New York Mets: Wilmer Flores
BUFFALO 14, GWINNETT 7: Matt Tuiasosopo highlighted a 17-hit attack with a first-inning inside-the-park homer as the Bisons roughed up demoted Braves starter Jair Jurrjens. Jurrjens was charged with 11 runs (10 earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Tuaisosopo became the first Bison to produce the feat since Mike Jacobs on June 9, 2010, and the first to do it in Buffalo since Karim Garcia on June 6, 2001. In that inning, Vinny Rottino had a two-out infield single. Valentino Pascucci followed with a walk, which brought Tuiasosopo to the plate. He hit a fly ball to Braves right fielder Felix Pie that drifted out of his reach. As the ball skipped away, Tuiasosopo motored around the bases and slid headfirst into home. "I think it's my first inside-the-park home run in my career," Tuiasosopo said. After Tuiasosopo's feat, the Herd piled on. On the next pitch, Brad Emaus homered the conventional way for his first long ball as a Bison. The onslaught continued in the third, with Omar Quintanilla hitting a three-run triple for an 8-1 lead. The offense benefited Bisons starter Garrett Olson, who picked up his first 2012 win. The southpaw allowed three runs while striking out six in five innings. In his previous seven starts, three losses and four no-decisions, Olson received 17 total runs of support. Rottino (2-for-4) extended his hitting streak to 19 games. Box
BINGHAMTON 1, TRENTON 0: Jefry Marte ripped a bases-loaded single to right to give Binghamton a walk-off win. It was the B-Mets’ second walk-off win of the season and first 1-0 victory since they defeated New Hampshire in the second game of a doubleheader on July 14, 2011. Collin McHugh struck out six over seven scoreless innings, retiring the final nine Thunder he faced. Matt den Dekker set the table in the ninth by doubling against reliever Preston Claiborne to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest for any B-Met in 2012. Josh Rodriguez followed by bunting up the third-base line. He reached safely when Claiborne failed to handle the tough bouncer. A walk to Reese Havens loaded the bases and set the stage for Marte. McHugh walked one and allowed six hits. It was his longest scoreless start since he tossed seven shutout frames as a Brooklyn Cyclone on Aug. 8, 2009. Brett Marshall was just as good for the Thunder. The 22-year-old matched McHugh with seven scoreless frames, retiring 14 straight B-Mets at one point. Brad Holt (1-0) entered in relief for Binghamton in the eighth and worked around a two-out walk to post a scoreless frame. He worked around another two-out walk in a scoreless ninth. Zack Wheeler pitches Thursday's rubber game opposite right-hander Cory Arbiso. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, BREVARD COUNTY 3
ST. LUCIE 4, BREVARD COUNTY 0: St. Lucie left fielder Rafael Fernandez hit two homers and drove in seven runs in a doubleheader sweep. The Mets used a three-run eighth inning to come away with a Game 1 victory. Blake Forsythe hit a go-ahead RBI triple. Fernandez then ripped a two-run homer. Chris Young pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. He received a no-decision for his second straight Florida State League start. Adrian Rosario pitched 1 1/3 innings and picked up the win in relief. He struck out the side in the seventh. Fernandez hit a two-run double in the fourth to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. Wilmer Flores launched a solo blast in the second for his sixth homer. In Game 2, Erik Goeddel pitched six shutout innings. Fernandez had a sacrifice fly RBI in the first inning. The Mets then scored three runs in the third. Robbie Shields drilled a leadoff homer. Fernandez crushed a two-run homer to make it 4-0. Goeddel (2-1) allowed five hits and struck out two over six innings. Adam Kolarek pitched a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts. Box 1, Box 2
CHARLESTON 14, SAVANNAH 5: Starter Alex Panteliodis was charged with eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. Relief Carlos Vazquez allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Aderlin Rodriguez had a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth to cap the scoring. Box
Compiled from team reports
BINGHAMTON 1, TRENTON 0: Jefry Marte ripped a bases-loaded single to right to give Binghamton a walk-off win. It was the B-Mets’ second walk-off win of the season and first 1-0 victory since they defeated New Hampshire in the second game of a doubleheader on July 14, 2011. Collin McHugh struck out six over seven scoreless innings, retiring the final nine Thunder he faced. Matt den Dekker set the table in the ninth by doubling against reliever Preston Claiborne to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest for any B-Met in 2012. Josh Rodriguez followed by bunting up the third-base line. He reached safely when Claiborne failed to handle the tough bouncer. A walk to Reese Havens loaded the bases and set the stage for Marte. McHugh walked one and allowed six hits. It was his longest scoreless start since he tossed seven shutout frames as a Brooklyn Cyclone on Aug. 8, 2009. Brett Marshall was just as good for the Thunder. The 22-year-old matched McHugh with seven scoreless frames, retiring 14 straight B-Mets at one point. Brad Holt (1-0) entered in relief for Binghamton in the eighth and worked around a two-out walk to post a scoreless frame. He worked around another two-out walk in a scoreless ninth. Zack Wheeler pitches Thursday's rubber game opposite right-hander Cory Arbiso. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, BREVARD COUNTY 3
ST. LUCIE 4, BREVARD COUNTY 0: St. Lucie left fielder Rafael Fernandez hit two homers and drove in seven runs in a doubleheader sweep. The Mets used a three-run eighth inning to come away with a Game 1 victory. Blake Forsythe hit a go-ahead RBI triple. Fernandez then ripped a two-run homer. Chris Young pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. He received a no-decision for his second straight Florida State League start. Adrian Rosario pitched 1 1/3 innings and picked up the win in relief. He struck out the side in the seventh. Fernandez hit a two-run double in the fourth to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. Wilmer Flores launched a solo blast in the second for his sixth homer. In Game 2, Erik Goeddel pitched six shutout innings. Fernandez had a sacrifice fly RBI in the first inning. The Mets then scored three runs in the third. Robbie Shields drilled a leadoff homer. Fernandez crushed a two-run homer to make it 4-0. Goeddel (2-1) allowed five hits and struck out two over six innings. Adam Kolarek pitched a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts. Box 1, Box 2
CHARLESTON 14, SAVANNAH 5: Starter Alex Panteliodis was charged with eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. Relief Carlos Vazquez allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Aderlin Rodriguez had a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth to cap the scoring. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 4, GWINNETT 1: Zach Lutz's two-out single plated two runs to cap the scoring in a three-run seventh that broke a 1-all tie. The Bisons have taken the first three of a four-game set with the G-Braves. Oswaldo Navarro and Jean Luc Blaquiere singled to start the decisive inning and advanced on a balk. The bases were loaded when Fred Lewis' single scored Blaquiere. Lutz followed with the exclamation point. Buffalo starter Jeurys Familia allowed one run in six innings, the lone damage coming courtesy of Stefan Gartrell's RBI single in the first inning. Familia (3-1, 4.41 ERA) allowed four hits and struck out six. For the G-Braves, starting pitcher Yohan Flande gave up eight hits but was able to avoid trouble until the seventh. Flande struck out six batters as well, and allowed three runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 innings. After the Bisons took the three-run lead in the top of the seventh, the bullpen stepped in to preserve the lead. Justin Hampson pitched a sound seventh but found some trouble in the eighth, allowing singles to Jose Constanza and Gartrell. But with runners on first and second and one out, Elvin Ramirez relieved Hampson and struck out consecutive batters to end the inning. Ramirez retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his first Triple-A save. Lewis went 3-for-5 with an RBI on the night. Box
NEW BRITAIN 5, BINGHAMTON 1: Jefry Marte’s fielding error in the eighth set the table for a four-run inning as the Rock Cats completed a two-game series sweep. With the game tied at 1, Marte booted Joe Benson’s groundball to third to start the eighth. The Rock Cats tagged reliever Erik Turgeon for four hits, including three doubles, and scored four unearned runs to take the lead for good. For the second straight game, the B-Mets grabbed the lead first. In the second, Binghamton collected three consecutive singles against starter Steve Hirschfeld to get on the board. Marte and Raul Reyes started the rally with hits and Juan Lagares gave Binghamton a 1-0 lead with a single. The disastrous eighth overshadowed another strong pitching performance from B-Mets starter Collin McHugh. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out four. His only blemish was Wilkin Ramirez's solo homer in the seventh. Turgeon (1-3) took over for McHugh in the eighth when things came unglued. Deibinson Romero and Danny Lehmann supplied RBI doubles and James Beresford supplied a run-scoring single. After getting on the board in the second, the B-Mets offense went silent. Binghamton had three hits after the third inning. The B-Mets (14-17) now head to Manchester to start a four-game series against the Fisher Cats on Thursday. Zack Wheeler is due to return from the disabled list for a fingernail issue in the opener. Box
ST. LUCIE 4, BREVARD COUNTY 2: Jenrry Mejia pitched five solid innings in his first minor league start since before Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2011 and the Mets pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Mejia allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Mejia pitched five games with Triple-A Buffalo last season before the injury. Angel Cuan (3-1) tossed three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory. Cuan allowed one hit and struck out two. Adrian Rosario pitched a scoreless ninth inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts for his ninth save. The Mets took their first lead in the eighth. Wilfredo Tovar hit a leadoff double. Danny Muno reached on a bunt single and Robbie Shields followed with a walk to load the bases with no outs. Wilmer Flores grounded into a double play as Tovar scored the go-ahead run. In the ninth, Cesar Puello tripled and scored on an errant throw past third base. The Mets trailed 1-0 entering the third inning, before pushing across a run to even the score. Alonzo Harris singled and reached second on a balk. Tovar delivered an RBI double. In the fourth, Rafael Fernandez ripped his first homer of the season, a game-tying solo blast over the right-field fence. Chris Young is due to throw 75 pitches for St. Lucie at Brevard County on Thursday. Box
Compiled from team reports
NEW BRITAIN 5, BINGHAMTON 1: Jefry Marte’s fielding error in the eighth set the table for a four-run inning as the Rock Cats completed a two-game series sweep. With the game tied at 1, Marte booted Joe Benson’s groundball to third to start the eighth. The Rock Cats tagged reliever Erik Turgeon for four hits, including three doubles, and scored four unearned runs to take the lead for good. For the second straight game, the B-Mets grabbed the lead first. In the second, Binghamton collected three consecutive singles against starter Steve Hirschfeld to get on the board. Marte and Raul Reyes started the rally with hits and Juan Lagares gave Binghamton a 1-0 lead with a single. The disastrous eighth overshadowed another strong pitching performance from B-Mets starter Collin McHugh. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out four. His only blemish was Wilkin Ramirez's solo homer in the seventh. Turgeon (1-3) took over for McHugh in the eighth when things came unglued. Deibinson Romero and Danny Lehmann supplied RBI doubles and James Beresford supplied a run-scoring single. After getting on the board in the second, the B-Mets offense went silent. Binghamton had three hits after the third inning. The B-Mets (14-17) now head to Manchester to start a four-game series against the Fisher Cats on Thursday. Zack Wheeler is due to return from the disabled list for a fingernail issue in the opener. Box
ST. LUCIE 4, BREVARD COUNTY 2: Jenrry Mejia pitched five solid innings in his first minor league start since before Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2011 and the Mets pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Mejia allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Mejia pitched five games with Triple-A Buffalo last season before the injury. Angel Cuan (3-1) tossed three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory. Cuan allowed one hit and struck out two. Adrian Rosario pitched a scoreless ninth inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts for his ninth save. The Mets took their first lead in the eighth. Wilfredo Tovar hit a leadoff double. Danny Muno reached on a bunt single and Robbie Shields followed with a walk to load the bases with no outs. Wilmer Flores grounded into a double play as Tovar scored the go-ahead run. In the ninth, Cesar Puello tripled and scored on an errant throw past third base. The Mets trailed 1-0 entering the third inning, before pushing across a run to even the score. Alonzo Harris singled and reached second on a balk. Tovar delivered an RBI double. In the fourth, Rafael Fernandez ripped his first homer of the season, a game-tying solo blast over the right-field fence. Chris Young is due to throw 75 pitches for St. Lucie at Brevard County on Thursday. Box
Compiled from team reports
Farm report: Kolarek in control for St. Lucie
May, 9, 2012
May 9
10:48
AM ET
By
Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com
Adam Kolarek’s numbers speak for themselves: In 16 2/3 relief innings with Class A St. Lucie, the southpaw has yet to allow a run. He has struck out 25 and walked two. He has four saves. And lefty batters are hitting only .130 against the 11th-round pick in 2010 out of the University of Maryland.
He’s one of many reasons why St. Lucie is off to a 25-7 start this season.
“I think we’re a very fundamentally sound team -- moving runners, getting the runner in, playing strong defense -- and then both our starters and relievers have really put together a strong start to the season,” Kolarek said.
As for his striking-throwing ability, which starts with fastball command, Kolarek added: “I wouldn’t say I’ve always had the best control, but it’s definitely something I’ve been working on. I really started seeing a lot better control last year. And I worked on it again in the offseason. And so far this season I’ve had pretty good results. It’s right where I want to be.”
Kolarek, 23, had solid tutoring from a young age. His father Frank, who also played at the University of Maryland, caught in the minors for the Oakland Athletics in the late 1970s. He reached as high as Triple-A Ogden in ’79, and played alongside Rickey Henderson at multiple levels of the minors.
“He was a catcher, so he taught a lot to me about how to pitch batters,” Kolarek said. “I talk to him after every outing and we go over the hitters. … He’s definitely my go-to guy. I did it in college too. It’s nothing new. We just go over the outing. He can only hear so much when he’s listening on the radio or following online, so I fill in the story and go over things.”
Kolarek and Adrian Rosario both have accumulated saves for St. Lucie this season. Five of Kolarek’s 14 appearances have been two innings. Kolarek primarily worked as a reliever in college as well. This season, the slider has been a good out pitch, particularly against lefties, in inducing groundballs. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph. He also has a changeup, which he uses more against righty batters.
“We’ve all kind of been in different situations, whether it’s coming in for that certain matchup, or coming in for an inning or two at a time,” Kolarek said. “Being able to be versatile in any kind of relieving role is important.”
Kolarek’s college highlight actually came at the plate, not on the mound. After entering as a defensive replacement at first base against a ranked North Carolina team on April 2, 2010, Kolarek launched a two-out, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th. Matt Harvey had tossed the first six innings of that game for the Tar Heels.
“I had some good moments on the mound, but the overall college moment, definitely that home run was something I’ll always remember,” he said.
Organization leaders
Average: T.J. Rivera, Savannah, .358; Bobby Scales, Buffalo, .350; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, .330; Vinny Rottino, Buffalo, .317; Jefry Marte, Binghamton, .315; Zach Lutz, Buffalo, .315; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, .314; Omar Quintanilla, Buffalo, .301; Oswaldo Navarro, Buffalo, .293; Eric Campbell, Binghamton, .286.
Homers: Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 8; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 7; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 6; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 5; Omar Quintanilla, Buffalo, 5.
RBI: Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 23; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 22; Aderlin Rodriguez, Savannah, 21; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 19; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 18.
Steals: Luis Nieves, Savannah, 9; Cesar Puello, St. Lucie, 7.
ERA: Alex Panteliodis, Savannah, 0.89; Jeremy Hefner, Buffalo, 1.64; Tyler Pill, Savannah, 1.65; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 1.75; Mark Cohoon, Binghamton, 2.06; Darin Gorski, Binghamton, 2.27; Chris Schwinden, Buffalo, 2.33; Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 2.51; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 2.62; Dylan Owen, Buffalo, 2.96.
