those guys. He throws just as hard. He’s got a good slider. He’s generally in the zone. He’s awfully good too. Look, Wheeler was the No. 6 pick in the country (in 2009). Harvey was the seventh (in 2010). Maybe that gives Wheeler an edge.”

Does something have to give with Fernando Martinez? Or he does have an option for next year, so he could go back to Triple-A in 2012 if need be?

“He has another option after this year.”

St. Lucie’s Wilmer Flores has been ranked atop many rankings in the past. What is his future? Will you move him from shortstop?

“We’ll see. I think with any of these guys, when we’ve considered position changes, it will be well-discussed. We have talked about it with (Wilmer Flores) at different times. We’ve talked about the benefits of him staying at shortstop and it will help him regardless of where he moves. We do think that the next move, if there is a move, and I think it’s probably likely at some point, it will be in the infield. The play at shortstop has been solid. It actually has been quite solid. The question is whether or not we think it’s going to hold up, and ultimately from his standpoint where he’s most comfortable.

“He’s played some third in winter ball. There’s been some talk about second base. We’ll discuss this as we sort of wind down the season and head into the offseason. I think we feel like regardless his time at short has been well-spent, and will continue to be well-spent if he continues to stay there. To his credit, he’s really played it well.

“He just turned 20 years old. And one thing I feel strongly about, and one thing I think we feel strongly about organizationally, is that one of the things that improves dramatically with repetitions is infield defense probably as much as anything in the game. Guys might get a little bit better in the outfield. They get better with routes and jumps. But there are limitations in terms of how much better they can get. Hitting is tough. There are limitations with how much better a guy is going to get. But infield defense, there are just a lot of stories of guys who made 30, 40, even 50 errors in the minor leagues and went on to become very solid defensive infielders in the major leagues.”

I had just heard the range, the foot speed and first step weren’t where it would need to be for shortstop.

“And that could be. I think that’s probably a question. I don’t think the question right now is with the hands or with the arm. It’s an untraditional arm stroke, but he gets it over there and it’s accurate for the most part. I think you’re right. I think that’s a fair point about whether or not he stays there. I think that will be probably the defining question in terms of whether or not he stays there.”

People have visions of a rotation in two or three years of Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia. As a development person, I’m sure you want to go 4-for-4. But if you hit on two of those four in the rotation, would you be thrilled? What’s good return on that type of inventory?

“I think that’s probably fair. If we hit one out of every two, I think we’d be thrilled. We feel it’s a very good group. We’re going to try to add to the group. Maybe this time next year we’ll be talking about (second-round pick) Cory Mazzoni in that group or (44^th overall pick Michael) Fulmer right behind those guys. Who knows?

“We’ve actually got a lot of good arms in short season that were here before I got here that are young, young kids, but with power arms and have a chance to come quickly. Guys like (U.S. Virgin Islands native) Akeel Morris, Miller Diaz, Domingo Tapia, there are a handful of them. These are guys who are consistently throwing in the mid-90s, some of them touching high-90s. Tapia is throwing 100 mph this year. Every outing has been in the upper 90s.

“One thing you can be sure of is we’re going to continue to try to stockpile them, sort of knowing that we’re not going to be 100 percent on these guys. I use this in a much broader context than just those four that you mentioned that are at the upper levels, or close to the upper levels, but shoot, I think we’d be killing it if we hit at 50 percent.”

Was there anyone signed internationally this year, even if it was a low signing bonus, that you were particularly pleased you got?

“There are a handful actually. There’s one who is already over here in the States and has moved past the GCL and is into Kingsport. Rafael Montero is a right-handed pitcher. He’s a little older. He’s 20 already and I think was just about 20 or already 20 when we signed him. But he has a good arm, a good feel and it’s a legitimate three-pitch mix. It’s low- to mid-90s. Good body. Good command. He’s an interesting package.

“I was just down in the Dominican last week and saw some of the kids we had signed. Pedro Perez, who we signed, is technically a shortstop. He’s playing third base. A switch-hitter. He’s a good-looking young hitter. And there’s an outfielder named Vicente Lupo -- the kid who got really sick last fall. Really, really sick. He’s an outfielder from Venezuela. He was the one who had malignant hypothermia. He’s back and playing. He’s swinging the bat well. There’s another pitcher named Luis Mateo, who is also a little older. He’s 21. He has really good power stuff. He’s actually still in the Dominican. All those guys were signed this year.

“I believe there’s an outfielder name Mikais de la Cruz, who is in the Dominican, that I believe was signed in this cycle but before I got here. The international market, the fiscal year is July 2 to July 2. So I’m not counting anybody we have signed in the last month. It’s everybody we signed pre-July 2. There are a handful of them, but Montero has certainly been the quickest mover.

“There’s also a Cuban second baseman we signed named Jorge Rivero, who we’ve already brought over. He’s playing in the GCL and is swinging the bat pretty well. He’s also older. He’s 21, I think. He’s a good-looking hitter.”

"In-depth" appears Tuesdays during the regular season