Wins: Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 4; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 4.
Saves: Adrian Rosario, St. Lucie, 8; Fernando Cabrera, Buffalo, 8; Adam Kolarek, St. Lucie, 4.
Strikeouts: Matt Harvey, Buffalo, 32; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 31; Gonzalez Germen, Binghamton, 30; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 30; Jeurys Familia, Buffalo, 29.
Short hops
• After tossing six scoreless innings against Gwinnett (Atlanta Braves) on Tuesday night, Harvey is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA in his past four starts. Three of the outings have been scoreless. The lone non-win came against Syracuse last Wednesday, when a 23-minute rain delay forced Harvey to depart after four innings. A new organization policy mandates starting pitchers be pulled following a rain delay of any length if they already have logged two innings.
• Jack Voigt, the Mets’ highly regarded minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator, will serve as hitting coach for Magallanes in Venezuela during the next winter league season. Carlos Garcia, who manages Class A Bradenton in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, will serve as that winter league club’s 2012-13 manager. Ex-Yankee Luis Sojo is the bench coach.
• Zack Wheeler (1-2, 1.75 ERA) should reenter the rotation later this week with Binghamton after landing on the seven-day DL with a partially torn fingernail. Wheeler threw a bullpen session Monday and reported no difficulty. He had the issue on the middle finger of his pitching hand with San Francisco in May 2010 as well -- with a growth underneath the nail pushing it off. That time, with the Giants officials being cautious, Wheeler was out of action for seven weeks.
With Wheeler temporarily inactive, 24-year-old right-hander Gonzalez Germen was promoted to Binghamton from Class A St. Lucie, where he had been 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA in five appearances (four starts). Germen, signed in October 2007 out of the Dominican Republic, made a deceptively solid Double-A debut Friday against Harrisburg. Although he was charged with five runs in six innings, he struck out nine and walked none and the damage was limited to a five-run second inning. Germen is likely to remain with Binghamton even with Wheeler’s return, although Mets brass was sorting out how to juggle the rotation given a rainout Monday and the extra starter. Germen’s fastball sits in the low 90s. He has a solid, deceptive changeup in which the bottom falls out.
• Jacob deGrom’s first official minor league game since July 26, 2010 nearly was perfect. The 23-year-old right-hander returned from Tommy John surgery to retire 20 of the 21 batters he faced with Savannah on Monday. DeGrom suffered the elbow injury and subsequent surgery shortly after signing with the Mets as their ninth-round pick in 2010 out of Stetson University. He primarily played shortstop in college, but was drafted as a pitcher because scout Steve Nichols saw potential in his arm.
• Andy Pettitte’s convenience became an inconvenience for Triple-A Buffalo.
He’s one of many reasons why St. Lucie is off to a 25-7 start this season.
Courtesy of New York Mets
Adam Kolarek
Adam Kolarek
As for his striking-throwing ability, which starts with fastball command, Kolarek added: “I wouldn’t say I’ve always had the best control, but it’s definitely something I’ve been working on. I really started seeing a lot better control last year. And I worked on it again in the offseason. And so far this season I’ve had pretty good results. It’s right where I want to be.”
Kolarek, 23, had solid tutoring from a young age. His father Frank, who also played at the University of Maryland, caught in the minors for the Oakland Athletics in the late 1970s. He reached as high as Triple-A Ogden in ’79, and played alongside Rickey Henderson at multiple levels of the minors.
“He was a catcher, so he taught a lot to me about how to pitch batters,” Kolarek said. “I talk to him after every outing and we go over the hitters. … He’s definitely my go-to guy. I did it in college too. It’s nothing new. We just go over the outing. He can only hear so much when he’s listening on the radio or following online, so I fill in the story and go over things.”
Kolarek and Adrian Rosario both have accumulated saves for St. Lucie this season. Five of Kolarek’s 14 appearances have been two innings. Kolarek primarily worked as a reliever in college as well. This season, the slider has been a good out pitch, particularly against lefties, in inducing groundballs. His fastball sits at 90-92 mph. He also has a changeup, which he uses more against righty batters.
“We’ve all kind of been in different situations, whether it’s coming in for that certain matchup, or coming in for an inning or two at a time,” Kolarek said. “Being able to be versatile in any kind of relieving role is important.”
Kolarek’s college highlight actually came at the plate, not on the mound. After entering as a defensive replacement at first base against a ranked North Carolina team on April 2, 2010, Kolarek launched a two-out, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th. Matt Harvey had tossed the first six innings of that game for the Tar Heels.
“I had some good moments on the mound, but the overall college moment, definitely that home run was something I’ll always remember,” he said.
Organization leaders
Average: T.J. Rivera, Savannah, .358; Bobby Scales, Buffalo, .350; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, .330; Vinny Rottino, Buffalo, .317; Jefry Marte, Binghamton, .315; Zach Lutz, Buffalo, .315; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, .314; Omar Quintanilla, Buffalo, .301; Oswaldo Navarro, Buffalo, .293; Eric Campbell, Binghamton, .286.
Homers: Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 8; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 7; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 6; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 5; Omar Quintanilla, Buffalo, 5.
RBI: Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 23; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 22; Aderlin Rodriguez, Savannah, 21; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 19; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 18.
Steals: Luis Nieves, Savannah, 9; Cesar Puello, St. Lucie, 7.
ERA: Alex Panteliodis, Savannah, 0.89; Jeremy Hefner, Buffalo, 1.64; Tyler Pill, Savannah, 1.65; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 1.75; Mark Cohoon, Binghamton, 2.06; Darin Gorski, Binghamton, 2.27; Chris Schwinden, Buffalo, 2.33; Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 2.51; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 2.62; Dylan Owen, Buffalo, 2.96.
Wins: Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 4; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 4.
Saves: Adrian Rosario, St. Lucie, 8; Fernando Cabrera, Buffalo, 8; Adam Kolarek, St. Lucie, 4.
Strikeouts: Matt Harvey, Buffalo, 32; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 31; Gonzalez Germen, Binghamton, 30; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 30; Jeurys Familia, Buffalo, 29.
Short hops
• After tossing six scoreless innings against Gwinnett (Atlanta Braves) on Tuesday night, Harvey is 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA in his past four starts. Three of the outings have been scoreless. The lone non-win came against Syracuse last Wednesday, when a 23-minute rain delay forced Harvey to depart after four innings. A new organization policy mandates starting pitchers be pulled following a rain delay of any length if they already have logged two innings.
• Jack Voigt, the Mets’ highly regarded minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator, will serve as hitting coach for Magallanes in Venezuela during the next winter league season. Carlos Garcia, who manages Class A Bradenton in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, will serve as that winter league club’s 2012-13 manager. Ex-Yankee Luis Sojo is the bench coach.
• Zack Wheeler (1-2, 1.75 ERA) should reenter the rotation later this week with Binghamton after landing on the seven-day DL with a partially torn fingernail. Wheeler threw a bullpen session Monday and reported no difficulty. He had the issue on the middle finger of his pitching hand with San Francisco in May 2010 as well -- with a growth underneath the nail pushing it off. That time, with the Giants officials being cautious, Wheeler was out of action for seven weeks.
With Wheeler temporarily inactive, 24-year-old right-hander Gonzalez Germen was promoted to Binghamton from Class A St. Lucie, where he had been 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA in five appearances (four starts). Germen, signed in October 2007 out of the Dominican Republic, made a deceptively solid Double-A debut Friday against Harrisburg. Although he was charged with five runs in six innings, he struck out nine and walked none and the damage was limited to a five-run second inning. Germen is likely to remain with Binghamton even with Wheeler’s return, although Mets brass was sorting out how to juggle the rotation given a rainout Monday and the extra starter. Germen’s fastball sits in the low 90s. He has a solid, deceptive changeup in which the bottom falls out.
• Jacob deGrom’s first official minor league game since July 26, 2010 nearly was perfect. The 23-year-old right-hander returned from Tommy John surgery to retire 20 of the 21 batters he faced with Savannah on Monday. DeGrom suffered the elbow injury and subsequent surgery shortly after signing with the Mets as their ninth-round pick in 2010 out of Stetson University. He primarily played shortstop in college, but was drafted as a pitcher because scout Steve Nichols saw potential in his arm.
• Andy Pettitte’s convenience became an inconvenience for Triple-A Buffalo.
BUFFALO 3, GWINNETT 0: Matt Harvey tossed six scoreless innings in the latest in a string of solid starts for the 2010 first-round pick. Coupled with a Pawtucket loss in Rochester, the Bisons are now a half-game back of first place in the International League North Division. Harvey allowed four singles and a double. He walked three, but balanced those out with five strikeouts and a pair of double plays. He also had two wild pitches. Gwinnett failed to push a runner to third base until the seventh inning, after Harvey's outing was complete. With his third win in four starts, Harvey has now posted a 1.96 ERA since April 20. He had a no-decision in the other outing because of a rain delay after four innings of work. Over the four-game span, Harvey has allowed 16 hits in 23 innings. The Bisons gave Harvey early run support as Zach Lutz singled home Fred Lewis in the first. Omar Quintanilla hit his fifth home run in the second for a 2-0 Bisons lead. Buffalo scored a third run the next inning on a fielding error by Braves second baseman Drew Sutton. That lead held up for the Bisons' second shutout of the season. Jack Egbert tossed a pair of scoreless innings and Fernando Cabrera set the Braves down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his International League-leading eighth save. Before the game, the Mets selected the contract of Bisons catcher Rob Johnson. Oswaldo Navarro was promoted from Binghamton. He made his Bisons debut as a defensive replacement at third base in the ninth. Quintanilla's five homers are second on the team to Valentino Pascucci's six. Box
NEW BRITAIN 4, BINGHAMTON 3: The Rock Cats scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by Nate Hanson’s pinch-hit, two-run double, to defeat the B-Mets. Binghamton committed two costly errors in the game, resulting in all four runs being unearned. With a 3-1 lead, reliever Robert Carson took the mound in the ninth looking for his first career save. He walked Chris Colabello to start the inning before inducing Aaron Hicks to fly out. Deibinson Romero then sent a slow chopper to third and reached safely when Jefry Marte’s throw to first pulled Eric Campbell off the bag. The error proved costly for Binghamton. Following a popout, Estarlin De Los Santos blooped an RBI single to right, just out of Juan Lagares' reach. With the tying run at third, Hanson shot a sinking line drive to left. Pedro Zapata could not make the difficult catch, allowing two runs to score.
The loss was Binghamton’s second of the season when leading after eight innings. The shaky defense overshadowed a strong pitching performance from starter Mark Cohoon. The southpaw allowed one unearned run and four hits over six innings. Binghamton owned a three-run lead after three innings by pounding Rock Cats starter Andrew Albers for a career-high nine hits. Lagares led off the second by doubling. He scored two batters later on Rylan Sandoval’s single. The B-Mets added two more in the third. Matt den Dekker started with a bunt single, advanced on a wild pitch, scampered to third on a flyout and scored on a passed ball by Chris Herrmann. Reese Havens doubled later in the inning and came home three batters later on Lagares' single. New Britain’s first run came in the sixth thanks to a B-Mets error. With a runner on first and one out, Herrmann rolled a potential double-play ball to Havens. The second baseman fielded it cleanly, but bobbled the transfer to his throwing hand, allowing all runners to reach safely. Chris Colabello cashed in with an RBI single. After amassing a three-run lead off Albers, the B-Mets went quietly against the New Britain bullpen. In all, the B-Mets mustered one hit against three relievers.
While all three runs on his tab were unearned, Carson (0-1) suffered his first career blown save. Brad Holt allowed one hit over two scoreless innings in his return to Binghamton after pitching in six games with Buffalo. The B-Mets (14-16) complete their rain-shortened series with New Britain on Wednesday. Right-hander Collin McHugh opposes right-hander Steve Hirschfeld. Box
BREVARD COUNTY 3, ST. LUCIE 2: Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 and drove in both runs -- his 21st and 22nd RBIs of the season -- in the loss. Starter Erik Goeddel allowed three runs in five innings. Randy Fontanez contributed three scoreless relief innings. Box
SAVANNAH 6, LAKEWOOD 1: The Gnats finished their seven-game homestand with a 6-1 record while the teams’ pitching allowed 10 runs over the span. The Gnats (20-12) jumped ahead with a four-run second. After DH Travis Taijeron singled and Brian Harrison doubled, Luis Nieves, Tillman Pugh and Brandon Brown all contributed RBI singles. Cam Maron completed the inning’s scoring with a groundout to first. Taijeron, the reigning South Atlantic League Player of the Week, reached base in all four of his plate appearances. He went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. The BlueClaws (10-20) scored their only run in the fourth, against Savannah starter Alex Panteliodis. Panteliodis, who was not involved in the decision, finished four innings, yielding a run on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Relievers Jeff Walters, Jack Leathersich and Estarlin Morel combined on five scoreless, hitless innings behind Panteliodis. Walters earned the win, his second of the season, for working the fifth and sixth innings. Harrison launched a two-run homer, his second long ball, in the eighth to complete the scoring. The Gnats are off Wednesday. They then begin a seven-game trip to Hickory and Southern Division-leading Charleston. Box
Compiled from team reports
NEW BRITAIN 4, BINGHAMTON 3: The Rock Cats scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by Nate Hanson’s pinch-hit, two-run double, to defeat the B-Mets. Binghamton committed two costly errors in the game, resulting in all four runs being unearned. With a 3-1 lead, reliever Robert Carson took the mound in the ninth looking for his first career save. He walked Chris Colabello to start the inning before inducing Aaron Hicks to fly out. Deibinson Romero then sent a slow chopper to third and reached safely when Jefry Marte’s throw to first pulled Eric Campbell off the bag. The error proved costly for Binghamton. Following a popout, Estarlin De Los Santos blooped an RBI single to right, just out of Juan Lagares' reach. With the tying run at third, Hanson shot a sinking line drive to left. Pedro Zapata could not make the difficult catch, allowing two runs to score.
The loss was Binghamton’s second of the season when leading after eight innings. The shaky defense overshadowed a strong pitching performance from starter Mark Cohoon. The southpaw allowed one unearned run and four hits over six innings. Binghamton owned a three-run lead after three innings by pounding Rock Cats starter Andrew Albers for a career-high nine hits. Lagares led off the second by doubling. He scored two batters later on Rylan Sandoval’s single. The B-Mets added two more in the third. Matt den Dekker started with a bunt single, advanced on a wild pitch, scampered to third on a flyout and scored on a passed ball by Chris Herrmann. Reese Havens doubled later in the inning and came home three batters later on Lagares' single. New Britain’s first run came in the sixth thanks to a B-Mets error. With a runner on first and one out, Herrmann rolled a potential double-play ball to Havens. The second baseman fielded it cleanly, but bobbled the transfer to his throwing hand, allowing all runners to reach safely. Chris Colabello cashed in with an RBI single. After amassing a three-run lead off Albers, the B-Mets went quietly against the New Britain bullpen. In all, the B-Mets mustered one hit against three relievers.
While all three runs on his tab were unearned, Carson (0-1) suffered his first career blown save. Brad Holt allowed one hit over two scoreless innings in his return to Binghamton after pitching in six games with Buffalo. The B-Mets (14-16) complete their rain-shortened series with New Britain on Wednesday. Right-hander Collin McHugh opposes right-hander Steve Hirschfeld. Box
BREVARD COUNTY 3, ST. LUCIE 2: Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 and drove in both runs -- his 21st and 22nd RBIs of the season -- in the loss. Starter Erik Goeddel allowed three runs in five innings. Randy Fontanez contributed three scoreless relief innings. Box
SAVANNAH 6, LAKEWOOD 1: The Gnats finished their seven-game homestand with a 6-1 record while the teams’ pitching allowed 10 runs over the span. The Gnats (20-12) jumped ahead with a four-run second. After DH Travis Taijeron singled and Brian Harrison doubled, Luis Nieves, Tillman Pugh and Brandon Brown all contributed RBI singles. Cam Maron completed the inning’s scoring with a groundout to first. Taijeron, the reigning South Atlantic League Player of the Week, reached base in all four of his plate appearances. He went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. The BlueClaws (10-20) scored their only run in the fourth, against Savannah starter Alex Panteliodis. Panteliodis, who was not involved in the decision, finished four innings, yielding a run on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Relievers Jeff Walters, Jack Leathersich and Estarlin Morel combined on five scoreless, hitless innings behind Panteliodis. Walters earned the win, his second of the season, for working the fifth and sixth innings. Harrison launched a two-run homer, his second long ball, in the eighth to complete the scoring. The Gnats are off Wednesday. They then begin a seven-game trip to Hickory and Southern Division-leading Charleston. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 4, GWINNETT 3: Rob Johnson's two-run single with two outs in the top of the eighth gave the Bisons the victory. The win was Buffalo's 12th comeback triumph already this season, accounting for two-thirds of the club's 18 wins overall. In the latest edition, the Bisons trailed 3-1 thanks to solid work from 2011 International League's Most Valuable Pitcher Julio Teheran. Buffalo was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and in danger of wasting Dustin Martin's one-out single in the eighth inning. Josh Satin drew a two-out walk and Matt Tuiasosopo battled back from down 0-2 in the count to earn another free pass from Gwinnett reliever Jaye Chapman. Fred Lewis had an easier time drawing his walk, watching four pitches sail outside the zone to force in a run. Down 3-2, Johnson gave the Bisons their only lead with a single through the left side of the infield. Buffalo's only hit with runners in scoring position gave the Herd a 4-3 advantage. Fernando Cabrera nailed down Elvin Ramirez's first Triple-A win with his seventh save. Ramirez came on with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and struck out Josh Wilson. Chris Schwinden started for Buffalo in his first game since a two-start stint with the Mets. He struck out eight batters but left after five innings with a 2-1 deficit. Buffalo scored their first run of the game in the third inning on Martin's sacrifice fly. Box
NEW BRITAIN at BINGHAMTON (ppd.): The contest will be made up as part of a doubleheader at NYSEG Stadium on Aug. 7 at 5:35 p.m. The B-Mets (14-15) will start their rain-shortened series against the Rock Cats on Tuesday. Left-hander Mark Cohoon takes the mound for Binghamton against left-hander Andrew Albers.
ST. LUCIE 5, DUNEDIN 4: Francisco Pena delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly as the Mets rallied with a two-run eighth inning. St. Lucie (25-6) trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Wilmer Flores then hit a leadoff solo homer. Richard Lucas followed with a double down the left-field line and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Cesar Puello. Pena then lined a pitch into left. Lucas tagged up from third and was able to beat the throw at home to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. The Blue Jays put together a comeback bid in the ninth as Ryan Schimpf doubled with one out to put runners at second and third against Adam Kolarek. Adrian Rosario issued an intentional walk to the next batter to load the bases. Rosario was able to induce a shallow flyball out for the second out. Rosario then induced a grounder to retire Michael Crouse to close the game as Danny Muno flipped to Robbie Shields at second for the force. Rosario earned his eighth save. Taylor Whitenton (2-1) picked up the victory in relief. He tossed 2 1/3 innings and allowed one hit and had one strikeout. Yohan Almonte received a no-decision. He allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Almonte allowed four consecutive hits in the first inning as the Blue Jays jumped to a 3-0 lead. But he was able to settle down and retired 13 straight. The Mets responded with a three-run first to even the score. Richard Lucas reached on an error that allowed Shields and Flores to score. Puello delivered an RBI single to plate Lucas with the third run. Flores went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Erik Goeddel opens a series at Brevard County on the mound Tuesday. Box
SAVANNAH 5, LAKEWOOD 0: Savannah pitching faced one batter over the minimum, retiring 27 of 28 Lakewood batters. The Gnats (19-12) have won five of the first six games on their seven-game homestand. Jacob deGrom made his Savannah debut and was perfect into the fifth inning. With two outs in that frame, he gave up a double to Maikel Franco, who was the only runner of the night for Lakewood (10-19). DeGrom, the Mets’ ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft out of Stetson, retired 20 of 21 before departing with his pitch count approaching 80. The Gnats scored the game’s first runs in the seventh. With one out, BlueClaws starter Ethan Stewart walked three batters to load the bases. Lakewood then called on reliever Gabriel Arias. Albert Cordero swung at the first pitch from Arias, sending a sharp groundball inside the first-base bag and down the line for a two-run double. Luis Nieves followed with a bloop single, plating two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Nieves finished 3-for-3 with three singles. Reliever Carlos Vazquez, who entered for deGrom for the final out in the top of the seventh, retired all seven batters he faced to earn his third win. He struck out two. In the eighth, Brian Harrison doubled, driving in Travis Taijeron to cap the scoring. Box
Compiled from team reports
NEW BRITAIN at BINGHAMTON (ppd.): The contest will be made up as part of a doubleheader at NYSEG Stadium on Aug. 7 at 5:35 p.m. The B-Mets (14-15) will start their rain-shortened series against the Rock Cats on Tuesday. Left-hander Mark Cohoon takes the mound for Binghamton against left-hander Andrew Albers.
ST. LUCIE 5, DUNEDIN 4: Francisco Pena delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly as the Mets rallied with a two-run eighth inning. St. Lucie (25-6) trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth. Wilmer Flores then hit a leadoff solo homer. Richard Lucas followed with a double down the left-field line and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Cesar Puello. Pena then lined a pitch into left. Lucas tagged up from third and was able to beat the throw at home to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. The Blue Jays put together a comeback bid in the ninth as Ryan Schimpf doubled with one out to put runners at second and third against Adam Kolarek. Adrian Rosario issued an intentional walk to the next batter to load the bases. Rosario was able to induce a shallow flyball out for the second out. Rosario then induced a grounder to retire Michael Crouse to close the game as Danny Muno flipped to Robbie Shields at second for the force. Rosario earned his eighth save. Taylor Whitenton (2-1) picked up the victory in relief. He tossed 2 1/3 innings and allowed one hit and had one strikeout. Yohan Almonte received a no-decision. He allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Almonte allowed four consecutive hits in the first inning as the Blue Jays jumped to a 3-0 lead. But he was able to settle down and retired 13 straight. The Mets responded with a three-run first to even the score. Richard Lucas reached on an error that allowed Shields and Flores to score. Puello delivered an RBI single to plate Lucas with the third run. Flores went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Erik Goeddel opens a series at Brevard County on the mound Tuesday. Box
SAVANNAH 5, LAKEWOOD 0: Savannah pitching faced one batter over the minimum, retiring 27 of 28 Lakewood batters. The Gnats (19-12) have won five of the first six games on their seven-game homestand. Jacob deGrom made his Savannah debut and was perfect into the fifth inning. With two outs in that frame, he gave up a double to Maikel Franco, who was the only runner of the night for Lakewood (10-19). DeGrom, the Mets’ ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft out of Stetson, retired 20 of 21 before departing with his pitch count approaching 80. The Gnats scored the game’s first runs in the seventh. With one out, BlueClaws starter Ethan Stewart walked three batters to load the bases. Lakewood then called on reliever Gabriel Arias. Albert Cordero swung at the first pitch from Arias, sending a sharp groundball inside the first-base bag and down the line for a two-run double. Luis Nieves followed with a bloop single, plating two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Nieves finished 3-for-3 with three singles. Reliever Carlos Vazquez, who entered for deGrom for the final out in the top of the seventh, retired all seven batters he faced to earn his third win. He struck out two. In the eighth, Brian Harrison doubled, driving in Travis Taijeron to cap the scoring. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 6, SYRACUSE 5: Buffalo (16-11) scored two runs in the sixth inning and two more in the eighth for its sixth win in the last seven games. Eleven of the Herd's wins have come in games in which it has trailed. On Thursday, Syracuse took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth before the Herd rallied. Rob Johnson homered to lead off the frame and pinch hitter Michael Fisher scored all the way from first on Dustin Martin's double to tie the score. In the eighth, Bisons manager Wally Backman went to the bench three times to scratch across a pair of runs. A single from Brad Emaus and a double from Johnson had the Herd set up at second and third with no outs. Pinch hitter No. 1 Valentino Pascucci struck out and pinch hitter No. 2 Bobby Scales was intentionally walked. Pinch hitter No. 3 Lucas May then beat out a potential inning-ending double play to allow a run to score. Vinny Rottino added much-needed insurance with an RBI single. It proved to be the game-deciding run. Rottino had two hits, extending his hitting streak to a Bisons season-high 14 games. The win for Buffalo went to reliever Jack Egbert, who got the Herd out of a jam in the seventh. Fernando Cabrera pitched the ninth for his sixth save. Jeurys Familia started for the Bisons and allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings. He also had an RBI double in the second inning -- the sixth RBI by a Bisons pitcher this season, matching last year's total. In two games since being activated from the DL, Johnson is 5-for-7 with double, triple, homer and two RBIs. Mets right-hander D.J. Carrasco joined the Bisons on his rehab assignment and allowed a sixth-inning homer to Carlos Maldonado. He also picked up a strikeout in one inning. Box
BINGHAMTON 7, AKRON 3: Collin McHugh tossed 7 1/3 strong innings and Raul Reyes ripped a three-run homer as the B-Mets avoided getting swept in the four-game series. Facing spot starter Mason Radeke, the B-Mets took advantage of a rare Akron error in the first. A two-out walk to Reese Havens started the rally and shortstop Juan Diaz’s fielding error on Jefry Marte’s groundball set the table for Reyes. It was Akron’s 14th error as team, fewest in the Eastern League. Reyes cashed in by ripping his first long ball of the season. Binghamton doubled its lead in the fourth against former B-Met Jose De La Torre. Juan Lagares greeted the reliever by doubling. Travis Ozga brought him home by banging a double. Juan Centeno pushed Ozga to third my dribbling a single to the pitcher’s mound. Matt den Dekker plated Ozga with a sac fly. Josh Rodriguez gave Binghamton a six-run edge my lacing a double. Pedro Zapata and den Dekker laced back-to-back doubles to tack on another run in the sixth. It was all McHugh needed to rack up his team-leading fourth win. After side-stepping trouble in the first two innings, the righty cruised from the third onward. He retired 18 of 19 Aeros before Michel Hernandez doubled in the eighth. McHugh’s night was done after allowing run-scoring hits to Tim Fedroff and Juan Diaz. McHugh’s 7 1/3 innings were the most by any B-Met starter this year. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out five while walking one. Erik Turgeon took over and allowed an RBI single to Jared Goedert before getting two outs to end the frame. Robert Carson tossed a perfect ninth to cap the victory. Box
JUPITER 6, ST. LUCIE 1: St. Lucie's seven-game winning streak was snapped despite Cory Vaughn delivering his team-leading seventh homer in the fourth inning. Vaughn drilled Matt Neil's offering over the left-center fence to cut the deficit to 3-1. Mets left-hander Angel Cuan (2-1) was dealt the loss, despite tossing six innings and allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Ryan Fraser allowed one run on three hits in two relief innings. John Church pitched the ninth and gave up two runs on one hit. Jupiter took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on home runs by Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto. The Hammerheads picked up a run in the fifth after a balk was issued to Cuan to allow Yeison Hernandez to score from third. Hernandez delivered an RBI single in the seventh off Fraser to extend the lead to 4-1. Jupiter loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Third baseman Wilmer Flores' throw toward second base on a potential double-play chance sailed into right field. The error allowed two runs to score. Box
SAVANNAH 3, DELMARVA 1: Domingo Tapia was dominant over 7 1/3 innings, in the longest start this season by a Gnats pitcher. The Gnats (16-11) won their fourth straight. Tapia gave up a pair of singles in the first inning, but escaped trouble with the help of third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez, who threw out a runner at the plate for the inning’s second out. That began a stretch during which Tapia (2-1) set down 14 batters in a row through the end of the fifth. The Gnats opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Brandon Brown led off with a double and scored on DH Travis Taijeron’s single. Albert Cordero gave the Gnats a 2-0 advantage with a solo homer in the second. It was his first longball this season. Savannah made it 3-0 in the sixth. Taijeron reached on an infield single and scored on Charley Thurber’s triple. The Shorebirds (13-13) scored their only run in the eighth. After Tapia recorded the first out of the frame, a single and walk chased him. Reliever Estarlin Morel walked No. 9 hitter Mychal Givens to load the bases. He then gave up a sacrifice fly to Glynn Davis. With the tying run at first base, Gnats left fielder Gregory Pron made a diving catch to take a base hit away from the subsequent batter, Sammie Starr, to end the frame and preserve a two-run lead. Morel worked an uneventful ninth to wrap up his second save. The Gnats look for the sweep Friday when right-hander Tyler Pill (2-1, 2.11) opposes right-hander Tyler Wilson (3-1, 2.45). Box
Compiled from team reports
BINGHAMTON 7, AKRON 3: Collin McHugh tossed 7 1/3 strong innings and Raul Reyes ripped a three-run homer as the B-Mets avoided getting swept in the four-game series. Facing spot starter Mason Radeke, the B-Mets took advantage of a rare Akron error in the first. A two-out walk to Reese Havens started the rally and shortstop Juan Diaz’s fielding error on Jefry Marte’s groundball set the table for Reyes. It was Akron’s 14th error as team, fewest in the Eastern League. Reyes cashed in by ripping his first long ball of the season. Binghamton doubled its lead in the fourth against former B-Met Jose De La Torre. Juan Lagares greeted the reliever by doubling. Travis Ozga brought him home by banging a double. Juan Centeno pushed Ozga to third my dribbling a single to the pitcher’s mound. Matt den Dekker plated Ozga with a sac fly. Josh Rodriguez gave Binghamton a six-run edge my lacing a double. Pedro Zapata and den Dekker laced back-to-back doubles to tack on another run in the sixth. It was all McHugh needed to rack up his team-leading fourth win. After side-stepping trouble in the first two innings, the righty cruised from the third onward. He retired 18 of 19 Aeros before Michel Hernandez doubled in the eighth. McHugh’s night was done after allowing run-scoring hits to Tim Fedroff and Juan Diaz. McHugh’s 7 1/3 innings were the most by any B-Met starter this year. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out five while walking one. Erik Turgeon took over and allowed an RBI single to Jared Goedert before getting two outs to end the frame. Robert Carson tossed a perfect ninth to cap the victory. Box
JUPITER 6, ST. LUCIE 1: St. Lucie's seven-game winning streak was snapped despite Cory Vaughn delivering his team-leading seventh homer in the fourth inning. Vaughn drilled Matt Neil's offering over the left-center fence to cut the deficit to 3-1. Mets left-hander Angel Cuan (2-1) was dealt the loss, despite tossing six innings and allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Ryan Fraser allowed one run on three hits in two relief innings. John Church pitched the ninth and gave up two runs on one hit. Jupiter took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on home runs by Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto. The Hammerheads picked up a run in the fifth after a balk was issued to Cuan to allow Yeison Hernandez to score from third. Hernandez delivered an RBI single in the seventh off Fraser to extend the lead to 4-1. Jupiter loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Third baseman Wilmer Flores' throw toward second base on a potential double-play chance sailed into right field. The error allowed two runs to score. Box
SAVANNAH 3, DELMARVA 1: Domingo Tapia was dominant over 7 1/3 innings, in the longest start this season by a Gnats pitcher. The Gnats (16-11) won their fourth straight. Tapia gave up a pair of singles in the first inning, but escaped trouble with the help of third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez, who threw out a runner at the plate for the inning’s second out. That began a stretch during which Tapia (2-1) set down 14 batters in a row through the end of the fifth. The Gnats opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Brandon Brown led off with a double and scored on DH Travis Taijeron’s single. Albert Cordero gave the Gnats a 2-0 advantage with a solo homer in the second. It was his first longball this season. Savannah made it 3-0 in the sixth. Taijeron reached on an infield single and scored on Charley Thurber’s triple. The Shorebirds (13-13) scored their only run in the eighth. After Tapia recorded the first out of the frame, a single and walk chased him. Reliever Estarlin Morel walked No. 9 hitter Mychal Givens to load the bases. He then gave up a sacrifice fly to Glynn Davis. With the tying run at first base, Gnats left fielder Gregory Pron made a diving catch to take a base hit away from the subsequent batter, Sammie Starr, to end the frame and preserve a two-run lead. Morel worked an uneventful ninth to wrap up his second save. The Gnats look for the sweep Friday when right-hander Tyler Pill (2-1, 2.11) opposes right-hander Tyler Wilson (3-1, 2.45). Box
Compiled from team reports
As a 12-year-old, T.J. Rivera pitched for his Little League team in the district-championship game in which it was eliminated by Danny Almonte’s squad. A half-dozen years later, Rivera went on to play junior college baseball for ex-Met Mackey Sasser.
Now, the 23-year-old middle infielder is making a name for himself in the Mets minor league system.
Signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, Rivera -- a product of Lehman High School in the Bronx -- is the reigning South Atlantic League Player of the Week.
He completed April hitting .389 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 95 at-bats. He also has walked 15 times and been hit by pitches twice, giving him a .478 on-base percentage. Rivera’s average ranks third in the SAL behind West Virginia’s Alen Hanson (.410) and Hickory’s Christopher Grayson (.400). Rivera’s OBP ranks second to Grayson’s .500.
Rivera was signed last July 4 after going undrafted out of Troy (Ala.) University, where his team won the Sun Belt Conference title and beat Oklahoma State in the opening game of an NCAA regional at Vanderbilt last year.
“Once the draft was over, my coaches told me that I should get an opportunity to play and sign as a free agent,” Rivera said. “I was just really sitting around in Troy waiting for someone to give me a call, just give me an opportunity. My coach from Troy told me he was at a showcase or something and he saw [Mets area supervisor] Tommy Jackson, I think, and talked to him. That’s when I got a call about two days later that they needed an infielder at Kingsport, so I got my opportunity.”
Out of high school in the Bronx, Rivera wanted to play for a junior-college program in Florida or Alabama because of the quality of baseball and the weather. His summer-league coach sent him, as well as George Washington High School products Viosergy Rosa (now with Marlins system) and George Isabel (Yankees), who were summer-league teammates, to Sasser’s JUCO program in Dothan, Ala.
“We all went down together,” Rivera said. “So it was a little easier to get used to Alabama with a couple of guys out of New York.”
Rivera was unfamiliar with Sasser’s Mets history, including the ex-catcher’s noted throwing issues, until after joining the program.
“No idea,” Rivera said. “It’s funny. I’ve heard some stories now. Especially now that I’m with the Mets, everybody knows him. But I didn’t know who he was. I knew he played in the bigs for, I think, it was nine years with the Mets. But I didn’t know anything about him until I got down there, actually.”
Truth be told, Rivera grew up a Yankees fan. In fact, the lone Mets fan in his family is his father. Still, Rivera went to a fair amount of games at both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium growing up -- more Mets games, in fact. The insurance company for which his mother worked would give tickets to its employees when they were not distributed to clients.
“I grew up a Yankee fan all my life,” Rivera said. “Everybody in my family is except my dad. My dad was the only Mets fan, believe it or not. I was actually pretty close. I was right in Throgs Neck, which is about 10 minutes away from Yankee Stadium. And if we took the train, it would be a little longer -- 15 minutes maybe. We’d just hop on the 4 train and be right there.”
While Rivera initially played for Kingsport last year after signing, he finished the regular season with Brooklyn, where he hit .326 in 15 games. He lived in team-sponsored housing, not with his family, because the subway commute was too lengthy from the Bronx and his car was still in Alabama. Regardless, the experience playing in New York City as a professional was a particular thrill given his roots.
“That was the best part of my career so far,” Rivera said. “I had a lot of family and friends that were able to come visit. Being in Alabama for four years, my parents really didn’t get to see me too much, or my friends. When I got to Brooklyn, that was a great opportunity for them to come see me. It was nice, too. We had 9,000 fans a game -- crazy fans, too, I’ll tell you.”
Organization leaders
Average: Bobby Scales, Buffalo, .397; T.J. Rivera, Savannah, .389; Jefry Marte, Binghamton, .347; Zach Lutz, Buffalo, .333; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, .318; Vinny Rottino, Buffalo, .316; Wilfredo Tovar, St. Lucie, .312; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .308; Danny Muno, St. Lucie, .295; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, .292.
Homers: Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 6; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 6; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 6.
RBI: Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 19; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 18; Aderlin Rodriguez, Savannah, 18; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 17.
Steals: Luis Nieves, Savannah, 7; Cesar Puello, St. Lucie, 7; Danny Muno, St. Lucie, 5.
ERA: Alex Panteliodis, Savannah, 0.89; Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 1.32; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 1.75; Chris Schwinden, Buffalo, 2.05; Jeremy Hefner, Buffalo, 2.08; Tyler Pill, Savannah, 2.11; Mark Cohoon, Binghamton, 2.25; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 2.33; Darin Gorski, Binghamton, 2.45; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 2.78.
Wins: Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 4; Gonzalez Germen, St. Lucie, 3; Jeff Kaplan, Binghamton, 3; Cory Mazzoni, St. Lucie, 3; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 3.
Saves: Adrian Rosario, St. Lucie, 5; Fernando Cabrera, Buffalo, 4; Adam Kolarek, St. Lucie, 4.
Strikeouts: Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 30; Jeurys Familia, Buffalo, 26; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 26; Matt Harvey, Buffalo, 24; Jack Leathersich, Savannah, 24.
Short hops
• The Mets system owned the top collective record in minor league baseball in April. Fueled by Class A St. Lucie’s 20-4 record during the month, Mets affiliates went a combined 60-36. That .625 winning percentage was tops in baseball, exceeding runner-up Colorado’s system (59-38, .608). The Mets were the only franchise to have a winning record at the major league level as well as with each of its full-season affiliates. St. Lucie’s .833 winning percentage topped Fresno for the best April record in minor league baseball. The San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate went 19-6 (.760). The 20 wins broke St. Lucie’s record for victories in any month.
The success was fueled in large part by pitching. The Mets had the lowest collective minor league ERA in April, at 2.89, as well as the lowest opponent batting average against (.234) and on-base percentage (.307).
After another long ball Tuesday night, St. Lucie outfielder Cory Vaughn leads the Florida State League in homers with six.
Wilmer Flores, who has made the transition to third base this season, is having a bounceback year at the plate as well. The 20-year-old Venezuelan ranks second in the FSL in RBIs with 19, trailing only Daytona’s Greg Rohan (28). Flores had an 11-game hitting streak snapped Friday.
As for Flores’ adjustment to third base -- which he has played exclusively this season after previously playing shortstop -- that’s going decently. His footwork needs work, and he has bobbled a couple of balls. But Flores largely has managed to stay with those plays and complete the out. Flores committed only two errors in April. The arm is no issue at third base.
• Matt Harvey enters Wednesday’s start for Triple-A Buffalo coming off his most effective outing this season. Harvey tossed seven scoreless innings last Wednesday at Lehigh Valley, allowing four hits while striking out five and walking none. Harvey sliced his International League ERA from 6.63 to 4.85 and has now won two straight starts. He also became the second pitcher in a three-day span for Buffalo to homer, joining Dylan Owen. No Buffalo pitcher had homered for 18 years before the pair of long balls last week. Harvey’s outing last week included improvement in throwing strikes (66 of 90 pitches) and more crispness with his fastball. He indicated after that start that his mechanics felt more comfortable than in any of his previous four starts.
• With Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin and temporarily Zach Lutz at the major league level, and with outfielder Adam Loewen lost to a stress fracture of the second metatarsal in his right foot, the Mets signed a trio of players for Buffalo. 2011 Opening Day second baseball Brad Emaus returns, as does outfielder Dustin Martin. The Mets also signed former San Francisco Giants outfielder Fred Lewis.
Emaus, a favorite of J.P. Ricciardi’s while both were employed by the Toronto Blue Jays, was a Rule 5 pick by the Mets in December 2010, along with Pedro Beato. But after hitting .162 in 14 games with the Mets, he was returned to Toronto in mid-April, then immediately flipped in a trade to the Colorado Rockies. In January, he was acquired by the Red Sox. He went to camp with Boston, but was released. Emaus was planning to play for Laredo in independent baseball before the Mets called him while he was at home in Louisiana. Emaus so far has started one game, at third place, and may now just be a bench player with Lutz’s return.
Martin, 28, originally was drafted by the Mets in the 26th round in 2006 out of Sam Houston State. A favorite of former Mets VP Tony Bernazard, Martin nonetheless was traded with catcher Drew Butera to the Minnesota Twins on July 30, 2007 for Luis Castillo. Martin hit .259 with 31 homers and 189 RBIs over the past three seasons with Triple-A Rochester, which plays in a big ballpark. He was released from Twins minor league camp because of a crowded group of outfield prospects that includes Darin Mastroianni, Joe Benson, Ben Revere and Rene Tosoni.
Martin’s lone start so far came Saturday against his former club, in right field. After lightheartedly tweeting pregame to the opposing catcher Butera, “I need a bunch of fastballs today,” Martin went 2-for-4 and homered for the first time with the Mets organization since playing for St. Lucie in 2007.
Lewis, 31, appeared in 81 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season. He hit .230 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 183 at-bats. Lewis had been in camp with the Cleveland Indians during spring training.
• Lutz, who was returned to Triple-A when the Mets activated Andres Torres from the disabled list, started at third base Tuesday in his first game back. That’s his natural position, but Lutz now should see plenty of first-base exposure.
• Second baseman Reese Havens’ ability to produce at the plate has never been questioned. And, sure enough, after opening the season on the disabled list with a left upper-back strain, Havens joined Binghamton and demonstrated that proficiency with his first official 2012 swing. After taking a first-pitch strike Sunday in his first at-bat, Havens launched the second offering over the right-field wall at Jerry Uht Park in Erie. Since being selected four slots after Ike Davis when the Mets had two first-round picks in 2008, Havens has been limited to 215 professional games because of assorted upper-body injuries. He underwent surgery two offseasons ago to remove an inch of a rib that was believed to be irritating an oblique muscle.
• The hurried trade of Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers during last year’s All-Star break was a clear-cut dump to avoid his vesting option kicking in for 2012 with 55 games finished. And the players returned were not the motivation for the deal. Yet maybe the Mets did get a modest return for K-Rod. Right-hander Adrian Rosario, who came with Daniel Herrera as players to be named in the trade, has limited opponents to one run and three hits while striking out 17 in 13 1/3 relief innings with St. Lucie. A converted starter, the 22-year-old Rosario throws a low-90s fastball and also features a slider, which he uses with two strikes. He has five saves this season, including one of the six-out variety.
• Top prospect Zack Wheeler continues to be unhittable, despite command issues with his fastball. Wheeler’s 1.75 ERA ranks fifth in the Eastern League. His 30 strikeouts rank third, trailing Harrisburg’s Robert Gilliam (35) and Reading’s Trevor May (33). Wheeler also has walked 14 and hit four batters in 25 2/3 innings.
• At Buffalo, fellow highly regarded right-hander Jeurys Familia’s control issues continue. Familia walked seven while requiring 90 pitches to log three innings Friday against Rochester. He did record eight strikeouts the previous outing against Syracuse, but the Chiefs are light hitting. Observers believe a better offensive club would have taken advantage of balls up in the zone.
• Former Cub Bobby Scales leads the International League with a .397 average with Buffalo.
• Binghamton infielder Eric Campbell has returned after missing a week with a right shoulder strain.
• Savannah reliever Jack Leathersich, a fifth-round pick out of UMass-Lowell last June, continues to put up gaudy strikeout totals. He has fanned 24 in 15 innings.
• Vinny Rottino might have been the call-up if the Mets needed a catcher because of Mike Nickeas’ flu, but the utility player actually has not squatted behind the plate this season while hitting .316 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 95 at-bats with Buffalo. Rottino has been confined to left field because of outfield shortages. Rottino was slated to catch his first game this season on Monday, but it was rained out.
• Right-hander Jeff Kaplan, who picked up two wins and two saves in six appearances with St. Lucie, has shifted to a long-relief role with a promotion to Binghamton. Elvin Ramirez has taken over as B-Mets closer with Josh Edgin moving to Triple-A.
Adam Rubin’s farm report appears Wednesdays during the regular season
Now, the 23-year-old middle infielder is making a name for himself in the Mets minor league system.
Courtesy of New York Mets
T.J. Rivera
T.J. Rivera
He completed April hitting .389 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 95 at-bats. He also has walked 15 times and been hit by pitches twice, giving him a .478 on-base percentage. Rivera’s average ranks third in the SAL behind West Virginia’s Alen Hanson (.410) and Hickory’s Christopher Grayson (.400). Rivera’s OBP ranks second to Grayson’s .500.
Rivera was signed last July 4 after going undrafted out of Troy (Ala.) University, where his team won the Sun Belt Conference title and beat Oklahoma State in the opening game of an NCAA regional at Vanderbilt last year.
“Once the draft was over, my coaches told me that I should get an opportunity to play and sign as a free agent,” Rivera said. “I was just really sitting around in Troy waiting for someone to give me a call, just give me an opportunity. My coach from Troy told me he was at a showcase or something and he saw [Mets area supervisor] Tommy Jackson, I think, and talked to him. That’s when I got a call about two days later that they needed an infielder at Kingsport, so I got my opportunity.”
Out of high school in the Bronx, Rivera wanted to play for a junior-college program in Florida or Alabama because of the quality of baseball and the weather. His summer-league coach sent him, as well as George Washington High School products Viosergy Rosa (now with Marlins system) and George Isabel (Yankees), who were summer-league teammates, to Sasser’s JUCO program in Dothan, Ala.
“We all went down together,” Rivera said. “So it was a little easier to get used to Alabama with a couple of guys out of New York.”
Rivera was unfamiliar with Sasser’s Mets history, including the ex-catcher’s noted throwing issues, until after joining the program.
“No idea,” Rivera said. “It’s funny. I’ve heard some stories now. Especially now that I’m with the Mets, everybody knows him. But I didn’t know who he was. I knew he played in the bigs for, I think, it was nine years with the Mets. But I didn’t know anything about him until I got down there, actually.”
Truth be told, Rivera grew up a Yankees fan. In fact, the lone Mets fan in his family is his father. Still, Rivera went to a fair amount of games at both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium growing up -- more Mets games, in fact. The insurance company for which his mother worked would give tickets to its employees when they were not distributed to clients.
“I grew up a Yankee fan all my life,” Rivera said. “Everybody in my family is except my dad. My dad was the only Mets fan, believe it or not. I was actually pretty close. I was right in Throgs Neck, which is about 10 minutes away from Yankee Stadium. And if we took the train, it would be a little longer -- 15 minutes maybe. We’d just hop on the 4 train and be right there.”
While Rivera initially played for Kingsport last year after signing, he finished the regular season with Brooklyn, where he hit .326 in 15 games. He lived in team-sponsored housing, not with his family, because the subway commute was too lengthy from the Bronx and his car was still in Alabama. Regardless, the experience playing in New York City as a professional was a particular thrill given his roots.
“That was the best part of my career so far,” Rivera said. “I had a lot of family and friends that were able to come visit. Being in Alabama for four years, my parents really didn’t get to see me too much, or my friends. When I got to Brooklyn, that was a great opportunity for them to come see me. It was nice, too. We had 9,000 fans a game -- crazy fans, too, I’ll tell you.”
Organization leaders
Average: Bobby Scales, Buffalo, .397; T.J. Rivera, Savannah, .389; Jefry Marte, Binghamton, .347; Zach Lutz, Buffalo, .333; Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, .318; Vinny Rottino, Buffalo, .316; Wilfredo Tovar, St. Lucie, .312; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .308; Danny Muno, St. Lucie, .295; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, .292.
Homers: Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 6; Travis Taijeron, Savannah, 6; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 6.
RBI: Wilmer Flores, St. Lucie, 19; Valentino Pascucci, Buffalo, 18; Aderlin Rodriguez, Savannah, 18; Cory Vaughn, St. Lucie, 17.
Steals: Luis Nieves, Savannah, 7; Cesar Puello, St. Lucie, 7; Danny Muno, St. Lucie, 5.
ERA: Alex Panteliodis, Savannah, 0.89; Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 1.32; Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 1.75; Chris Schwinden, Buffalo, 2.05; Jeremy Hefner, Buffalo, 2.08; Tyler Pill, Savannah, 2.11; Mark Cohoon, Binghamton, 2.25; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 2.33; Darin Gorski, Binghamton, 2.45; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 2.78.
Wins: Chase Huchingson, St. Lucie, 4; Gonzalez Germen, St. Lucie, 3; Jeff Kaplan, Binghamton, 3; Cory Mazzoni, St. Lucie, 3; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 3.
Saves: Adrian Rosario, St. Lucie, 5; Fernando Cabrera, Buffalo, 4; Adam Kolarek, St. Lucie, 4.
Strikeouts: Zack Wheeler, Binghamton, 30; Jeurys Familia, Buffalo, 26; Collin McHugh, Binghamton, 26; Matt Harvey, Buffalo, 24; Jack Leathersich, Savannah, 24.
Short hops
• The Mets system owned the top collective record in minor league baseball in April. Fueled by Class A St. Lucie’s 20-4 record during the month, Mets affiliates went a combined 60-36. That .625 winning percentage was tops in baseball, exceeding runner-up Colorado’s system (59-38, .608). The Mets were the only franchise to have a winning record at the major league level as well as with each of its full-season affiliates. St. Lucie’s .833 winning percentage topped Fresno for the best April record in minor league baseball. The San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate went 19-6 (.760). The 20 wins broke St. Lucie’s record for victories in any month.
The success was fueled in large part by pitching. The Mets had the lowest collective minor league ERA in April, at 2.89, as well as the lowest opponent batting average against (.234) and on-base percentage (.307).
After another long ball Tuesday night, St. Lucie outfielder Cory Vaughn leads the Florida State League in homers with six.
Wilmer Flores, who has made the transition to third base this season, is having a bounceback year at the plate as well. The 20-year-old Venezuelan ranks second in the FSL in RBIs with 19, trailing only Daytona’s Greg Rohan (28). Flores had an 11-game hitting streak snapped Friday.
As for Flores’ adjustment to third base -- which he has played exclusively this season after previously playing shortstop -- that’s going decently. His footwork needs work, and he has bobbled a couple of balls. But Flores largely has managed to stay with those plays and complete the out. Flores committed only two errors in April. The arm is no issue at third base.
• Matt Harvey enters Wednesday’s start for Triple-A Buffalo coming off his most effective outing this season. Harvey tossed seven scoreless innings last Wednesday at Lehigh Valley, allowing four hits while striking out five and walking none. Harvey sliced his International League ERA from 6.63 to 4.85 and has now won two straight starts. He also became the second pitcher in a three-day span for Buffalo to homer, joining Dylan Owen. No Buffalo pitcher had homered for 18 years before the pair of long balls last week. Harvey’s outing last week included improvement in throwing strikes (66 of 90 pitches) and more crispness with his fastball. He indicated after that start that his mechanics felt more comfortable than in any of his previous four starts.
• With Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin and temporarily Zach Lutz at the major league level, and with outfielder Adam Loewen lost to a stress fracture of the second metatarsal in his right foot, the Mets signed a trio of players for Buffalo. 2011 Opening Day second baseball Brad Emaus returns, as does outfielder Dustin Martin. The Mets also signed former San Francisco Giants outfielder Fred Lewis.
Emaus, a favorite of J.P. Ricciardi’s while both were employed by the Toronto Blue Jays, was a Rule 5 pick by the Mets in December 2010, along with Pedro Beato. But after hitting .162 in 14 games with the Mets, he was returned to Toronto in mid-April, then immediately flipped in a trade to the Colorado Rockies. In January, he was acquired by the Red Sox. He went to camp with Boston, but was released. Emaus was planning to play for Laredo in independent baseball before the Mets called him while he was at home in Louisiana. Emaus so far has started one game, at third place, and may now just be a bench player with Lutz’s return.
Martin, 28, originally was drafted by the Mets in the 26th round in 2006 out of Sam Houston State. A favorite of former Mets VP Tony Bernazard, Martin nonetheless was traded with catcher Drew Butera to the Minnesota Twins on July 30, 2007 for Luis Castillo. Martin hit .259 with 31 homers and 189 RBIs over the past three seasons with Triple-A Rochester, which plays in a big ballpark. He was released from Twins minor league camp because of a crowded group of outfield prospects that includes Darin Mastroianni, Joe Benson, Ben Revere and Rene Tosoni.
Martin’s lone start so far came Saturday against his former club, in right field. After lightheartedly tweeting pregame to the opposing catcher Butera, “I need a bunch of fastballs today,” Martin went 2-for-4 and homered for the first time with the Mets organization since playing for St. Lucie in 2007.
Lewis, 31, appeared in 81 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season. He hit .230 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 183 at-bats. Lewis had been in camp with the Cleveland Indians during spring training.
• Lutz, who was returned to Triple-A when the Mets activated Andres Torres from the disabled list, started at third base Tuesday in his first game back. That’s his natural position, but Lutz now should see plenty of first-base exposure.
• Second baseman Reese Havens’ ability to produce at the plate has never been questioned. And, sure enough, after opening the season on the disabled list with a left upper-back strain, Havens joined Binghamton and demonstrated that proficiency with his first official 2012 swing. After taking a first-pitch strike Sunday in his first at-bat, Havens launched the second offering over the right-field wall at Jerry Uht Park in Erie. Since being selected four slots after Ike Davis when the Mets had two first-round picks in 2008, Havens has been limited to 215 professional games because of assorted upper-body injuries. He underwent surgery two offseasons ago to remove an inch of a rib that was believed to be irritating an oblique muscle.
• The hurried trade of Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers during last year’s All-Star break was a clear-cut dump to avoid his vesting option kicking in for 2012 with 55 games finished. And the players returned were not the motivation for the deal. Yet maybe the Mets did get a modest return for K-Rod. Right-hander Adrian Rosario, who came with Daniel Herrera as players to be named in the trade, has limited opponents to one run and three hits while striking out 17 in 13 1/3 relief innings with St. Lucie. A converted starter, the 22-year-old Rosario throws a low-90s fastball and also features a slider, which he uses with two strikes. He has five saves this season, including one of the six-out variety.
• Top prospect Zack Wheeler continues to be unhittable, despite command issues with his fastball. Wheeler’s 1.75 ERA ranks fifth in the Eastern League. His 30 strikeouts rank third, trailing Harrisburg’s Robert Gilliam (35) and Reading’s Trevor May (33). Wheeler also has walked 14 and hit four batters in 25 2/3 innings.
• At Buffalo, fellow highly regarded right-hander Jeurys Familia’s control issues continue. Familia walked seven while requiring 90 pitches to log three innings Friday against Rochester. He did record eight strikeouts the previous outing against Syracuse, but the Chiefs are light hitting. Observers believe a better offensive club would have taken advantage of balls up in the zone.
• Former Cub Bobby Scales leads the International League with a .397 average with Buffalo.
• Binghamton infielder Eric Campbell has returned after missing a week with a right shoulder strain.
• Savannah reliever Jack Leathersich, a fifth-round pick out of UMass-Lowell last June, continues to put up gaudy strikeout totals. He has fanned 24 in 15 innings.
• Vinny Rottino might have been the call-up if the Mets needed a catcher because of Mike Nickeas’ flu, but the utility player actually has not squatted behind the plate this season while hitting .316 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 95 at-bats with Buffalo. Rottino has been confined to left field because of outfield shortages. Rottino was slated to catch his first game this season on Monday, but it was rained out.
• Right-hander Jeff Kaplan, who picked up two wins and two saves in six appearances with St. Lucie, has shifted to a long-relief role with a promotion to Binghamton. Elvin Ramirez has taken over as B-Mets closer with Josh Edgin moving to Triple-A.
Adam Rubin’s farm report appears Wednesdays during the regular season
SYRACUSE 8, BUFFALO 0: Zach Duke pitched Syracuse passed Buffalo, snapping the Bisons' four-game winning streak. Duke, the former National League All-Star while with Pittsburgh, held the Herd to three hits over a season-high seven innings. The southpaw struck out five Bisons and didn't allow a hit in eight chances with runners in scoring position. His Chief teammates, meanwhile, got plenty of big hits. Right fielder Brett Carroll opened the scoring with a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning against Garrett Olson. Corey Brown added two more in the fourth with a double. Syracuse increased its lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Jarrett Hoffpauir and a sac fly from Mark Teahan. Former Bisons outfielder Jason Michaels added a two-run double in the eighth against left-hander Josh Edgin. Chuck James pitched two innings of scoreless relief. He has allowed one run in nine appearances this year. Valentino Pascucci went 0-for-4 and saw his Bisons-best 13-game hitting streak end. Vinny Rottino had one of Buffalo's four hits. His hitting streak now reached 12 games. Fred Lewis made his Bisons debut, going 0-for-4 while manning center field. The Bisons will look to even the series Wednesday with Matt Harvey on the mound. Box
AKRON 6, BINGAMTON 5 (10 innings): Chun Chen came off the bench for the Aeros and supplied three hits, including a walk-off single in the 10th, as the B-Mets could not hold a three-run lead and Elvin Ramirez was charged with a blown save and loss. After Binghamton jumped to a 5-2 lead in the seventh, the Aeros put up two in the bottom half against Kevin Mulvey and handed Ramirez his first blown save with a run in the ninth. Chen ripped the game-winning hit to right against Jeff Kaplan to give the Aeros their league-leading ninth one-run win. For the second night in a row, the B-Mets got on the board first. In his Double-A debut, Akron starter T.J. House hit his first batter. After the hit batsman, a single and a fielder’s choice, Jefry Marte singled to give Binghamton the lead. Rylan Sandoval doubled in the second and scored on a single from Matt den Dekker. After two bumpy innings, House settled in to blank the B-Mets for four consecutive innings. He retired 12 straight B-Mets before walking Eric Campbell to start the seventh. Akron tied the score with two runs in the fourth against B-Mets starter Greg Peavey. After allowing two singles and a fielder’s choice, Peavey surrendered his first run by uncorking a wild pitch. Ben Copeland tied the game with a double. The B-Mets got the lead back with a three-run seventh. A walk and fielding error from Kyle Bellows at third ended the night for House. Bryan Price entered and loaded the bases with a walk to Sandoval. Kai Gronauer and Pedro Zapata provided consecutive run-scoring singles before Oswaldo Navarro supplied a sac fly. After two rocky outings, Peavey turned in a strong performance. The righty allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four over six innings. Akron responded against Mulvey. Ryan Rohlinger ripped a solo homer to start the inning. Bellows walked and was quickly chased home by Chen’s pinch-hit double. Robert Carson relieved Mulvey and recorded two outs to preserve the lead. The Aeros nearly broke through in the eighth. They loaded the bases with no outs, but failed to get the timely hit. After Carson got two straight outs, Ramirez entered and induced Bellows to fly out to end the inning. Akron finally tied it in the ninth. Chen started the rally with a single, advanced to second on a walk to Tim Fedroff and scored on Juan Diaz’s single. In the 10th, the B-Mets were kept in check by Mason Radeke, making his Double-A debut. In the bottom of the 10th, Ramirez walked Rohlinger and gave up a single to Bellows to set the table to Chen. Kaplan entered and watched Chen lace his second pitch into right to give Akron the walk-off win. The teams continue their four-game series Wednesday as left-handers Mark Cohoon and Giovanni Soto face off. Box
ST. LUCIE 15, JUPITER 6: St. Lucie exploded for a nine-run second inning while winning its sixth straight game. D.J. Carrasco -- working a second straight day, a prerequisite to be activated from the DL -- retired the side in order in the seventh with two strikeouts. The Mets hit five homers and pounded out 19 hits to improve to 21-4. Richard Lucas opened the Mets' scoring in the second with a two-run homer. Robbie Shields drilled a three-run shot to give the Mets a 5-1 lead. Cesar Puello extended the lead with an RBI single. The Mets batted around in the second and Lucas also ripped a two-run single in the frame. Wilfredo Tovar hit a leadoff homer in the third to make it 10-1. Cory Vaughn and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back homers in the fifth for a 12-3 lead. Vaughn also had an RBI groundout in the seventh and delivered a two-run double to left in the eighth. Yohan Almonte allowed six runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts and picked up his second victory. Ryan Fraser induced an inning-ending double play in the sixth inning after Jupiter loaded the bases and scored three times. Hamilton Bennett tossed two scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one strikeout. Vaughn had three hits with two runs scored and four RBIs. Lucas went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Flores went 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI. Danny Muno and Puello each had three hits, while Tovar had two hits and three runs scored. Erik Goeddel starts for St. Lucie on Wednesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
AKRON 6, BINGAMTON 5 (10 innings): Chun Chen came off the bench for the Aeros and supplied three hits, including a walk-off single in the 10th, as the B-Mets could not hold a three-run lead and Elvin Ramirez was charged with a blown save and loss. After Binghamton jumped to a 5-2 lead in the seventh, the Aeros put up two in the bottom half against Kevin Mulvey and handed Ramirez his first blown save with a run in the ninth. Chen ripped the game-winning hit to right against Jeff Kaplan to give the Aeros their league-leading ninth one-run win. For the second night in a row, the B-Mets got on the board first. In his Double-A debut, Akron starter T.J. House hit his first batter. After the hit batsman, a single and a fielder’s choice, Jefry Marte singled to give Binghamton the lead. Rylan Sandoval doubled in the second and scored on a single from Matt den Dekker. After two bumpy innings, House settled in to blank the B-Mets for four consecutive innings. He retired 12 straight B-Mets before walking Eric Campbell to start the seventh. Akron tied the score with two runs in the fourth against B-Mets starter Greg Peavey. After allowing two singles and a fielder’s choice, Peavey surrendered his first run by uncorking a wild pitch. Ben Copeland tied the game with a double. The B-Mets got the lead back with a three-run seventh. A walk and fielding error from Kyle Bellows at third ended the night for House. Bryan Price entered and loaded the bases with a walk to Sandoval. Kai Gronauer and Pedro Zapata provided consecutive run-scoring singles before Oswaldo Navarro supplied a sac fly. After two rocky outings, Peavey turned in a strong performance. The righty allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four over six innings. Akron responded against Mulvey. Ryan Rohlinger ripped a solo homer to start the inning. Bellows walked and was quickly chased home by Chen’s pinch-hit double. Robert Carson relieved Mulvey and recorded two outs to preserve the lead. The Aeros nearly broke through in the eighth. They loaded the bases with no outs, but failed to get the timely hit. After Carson got two straight outs, Ramirez entered and induced Bellows to fly out to end the inning. Akron finally tied it in the ninth. Chen started the rally with a single, advanced to second on a walk to Tim Fedroff and scored on Juan Diaz’s single. In the 10th, the B-Mets were kept in check by Mason Radeke, making his Double-A debut. In the bottom of the 10th, Ramirez walked Rohlinger and gave up a single to Bellows to set the table to Chen. Kaplan entered and watched Chen lace his second pitch into right to give Akron the walk-off win. The teams continue their four-game series Wednesday as left-handers Mark Cohoon and Giovanni Soto face off. Box
ST. LUCIE 15, JUPITER 6: St. Lucie exploded for a nine-run second inning while winning its sixth straight game. D.J. Carrasco -- working a second straight day, a prerequisite to be activated from the DL -- retired the side in order in the seventh with two strikeouts. The Mets hit five homers and pounded out 19 hits to improve to 21-4. Richard Lucas opened the Mets' scoring in the second with a two-run homer. Robbie Shields drilled a three-run shot to give the Mets a 5-1 lead. Cesar Puello extended the lead with an RBI single. The Mets batted around in the second and Lucas also ripped a two-run single in the frame. Wilfredo Tovar hit a leadoff homer in the third to make it 10-1. Cory Vaughn and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back homers in the fifth for a 12-3 lead. Vaughn also had an RBI groundout in the seventh and delivered a two-run double to left in the eighth. Yohan Almonte allowed six runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts and picked up his second victory. Ryan Fraser induced an inning-ending double play in the sixth inning after Jupiter loaded the bases and scored three times. Hamilton Bennett tossed two scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one strikeout. Vaughn had three hits with two runs scored and four RBIs. Lucas went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Flores went 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI. Danny Muno and Puello each had three hits, while Tovar had two hits and three runs scored. Erik Goeddel starts for St. Lucie on Wednesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 7, ROCHESTER 3: Lucas May hit a three-run homer and the bullpen worked six solid innings as the Herd (12-10) began an eight-game homestand with a victory. Valentino Pascucci added two RBIs, on a single that extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Rochester couldn't take advantage of control issues from Bisons starter Jeurys Familia. Familia walked a season-high seven batters in three-innings plus, but the Bisons found themselves down only 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Andres Torres, in his first of two games with Buffalo to complete a rehab assignment, played all nine innings in center field and went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Bobby Scales tied the score when he doubled in May in the third. Pascucci added a two-run single that frame. An inning later, May busted the game open with a laser three-run homer to left field. It was May's second home run in two games and third of the season. The Bisons' pen took over from there. Jack Egbert (1-2) earned the win with three scoreless innings. Chuck James worked the seventh, and Justin Hampson pitched the final two frames for his second save. Omar Quintanilla added a solo homer in the eighth. Wings starter Samuel Deduno left the game after six pitches -- all balls -- with an apparent injury. James allowed a run for the first time this season. The southpaw had made seven scoreless appearances to begin the season. Box
BINGHAMTON 3, ERIE 1: Rylan Sandoval launched a solo homer and the B-Mets took advantage of six walks in a comeback win. Mark Cohoon allowed one run over six innings to earn his second straight win. For the SeaWolves in the third, Brent Dlugach led off with a single. Michael Rockett replaced him at first on a fielder’s choice. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on Niuman Romero’s single. Juan Lagares’ throw from right field was in time, but catcher Juan Centeno could not hold the ball, allowing Rockett to score. Sandoval came through for Binghamton in the fifth. The DH ripped a 3-1 pitch from starter Kelvin De La Cruz for his first homer this season. Of Sandoval’s six hits with the B-Mets, four have been run-scoring extra-base hits. Lagares used his arm to keep the score tied in the fifth. Brent Dlugach led off the inning by walking and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, he attempted to score on Romero’s single, but was gunned down by Lagares. Binghamton took the lead without the aid of a hit in the seventh. De La Cruz issued walks to Centeno and Joe Bonfe. Reliever Jared Gayhart entered and walked Sandoval to load the bases. Gayhart then issued a free pass Pedro Zapata to force in a run. Cohoon (2-2) allowed just one run on four hits over six innings. Although he walked a season-high four, he fanned three and stranded five runners on base. Binghamton tacked on a run in the eighth off reliever Ryan Robowski. Josh Rodriguez started the frame with a walk, moved to second on Jefry Marte’s single, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Rockett in right field. The error proved crucial when Rodriguez scored on Centeno’s sac fly. Robert Carson took over for Cohoon and put up two scoreless innings. The lefty was optioned back to Binghamton on Thursday after spending three days with the Mets. Elvin Ramirez posted a perfect ninth inning to collect his first save. The B-Mets (11-9) continue their three-game series against the Sea Wolves on Saturday. Right-hander Collin McHugh opposes right-hander James Avery. Box
ST. LUCIE 3, JUPITER 2 (10 innings): Cory Vaughn's solo homer with two out in the top of the 10th lifted St. Lucie to the win. The Mets had forced extra innings on Blake Forsythe's one-out single in the ninth, which scored Richard Lucas. John Church, Hamilton Bennett (1-0) and Adrian Rosario (fourth save) combined for 4 2/3 scoreless relief innings. Wilmer Flores contributed his 17th RBI. Box
SAVANNAH 6, WEST VIRGINIA 2: Gregory Pron and T.J. Rivera had two hits and two RBIs apiece, with Pron producing a pair of doubles. Travis Taijeron had opened the scoring with a second-inning solo homer. Tyler Pill limited West Virginia to two runs in six innings. Estarlin Morel, T.J. Chism and Jared West each contributed a scoreless, no-hit relief inning. Box
Compiled from team reports
BINGHAMTON 3, ERIE 1: Rylan Sandoval launched a solo homer and the B-Mets took advantage of six walks in a comeback win. Mark Cohoon allowed one run over six innings to earn his second straight win. For the SeaWolves in the third, Brent Dlugach led off with a single. Michael Rockett replaced him at first on a fielder’s choice. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on Niuman Romero’s single. Juan Lagares’ throw from right field was in time, but catcher Juan Centeno could not hold the ball, allowing Rockett to score. Sandoval came through for Binghamton in the fifth. The DH ripped a 3-1 pitch from starter Kelvin De La Cruz for his first homer this season. Of Sandoval’s six hits with the B-Mets, four have been run-scoring extra-base hits. Lagares used his arm to keep the score tied in the fifth. Brent Dlugach led off the inning by walking and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, he attempted to score on Romero’s single, but was gunned down by Lagares. Binghamton took the lead without the aid of a hit in the seventh. De La Cruz issued walks to Centeno and Joe Bonfe. Reliever Jared Gayhart entered and walked Sandoval to load the bases. Gayhart then issued a free pass Pedro Zapata to force in a run. Cohoon (2-2) allowed just one run on four hits over six innings. Although he walked a season-high four, he fanned three and stranded five runners on base. Binghamton tacked on a run in the eighth off reliever Ryan Robowski. Josh Rodriguez started the frame with a walk, moved to second on Jefry Marte’s single, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Rockett in right field. The error proved crucial when Rodriguez scored on Centeno’s sac fly. Robert Carson took over for Cohoon and put up two scoreless innings. The lefty was optioned back to Binghamton on Thursday after spending three days with the Mets. Elvin Ramirez posted a perfect ninth inning to collect his first save. The B-Mets (11-9) continue their three-game series against the Sea Wolves on Saturday. Right-hander Collin McHugh opposes right-hander James Avery. Box
ST. LUCIE 3, JUPITER 2 (10 innings): Cory Vaughn's solo homer with two out in the top of the 10th lifted St. Lucie to the win. The Mets had forced extra innings on Blake Forsythe's one-out single in the ninth, which scored Richard Lucas. John Church, Hamilton Bennett (1-0) and Adrian Rosario (fourth save) combined for 4 2/3 scoreless relief innings. Wilmer Flores contributed his 17th RBI. Box
SAVANNAH 6, WEST VIRGINIA 2: Gregory Pron and T.J. Rivera had two hits and two RBIs apiece, with Pron producing a pair of doubles. Travis Taijeron had opened the scoring with a second-inning solo homer. Tyler Pill limited West Virginia to two runs in six innings. Estarlin Morel, T.J. Chism and Jared West each contributed a scoreless, no-hit relief inning. Box
Compiled from team reports
NEW HAMPSHIRE 16, BINGHAMTON 3: Matt den Dekker went 3-for-5 out of the leadoff spot and hit his third home run of the season, raising his average to .308. But the center fielder was the lone bright spot for the B-Mets. Greg Peavey allowed 11 runs on 12 hits in just 2 1/3 innings, and Binghamton was routed by New Hampshire, 16-3, on Thursday night. The Fisher Cats scored five runs in the first inning, one in the second, five in the third and three more in the fourth to jump out to a 14-1 lead. The B-Mets went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Box
ST. LUCIE 1, JUPITER 0: Erik Goeddel threw five scoreless innings of three-hit ball and D.J. Carrasco and Adam Rosario combined to throw four-no hit frames as St. Lucie blanked Jupiter, 1-0, on Thursday night. Wilmer Flores had two hits for the Mets. Robbie Shields went 1-for-4 and delivered the game’s only RBI in the seventh. Box
WEST VIRGINIA 9, SAVANNAH 4: T.J. Rivera and Dustin Lawley both homered in a losing cause for the Sand Gnats. Starter Domingo Tapia suffered the loss after giving up eight runs on eight hits and getting just four outs. Box
The Buffalo Bisons today announced that outfielder Adam Loewen has been placed on the disabled list with a stress fracture in the 2nd right metatarsal. The club also announced that right-hander Jeremy Hefner has been placed on the Bisons active roster.
Loewen has not played since April 20 with the Bisons. In his 12 games before the injury, the outfielder hit .270 (10-for-37) with three home runs and nine RBI. With eight walks to only five strikeouts, Loewen posted a .400 on-base percentage to begin the 2012 season.
Compiled from team reports
ST. LUCIE 1, JUPITER 0: Erik Goeddel threw five scoreless innings of three-hit ball and D.J. Carrasco and Adam Rosario combined to throw four-no hit frames as St. Lucie blanked Jupiter, 1-0, on Thursday night. Wilmer Flores had two hits for the Mets. Robbie Shields went 1-for-4 and delivered the game’s only RBI in the seventh. Box
WEST VIRGINIA 9, SAVANNAH 4: T.J. Rivera and Dustin Lawley both homered in a losing cause for the Sand Gnats. Starter Domingo Tapia suffered the loss after giving up eight runs on eight hits and getting just four outs. Box
The Buffalo Bisons today announced that outfielder Adam Loewen has been placed on the disabled list with a stress fracture in the 2nd right metatarsal. The club also announced that right-hander Jeremy Hefner has been placed on the Bisons active roster.
Loewen has not played since April 20 with the Bisons. In his 12 games before the injury, the outfielder hit .270 (10-for-37) with three home runs and nine RBI. With eight walks to only five strikeouts, Loewen posted a .400 on-base percentage to begin the 2012 season.
Compiled from team reports
LEHIGH VALLEY 4, BUFFALO 3 (11 innings): Scott Podsednik singled home Erik Kratz in the bottom of the 11th inning after Buffalo had rallied from three runs down. For the second time this season, the IronPigs were able to best Herd reliever Jack Egbert (0-2). Kratz singled to left on a groundball through the left side of the infield with one out in the 11th inning. The Lehigh Valley catcher moved to second on a walk to Andres Blanco and was able to beat the throw home from the newest Bison, Dustin Martin, on Podsednik's single. The IronPigs also defeated Egbert on April 19, in Buffalo. The reliever has allowed just three hits in nine innings against the rest of the International League North Division. The IronPigs took a 3-0 lead into the game's final innings. Vinny Rottino then started the Herd comeback with a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth. Omar Quintanilla's infield single scored Martin with two outs in the top of the ninth. Martin was signed by the Mets on Tuesday and activated to the Bisons roster. The Bisons got another quality start from their rotation. Garrett Olson didn't factor into the decision despite allowing just three runs in six innings. The southpaw is still in search of his first Bisons win despite a 2.92 ERA through four starts this year. The Bisons got two innings of scoreless relief from both Brad Holt and Fernando Cabrera in the loss. Prior to the game, the Mets recalled Zach Lutz from the Bisons. The infielder made his major league debut on Tuesday night with a strikeout as a pinch hitter for New York. Valentino Pascucci extended his hitting streak to nine games. He's averaged an even .300 (12-for-40) with two homers and seven RBIs over the stretch. Box
NEW HAMPSHIRE 4, BINGHAMTON 0: The B-Mets collected eight hits -- but never more than one in any inning -- in suffering their Eastern League-leading third shutout loss. Binghamton starter Zack Wheeler battled through control issues to put up five scoreless innings in his fourth Double-A start. The righty matched a career-high with six walks, issuing at least one free pass in every inning. New Hampshire starter Chad Jenkins side stepped his own jams, scattering six hits over six scoreless innings. The B-Mets' only threat to score against Jenkins came in the fourth. Juan Lagares led off the inning by ripping a line drive to center field. The blast sailed over Brad McElroy’s head and ricocheted off the fence back toward center field. Reading the carom, Lagares raced to third. McElroy tracked the ball down, but fumbled it, enticing Lagares to attempt to score. McElroy recovered and relayed the baseball to Ryan Goins, who fired home to nab Lagares at the plate, keeping the game scoreless. For the second straight start, the B-Mets offered no offensive support for Wheeler. The righty departed after five innings and was replaced by Erik Turgeon in the sixth. The Fisher Cats broke the tie against the righty. Brad Glenn led off with a double. John Tolisano walked. A.J. Jimenez lifted a fly ball to deep right field that glanced off the outstretched glove of Lagares for a triple, giving the visiting club a 2-0 lead. Jimenez crossed home later on McElroy’s fielder’s choice. Given a three-run cushion, Jenkins returned for the sixth and put up a scoreless inning. Former B-Met Clint Everts pitched a scoreless seventh before running into trouble in the eighth. A single by Oswaldo Navarro and a walk to Josh Rodriguez put two men aboard with no outs. The rally quickly died when Jefry Marte struck out and Lagares bounced into an inning-ending double play. After Mike McDade gave the Fisher Cats insurance with a home run off Armando Rodriguez in the top of the ninth, Ronald Uviedo worked a perfect frame to cap the New Hampshire victory. Turgeon was handed his second loss. The B-Mets (9-8) continue their series against the Fisher Cats on Wednesday. Left-hander Darin Gorski takes the ball for Binghamton against right-hander Deck McGuire. Box
FORT MYERS 7, ST. LUCIE 1: Fort Myers recorded 14 hits and pulled away late with a three-run ninth as the Miracle snapped the St. Lucie Mets' 10-game winning streak. The Mets were dealt their first home loss. St. Lucie left-hander Chase Huchingson suffered his first loss of the season, allowing four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Huchingson issued a season-high four walks and had three strikeouts. Huchingson came into the start with a 17 2/3 scoreless innings streak through three starts. Wilmer Flores hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning, a solo blast over the left-field fence. Ryan Fraser pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up three hits with two strikeouts. Fort Myers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with three hits off Huchingson. They added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Fort Myers had a 4-1 lead entering the ninth, before pushing across three runs against Mets left-hander Hamilton Bennett. He allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts over two innings. Mets center fielder Andres Torres finished 0-for-4 in his second game with the Mets on a major league rehab assignment. He played the full game. DH Cesar Puello and first baseman Richard Lucas each went 2-for-4. Box
SAVANNAH 14, WEST VIRGINIA 5: T.J. Rivera went 4-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Dustin Lawley added a three-run homer. All nine Gnats scored runs. Box
Compiled from team reports
NEW HAMPSHIRE 4, BINGHAMTON 0: The B-Mets collected eight hits -- but never more than one in any inning -- in suffering their Eastern League-leading third shutout loss. Binghamton starter Zack Wheeler battled through control issues to put up five scoreless innings in his fourth Double-A start. The righty matched a career-high with six walks, issuing at least one free pass in every inning. New Hampshire starter Chad Jenkins side stepped his own jams, scattering six hits over six scoreless innings. The B-Mets' only threat to score against Jenkins came in the fourth. Juan Lagares led off the inning by ripping a line drive to center field. The blast sailed over Brad McElroy’s head and ricocheted off the fence back toward center field. Reading the carom, Lagares raced to third. McElroy tracked the ball down, but fumbled it, enticing Lagares to attempt to score. McElroy recovered and relayed the baseball to Ryan Goins, who fired home to nab Lagares at the plate, keeping the game scoreless. For the second straight start, the B-Mets offered no offensive support for Wheeler. The righty departed after five innings and was replaced by Erik Turgeon in the sixth. The Fisher Cats broke the tie against the righty. Brad Glenn led off with a double. John Tolisano walked. A.J. Jimenez lifted a fly ball to deep right field that glanced off the outstretched glove of Lagares for a triple, giving the visiting club a 2-0 lead. Jimenez crossed home later on McElroy’s fielder’s choice. Given a three-run cushion, Jenkins returned for the sixth and put up a scoreless inning. Former B-Met Clint Everts pitched a scoreless seventh before running into trouble in the eighth. A single by Oswaldo Navarro and a walk to Josh Rodriguez put two men aboard with no outs. The rally quickly died when Jefry Marte struck out and Lagares bounced into an inning-ending double play. After Mike McDade gave the Fisher Cats insurance with a home run off Armando Rodriguez in the top of the ninth, Ronald Uviedo worked a perfect frame to cap the New Hampshire victory. Turgeon was handed his second loss. The B-Mets (9-8) continue their series against the Fisher Cats on Wednesday. Left-hander Darin Gorski takes the ball for Binghamton against right-hander Deck McGuire. Box
FORT MYERS 7, ST. LUCIE 1: Fort Myers recorded 14 hits and pulled away late with a three-run ninth as the Miracle snapped the St. Lucie Mets' 10-game winning streak. The Mets were dealt their first home loss. St. Lucie left-hander Chase Huchingson suffered his first loss of the season, allowing four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Huchingson issued a season-high four walks and had three strikeouts. Huchingson came into the start with a 17 2/3 scoreless innings streak through three starts. Wilmer Flores hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning, a solo blast over the left-field fence. Ryan Fraser pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up three hits with two strikeouts. Fort Myers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with three hits off Huchingson. They added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Fort Myers had a 4-1 lead entering the ninth, before pushing across three runs against Mets left-hander Hamilton Bennett. He allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts over two innings. Mets center fielder Andres Torres finished 0-for-4 in his second game with the Mets on a major league rehab assignment. He played the full game. DH Cesar Puello and first baseman Richard Lucas each went 2-for-4. Box
SAVANNAH 14, WEST VIRGINIA 5: T.J. Rivera went 4-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Dustin Lawley added a three-run homer. All nine Gnats scored runs. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 5, LEHIGH VALLEY 1: Dylan Owen made a spot start for the temporarily promoted Jeremy Hefner. Before the Herd's game against the IronPigs was half over, Owen found himself back in the bullpen ... as a hitter. Owen became the first Buffalo pitcher in more than 17 years to homer. While he didn't earn the victory on the mound, his work at the plate ignited Buffalo's fifth win in seven games. It has been almost two decades and two affiliations ago since a Bisons pitcher went deep. In the final season of the Bisons' affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates, John Hope homered on Aug. 6, 1994. Of course, pitchers rarely hit during the club's partnership with the American League's Cleveland Indians. Owen got his chance to swing against the Philadelphia Phillies' affiliate on Monday because Hefner was recalled by the Mets hours before their first pitch. With Buffalo trailing 1-0, Owen pulled a 1-2 offering from former Bison Pat Misch to left field for his first career homer. The long ball was no cheepy and would've been out of most parks -- if not all -- in the International League. The home run was the sixth career hit for Owen. He went 0-for-10 at the plate last season for Buffalo. In another bit of irony, Misch was the Bisons' best-hitting pitcher a season ago, with two doubles and a modern-era-record four RBIs. Owen's homer got the Bisons going. Valentino Pascucci followed with an RBI double later in the fifth. Vinny Rottino closed out the inning with a run-scoring single. After that, the Herd never trailed. The only downside to the night was that Owen didn't earn the win. Despite retiring the first nine batters he faced, Owen isn't stretched out enough to go deep into games. He did work 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits. The win went to Josh Edgin (1-0) in his Triple-A debut. The southpaw was promoted Monday from Binghamton and struck out three of the five batters he faced. It's been a good hitting road trip for Bisons pitchers. Matt Harvey had two hits and an RBI on Friday night in Syracuse. Catcher Jean Luc Blaquiere made his 2012 Bisons debut and fly out as a pinch hitter. Box
ST. LUCIE 10, FORT MYERS 6: Andres Torres went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and played six innings in center field in his first game on a major league rehab assignment, and the Mets rallied for a victory. The Mets won their 10th consecutive game and improved to 15-2 on the season. Left fielder Cory Vaughn went 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Vaughn hit an inside-the-park homer in the eighth. The Mets used a three-run seventh to pull out the victory. With the score tied at 6, Cesar Puello hit a go-ahead RBI double to center to score Wilmer Flores. Blake Forsythe drilled a two-run double to make it 9-6. Vaughn had hit a two-run single in the first inning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Fort Myers chased Mets pitcher Gonzalez Germen from the game after scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and three more runs in the fifth. Germen allowed five earned runs on five hits and walked four batters in 3 1/3 innings. The Mets trailed 6-3, but rallied with a three-run sixth. Richard Lucas hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-4. Forsythe lined an RBI single to center to plate Puello and cut the deficit to a run. Torres added an RBI groundout to tie the score. D.J. Carrasco, also beginning a major league rehab assignment, retired the side in order in the first inning with one strikeout. Kyle Allen, making his first appearance of the season, picked up the victory by tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Adam Kolarek tossed two scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn his third save. Puello went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Lucas went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Forsythe had two hits, a run scored, and three RBIs. Chase Huchingson faces Fort Myers on Tuesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
ST. LUCIE 10, FORT MYERS 6: Andres Torres went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and played six innings in center field in his first game on a major league rehab assignment, and the Mets rallied for a victory. The Mets won their 10th consecutive game and improved to 15-2 on the season. Left fielder Cory Vaughn went 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Vaughn hit an inside-the-park homer in the eighth. The Mets used a three-run seventh to pull out the victory. With the score tied at 6, Cesar Puello hit a go-ahead RBI double to center to score Wilmer Flores. Blake Forsythe drilled a two-run double to make it 9-6. Vaughn had hit a two-run single in the first inning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Fort Myers chased Mets pitcher Gonzalez Germen from the game after scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and three more runs in the fifth. Germen allowed five earned runs on five hits and walked four batters in 3 1/3 innings. The Mets trailed 6-3, but rallied with a three-run sixth. Richard Lucas hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-4. Forsythe lined an RBI single to center to plate Puello and cut the deficit to a run. Torres added an RBI groundout to tie the score. D.J. Carrasco, also beginning a major league rehab assignment, retired the side in order in the first inning with one strikeout. Kyle Allen, making his first appearance of the season, picked up the victory by tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Adam Kolarek tossed two scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn his third save. Puello went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Lucas went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Forsythe had two hits, a run scored, and three RBIs. Chase Huchingson faces Fort Myers on Tuesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO at SYRACUSE (postponed): The teams will play two games on Sunday, starting at noon.
BINGHAMTON 6, PORTLAND 1: Binghamton (8-7) has won three straight after defeating Portland behind seven strong innings from starter Mark Cohoon. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Pedro Zapata tied the game at 1-1 on a double play. In the sixth, Josh Rodriguez's RBI single gave the team a 2-1 lead and Travis Ozga boosted the lead to 3-1. Rodriguez went on to steal home to increase the edge to 4-1. Juan Centeno and Matt den Dekker drove in the remaining runs. Cohoon (1-2) threw seven innings of seven-hit ball, the longest outing by any Binghamton player this year. The team will go for the sweep tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. when Colin McHugh takes the hill. Box
ST. LUCIE 9, PALM BEACH 7 (GAME 1): St. Lucie (13-2) scored three runs in the seventh to break open a tie game and get the victory. Cesar Puello's double gave St. Lucie a 5-4 lead and Cory Vaughn boosted it to 6-4 when he doubled in Puello. Wilmer Flores' single made it 7-4 after seven. In the eighth, Wilfredo Tovar and Danny Muno each drove in runs that helped St. Lucie pad its lead. Jeffery Kaplan improved to 2-0 on the year despite giving up three runs and five hits over two innings. Adam Kolarek pitched one out for the save, his second. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, PALM BEACH 1 (GAME 2): St. Lucie (14-2) swept the doubleheader with a 6-1 win in the nightcap. The Mets scored three in the second and three in the fifth to back starter Angel Cuan (2-0), who gave up one run over five innings. In the second, Alonzo Harris tied the game at 1-1 on a groundout and Wilfredo Tovar and Daniel Muno followed with RBI singles to make it 3-1. In the fifth, Wilmer Flores, Tovar and Muno each had RBIs to make it 6-1. The Mets also received two innings out of the pen from Adrian Rosario, who gave up just one hit. St. Lucie has won nine in a row and will go for No. 10 vs. Fort Myers at 4 p.m. Sunday. Box
SAVANNAH 6, HICKORY 1: Savannah (11-7) was the only Mets minor league team to lose Saturday as it lost for the third straight time when it fell to Hickory, 6-1. Hickory led 5-0 before Savannah plated a run in the eighth. Starter Tyler Pill (1-1) struggled, giving up five hits and three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out five but walked two and yielded one home run. Marcos Camarena gave up two runs and three hits in 3 2/3 innings of relief and Jack Leathersich gave up one run over the final two innings. Savannah's lone run came on a home run by Tilman Pugh, who hit his first of the year. Savanah looks to avoid a four-game sweep when it hosts Hickory at 2:05 p.m. on Sunday. Box
BINGHAMTON 6, PORTLAND 1: Binghamton (8-7) has won three straight after defeating Portland behind seven strong innings from starter Mark Cohoon. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Pedro Zapata tied the game at 1-1 on a double play. In the sixth, Josh Rodriguez's RBI single gave the team a 2-1 lead and Travis Ozga boosted the lead to 3-1. Rodriguez went on to steal home to increase the edge to 4-1. Juan Centeno and Matt den Dekker drove in the remaining runs. Cohoon (1-2) threw seven innings of seven-hit ball, the longest outing by any Binghamton player this year. The team will go for the sweep tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. when Colin McHugh takes the hill. Box
ST. LUCIE 9, PALM BEACH 7 (GAME 1): St. Lucie (13-2) scored three runs in the seventh to break open a tie game and get the victory. Cesar Puello's double gave St. Lucie a 5-4 lead and Cory Vaughn boosted it to 6-4 when he doubled in Puello. Wilmer Flores' single made it 7-4 after seven. In the eighth, Wilfredo Tovar and Danny Muno each drove in runs that helped St. Lucie pad its lead. Jeffery Kaplan improved to 2-0 on the year despite giving up three runs and five hits over two innings. Adam Kolarek pitched one out for the save, his second. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, PALM BEACH 1 (GAME 2): St. Lucie (14-2) swept the doubleheader with a 6-1 win in the nightcap. The Mets scored three in the second and three in the fifth to back starter Angel Cuan (2-0), who gave up one run over five innings. In the second, Alonzo Harris tied the game at 1-1 on a groundout and Wilfredo Tovar and Daniel Muno followed with RBI singles to make it 3-1. In the fifth, Wilmer Flores, Tovar and Muno each had RBIs to make it 6-1. The Mets also received two innings out of the pen from Adrian Rosario, who gave up just one hit. St. Lucie has won nine in a row and will go for No. 10 vs. Fort Myers at 4 p.m. Sunday. Box
SAVANNAH 6, HICKORY 1: Savannah (11-7) was the only Mets minor league team to lose Saturday as it lost for the third straight time when it fell to Hickory, 6-1. Hickory led 5-0 before Savannah plated a run in the eighth. Starter Tyler Pill (1-1) struggled, giving up five hits and three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out five but walked two and yielded one home run. Marcos Camarena gave up two runs and three hits in 3 2/3 innings of relief and Jack Leathersich gave up one run over the final two innings. Savannah's lone run came on a home run by Tilman Pugh, who hit his first of the year. Savanah looks to avoid a four-game sweep when it hosts Hickory at 2:05 p.m. on Sunday. Box
LEHIGH VALLEY 8, BUFFALO 4: The series finale between the division rivals was a run-of-the-mill 2-2 game until a crazy top of the eighth. That's when a force out that wasn't opened the floodgates to a five-run rally for the IronPigs. The inning started when Valentino Pascucci bobbled a grounder to first base from Hector Luna. Cody Overbeck followed with a bunt to third base, but Josh Satin had no one to throw to after he fielded it. After a successful sacrifice and an intentional walk to Joe Thurston, the IronPigs were set up with the bases loaded and one out. Erik Kratz followed with a fly ball that dropped into shallow right. Matt Tuiasosopo came up throwing and sent a missile to home plate, where Rob Johnson missed the tag on Luna. However, no tag was needed as it was a force play. It was ruled that Luna beat the throw, and the umpire stood by his call even after Herd manager Wally Backman argued the play. Lehigh Valley's 3-2 lead quickly grew as Scott Podsednik singled home two runs on the next pitch. The IronPigs increased their lead to 7-2 with an RBI groundout from Andres Blanco and throwing error from Johnson. The Bisons scored two in the eighth in a rally that came up short, with Tuiasosopo and Satin driving in runs. Buffalo had already came back from 2-0 down with home runs from Pascucci and Jordany Valdespin. The loss for Buffalo was charged to Jack Egbert (0-1). He pitched the decisive eighth inning, giving up his first runs of the season. Bobby Scales reached base twice, with singles in the third and fifth innings. He has reached base at least twice in all 12 games he has started. Vinny Rottino and Zach Lutz did not start for the first time this season. However, both were used as pinch hitters in the contest. Pascucci's home run was his 43rd as a Bison. He is now in sole possession of ninth in the team's modern era. Box
BINGHAMTON 6, PORTLAND 0: Darin Gorski allowed one hit over six shutout innings and the B-Mets racked up 11 hits. Three B-Mets pitchers limited the Sea Dogs to three hits in their second shutout win of the season. Gorski, in his third B-Mets start, navigated his only threat in the second. With two outs, Gorski plunked Reynaldo Rodriguez and gave up a single to Ronald Bermudez. He escaped the jam by inducing Dan Butler to ground out. It was the only time Portland had a runner reach second against Gorski. The southpaw fired four perfect innings and capped his night by retiring Oscar Tejeda to end the sixth. It was the second time this season Gorski has given up one hit and tossed six scoreless innings. The B-Mets tagged starting pitcher Billy Buckner for six hits over five innings. Eric Campbell started the attack with a two-out, run-scoring single in the third. Travis Ozga (3-for-4) led off the fourth by launching the first pitch over the right-field fence, giving Binghamton a 2-0 lead. The drive was Ozga’s second long ball of the season, putting him in the team lead. Campbell added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Michael Lee took over in the sixth and allowed the first five batters to reach. Josh Rodriguez laced an RBI single up the middle and Pedro Zapata drove home a pair with a bouncer to center. By the time Lee recorded his first out, the B-Mets held a six-run lead. Elvin Ramirez worked around a walk and an error to post a scoreless seventh. He then side-stepped a two-out double in the eighth. Ramirez has three consecutive appearances with four strikeouts. Armando Rodriguez shut the door with a scoreless ninth. The B-Mets (6-7) continue their four-game series against the Sea Dogs on Friday night. Greg Peavey, the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, opposes Chris Balcom-Miller. Box
ST. LUCIE 1, PALM BEACH 0 (six innings): St. Lucie Mets left-hander Chase Huchingson tossed five shutout innings and shortstop Wilfredo Tovar hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth as the Mets won a rain-shortened six-inning game. The Mets won their sixth consecutive game. Huchingson improved to 3-0 and has not allowed a run in 17 2/3 innings this season. He allowed four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Tovar finished 2-for-2. In a scoreless game in the fifth, Richard Lucas reached second on a throwing error by Cardinals shortstop Ronny Gil. With Lucas at third and two outs, Tovar lined a single to right field off the glove of second baseman Starlin Rodriguez. Taylor Whitenton tossed a scoreless sixth, working around a hit and walk. The game was delayed due to rain after the third inning. Huchingson came back strong in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Danny Muno, Cory Vaughn and Wilmer Flores each recorded a hit for the Mets. Box
HICKORY 7, SAVANNAH 1: The Crawdads used three triples to snap the Sand Gnats’ six-game winning streak. Hickory (9-5) scored in three of the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead. In the first inning, Hanser Alberto tripled and scored, and in the second Chris Grayson did the same to put Hickory up 2-0. The Crawdads doubled their advantage with two unearned runs in the fourth against starter Alex Panteliodis. The Gnats (10-5) pushed across their only run in the bottom of the fourth. Brian Harrison singled and advanced around the bases on a balk, a groundout and an RBI groundout by Charley Thurber. Savannah had the bases loaded down 5-1 in the fifth, but could not find the hit to draw closer as Harrison and Aderlin Rodriguez consecutively struck out. Hickory out-hit Savannah 13-2. Panteliodis was charged with four runs, only one of which was earned, in four innings to take his first loss of the year. Hickory reliever Santo Perez shut down the Gnats over the final four innings to pick up his first save. The Gnats and Crawdads resume their four-game series Friday. Savannah right-hander Domingo Tapia (1-0, 2.25) opposes left-hander Will Lamb (0-1, 2.00). Box
Compiled from team reports
BINGHAMTON 6, PORTLAND 0: Darin Gorski allowed one hit over six shutout innings and the B-Mets racked up 11 hits. Three B-Mets pitchers limited the Sea Dogs to three hits in their second shutout win of the season. Gorski, in his third B-Mets start, navigated his only threat in the second. With two outs, Gorski plunked Reynaldo Rodriguez and gave up a single to Ronald Bermudez. He escaped the jam by inducing Dan Butler to ground out. It was the only time Portland had a runner reach second against Gorski. The southpaw fired four perfect innings and capped his night by retiring Oscar Tejeda to end the sixth. It was the second time this season Gorski has given up one hit and tossed six scoreless innings. The B-Mets tagged starting pitcher Billy Buckner for six hits over five innings. Eric Campbell started the attack with a two-out, run-scoring single in the third. Travis Ozga (3-for-4) led off the fourth by launching the first pitch over the right-field fence, giving Binghamton a 2-0 lead. The drive was Ozga’s second long ball of the season, putting him in the team lead. Campbell added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Michael Lee took over in the sixth and allowed the first five batters to reach. Josh Rodriguez laced an RBI single up the middle and Pedro Zapata drove home a pair with a bouncer to center. By the time Lee recorded his first out, the B-Mets held a six-run lead. Elvin Ramirez worked around a walk and an error to post a scoreless seventh. He then side-stepped a two-out double in the eighth. Ramirez has three consecutive appearances with four strikeouts. Armando Rodriguez shut the door with a scoreless ninth. The B-Mets (6-7) continue their four-game series against the Sea Dogs on Friday night. Greg Peavey, the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, opposes Chris Balcom-Miller. Box
ST. LUCIE 1, PALM BEACH 0 (six innings): St. Lucie Mets left-hander Chase Huchingson tossed five shutout innings and shortstop Wilfredo Tovar hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth as the Mets won a rain-shortened six-inning game. The Mets won their sixth consecutive game. Huchingson improved to 3-0 and has not allowed a run in 17 2/3 innings this season. He allowed four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Tovar finished 2-for-2. In a scoreless game in the fifth, Richard Lucas reached second on a throwing error by Cardinals shortstop Ronny Gil. With Lucas at third and two outs, Tovar lined a single to right field off the glove of second baseman Starlin Rodriguez. Taylor Whitenton tossed a scoreless sixth, working around a hit and walk. The game was delayed due to rain after the third inning. Huchingson came back strong in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Danny Muno, Cory Vaughn and Wilmer Flores each recorded a hit for the Mets. Box
HICKORY 7, SAVANNAH 1: The Crawdads used three triples to snap the Sand Gnats’ six-game winning streak. Hickory (9-5) scored in three of the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead. In the first inning, Hanser Alberto tripled and scored, and in the second Chris Grayson did the same to put Hickory up 2-0. The Crawdads doubled their advantage with two unearned runs in the fourth against starter Alex Panteliodis. The Gnats (10-5) pushed across their only run in the bottom of the fourth. Brian Harrison singled and advanced around the bases on a balk, a groundout and an RBI groundout by Charley Thurber. Savannah had the bases loaded down 5-1 in the fifth, but could not find the hit to draw closer as Harrison and Aderlin Rodriguez consecutively struck out. Hickory out-hit Savannah 13-2. Panteliodis was charged with four runs, only one of which was earned, in four innings to take his first loss of the year. Hickory reliever Santo Perez shut down the Gnats over the final four innings to pick up his first save. The Gnats and Crawdads resume their four-game series Friday. Savannah right-hander Domingo Tapia (1-0, 2.25) opposes left-hander Will Lamb (0-1, 2.00). Box
Compiled from team reports
BUFFALO 4, LEHIGH VALLEY 1: Chris Schwinden induced 12 fly-ball outs over seven innings of one-run ball as the Herd snapped Lehigh Valley's six-game winning streak. Schwinden faced five more than the minimum through his seven innings. He struck out only one batter, but also only issued a one walk. The righty kept the outfielders busy with four fly-ball outs to left field, five to center and three more to right. Schwinden didn't allow more than one baserunner in any inning. The duo of Jack Egbert and Fernando Cabrera then kept the lead intact. Egbert increased his scoreless-innings streak to begin the season to eight with a 1-2-3 eighth. Cabrera worked the ninth for his third save. Trailing 1-0, the Bisons took the lead with two runs in the fifth inning against ex-Met Pat Misch. Lucas May hit Buffalo's first triple of the year to score Vinny Rottino from first base. Omar Quintanilla then gave the Herd the lead with a run-scoring groundout. Bobby Scales added insurance with a solo homer in the sixth. Scales also singled in the eighth to continue his streak of reaching base twice in all 10 games he has started this season. Buffalo plated a fourth run in the ninth inning when Domonic Brown dropped a deep fly ball off the bat of Josh Satin. Jordany Valdespin finished the game 0-for-4 and saw an end to his seven-game hitting streak. Zach Lutz went 2-for-3 to raise his average to .364. It was Lutz's fourth multi-hit game this homestand. Before May, the last Bisons catcher to triple was Josh Thole, on May 9, 2010 in Indianapolis. Misch (1-2) was charged with three runs and five hits while striking out two in 5 2/3 innings. Box
BINGHAMTON 10, NEW HAMPSHIRE 6: The B-Mets sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs in the third inning. Binghamton started the scoring early against New Hampshire starter Chad Jenkins. Sean Kazmar led off the game by walking and Oswaldo Navarro followed with a single. Matt den Dekker gave the B-Mets the lead and extended his hitting streak to nine games by ripping an RBI single past Mike McDade at first base. Navarro scored one batter later when Eric Campbell bounced into a double play. Binghamton truly turned up the heat in the third. The B-Mets set a season high for runs in an inning by crossing home six times on seven hits. Navarro, den Dekker, Campbell and Juan Lagares pounded out consecutive hits against Jenkins. Following a flyout by Travis Ozga, the B-Mets chased Jenkins with three straight hits, capped by Rylan Sandoval’s two-run triple. It was Sandoval’s first hit as a B-Met. Matt Wright entered in relief and doused the flames by inducing Kazmar to ground out. Wright struck out the side in order in the fourth, but hit a speed bump with two outs in the fifth. Josh Rodriguez started the rally by producing his first homer of the season. Juan Centeno followed with a double. He scored two batters later on Kazmar’s single. B-Mets starter Collin McHugh earned his second win of the trip. For the second straight start, McHugh racked up six strikeouts. He capped his night by fanning Brian Van Kirk to end the fifth. The righty allowed one run on four hits and walked two. His only blemish was a solo homer by Mark Sobolewski in the second. Up 10-1, Kevin Mulvey allowed the first three to reach to start the seventh, in his second inning. Ryan Goins cleared the bases with a triple. He scored one batter later on Van Kirk’s sacrifice fly. After a double and a walk, Robert Carson relieved Mulvey and ended the threat. The southpaw allowed the first two to reach in the eighth, but retired the next three Fisher Cats to post 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Josh Edgin took over in the ninth. Brad Glenn blasted a one-out solo homer. A.J. Jimenez followed by flying out and Sobolewski struck out to end the game. The B-Mets (5-6) complete their first trip of the season Wednesday night. It will be a matchup of top prospects as right-hander Zack Wheeler opposes right-hander Deck McGuire. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, CHARLOTTE 1: Gonzalez Germen limited Charlotte to one run on two hits and three walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. Relievers John Church, Adam Kolarek and Adrian Rosario combined to blank the Stone Crabs, surrendering only one hit and one walk, the rest of the way. Wilmer Flores went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk and two RBIs. Cesar Puello and Wilfredo Tovar also had two hits apiece. Box
SAVANNAH 2, ROME 1 (suspended): The game was halted in the top of the fifth inning because of a power failure. Before the stoppage, Aderlin Rodriguez contributed an RBI triple and scored on Dustin Lawley's sacrifice fly in the third. The game will resume Wednesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
BINGHAMTON 10, NEW HAMPSHIRE 6: The B-Mets sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs in the third inning. Binghamton started the scoring early against New Hampshire starter Chad Jenkins. Sean Kazmar led off the game by walking and Oswaldo Navarro followed with a single. Matt den Dekker gave the B-Mets the lead and extended his hitting streak to nine games by ripping an RBI single past Mike McDade at first base. Navarro scored one batter later when Eric Campbell bounced into a double play. Binghamton truly turned up the heat in the third. The B-Mets set a season high for runs in an inning by crossing home six times on seven hits. Navarro, den Dekker, Campbell and Juan Lagares pounded out consecutive hits against Jenkins. Following a flyout by Travis Ozga, the B-Mets chased Jenkins with three straight hits, capped by Rylan Sandoval’s two-run triple. It was Sandoval’s first hit as a B-Met. Matt Wright entered in relief and doused the flames by inducing Kazmar to ground out. Wright struck out the side in order in the fourth, but hit a speed bump with two outs in the fifth. Josh Rodriguez started the rally by producing his first homer of the season. Juan Centeno followed with a double. He scored two batters later on Kazmar’s single. B-Mets starter Collin McHugh earned his second win of the trip. For the second straight start, McHugh racked up six strikeouts. He capped his night by fanning Brian Van Kirk to end the fifth. The righty allowed one run on four hits and walked two. His only blemish was a solo homer by Mark Sobolewski in the second. Up 10-1, Kevin Mulvey allowed the first three to reach to start the seventh, in his second inning. Ryan Goins cleared the bases with a triple. He scored one batter later on Van Kirk’s sacrifice fly. After a double and a walk, Robert Carson relieved Mulvey and ended the threat. The southpaw allowed the first two to reach in the eighth, but retired the next three Fisher Cats to post 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Josh Edgin took over in the ninth. Brad Glenn blasted a one-out solo homer. A.J. Jimenez followed by flying out and Sobolewski struck out to end the game. The B-Mets (5-6) complete their first trip of the season Wednesday night. It will be a matchup of top prospects as right-hander Zack Wheeler opposes right-hander Deck McGuire. Box
ST. LUCIE 6, CHARLOTTE 1: Gonzalez Germen limited Charlotte to one run on two hits and three walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. Relievers John Church, Adam Kolarek and Adrian Rosario combined to blank the Stone Crabs, surrendering only one hit and one walk, the rest of the way. Wilmer Flores went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk and two RBIs. Cesar Puello and Wilfredo Tovar also had two hits apiece. Box
SAVANNAH 2, ROME 1 (suspended): The game was halted in the top of the fifth inning because of a power failure. Before the stoppage, Aderlin Rodriguez contributed an RBI triple and scored on Dustin Lawley's sacrifice fly in the third. The game will resume Wednesday. Box
Compiled from team reports
TEAM LEADERS
| BA LEADER | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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David Wright
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| HR | D. Wright | 5 | ||||||||||
| RBI | D. Wright | 28 | ||||||||||
| R | D. Wright | 30 | ||||||||||
| OPS | D. Wright | 1.110 | ||||||||||
| W | R. Dickey | 6 | ||||||||||
| ERA | J. Santana | 3.24 | ||||||||||
| SO | J. Santana | 53 | ||||||||||



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