Mets Daily Farm Report, April 28, 2014: Binghamton scored a ton, but a few more sure were called for everywhere else

Catch up on all of yesterday’s minor league action from around the Mets farm system!

*All results from games played on Sunday, April 27^th, 2014

Triple-A - Las Vegas 51's (18-6)_______________________________________

TACOMA 5, LAS VEGAS 4 (Box)

Though the 51s have been nearly unstoppable as of late, they had a tall task ahead of them yesterday afternoon. Though the Raniers were only .500 for the season, Hisashi Iwakuma was on the mound for Tacoma, making his last rehab start before rejoining the Seattle Mariners later in the week. They came out of the gates strong, hitting the 2008 Eiji Sawamura Award winner for three runs in the 1^st. Consecutive singles by Cesar Puello, Matt den Dekker, and Wilmer Flores scored one run, a throwing error by Ranier third baseman Gabriel Noriega on a routine Andrew Brown groundout scored the second run, and an Allan Dykstra sac fly scored the third. Tacoma came right back, scoring two runs of their own in the top of the 2^nd on an Xavier Avery line drive that drove in two. Both teams had their bats go silent for the next couple of innings, as Iwakuma and Logan Verrett traded zeroes. In the 4^th inning, Wilmer Flores was replaced by Danny Muno. Flores jammed his finger, and while it isn't seen as serious as of yet, pending X-rays will illuminate the extent of the injury. It is worth noting that he had trouble swinging the bat and throwing the ball before being pulled, but those negative effects of the injury might simply be stingers that disappear with a little bit of rest.

The bats came alive again for both teams in the 5^th. In the top of the inning, shortstop Chris Taylor walked, second baseman Nick Franklin doubled- pushing his batting average closer to the .400 mark- and catcher DH first baseman Jesus Montero hit a big three-run homer to drive everyone in, turning Las Vegas' one run lead into a two run deficit. In the bottom of the inning, the 51s responded with an RBI double off the bat of Andrew Brown that scored Danny Muno. The combined efforts of Zack Thornton, Josh Edgin, and Miguel Socolovich kept the Raniers off the board after the 5^th, but so did Tacoma's bullpen. Going into the 9^th, down by one, Las Vegas got the tying run to second before Logan Kensing shut the door to earn his first save of the year and save his team from being swept.

With their six-game winning streak snapped, Las Vegas will look to start another one, with the Reno Aces as their latest victims. The 51s won three of their four meetings with the Aces this season, and will try to continue that trend. Left-hander Dana Eveland, who has five scoreless innings against Reno already this season, will pitch for the 51s. Opposing him will be Zeke Spruill, who gave up one run in 3.2 innings of relief when the two teams last met.

• LF Cesar Puello: 2-5, R, K
• CF Matt den Dekker: 2-4, R, BB, K
• SS Wilmer Flores: 1-2, R, RBI, E (6); AstroMets Defense Report 1 / 2
• SS Danny Muno: 3-3, R
• RF Andrew Brown: 1-5, 2B, 2 K, RBI
• DH Allan Dykstra: 0-2, BB, RBI
• 3B Zach Lutz: 1-4, 2B, K
• 1B Brandon Allen: 0-4
• 2B Anthony Seratelli: 1-4, K
• C Juan Centeno: 0-4, K
• RHP Logan Verrett: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, HR
• RHP Zack Thornton: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K
• LHP Josh Edgin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K

Double-A - Binghamton Mets (12-8)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 9, ERIE 6  (Box)

Something must have been in the air at around 3:00 yesterday afternoon at Jerry Uht Park- roughly corresponding with the 4^th inning. The game was scoreless until that inning, both teams suddenly hammered out a combined 15 runs, and both teams went scoreless for the rest of the game afterwards. The B-Mets, batting in the top of the inning, went to work first, scoring nine runs on seven hits, two walks, a hit batsman, and a fielding error. The Sea Wolves answered in the bottom of the inning for six runs, on six hits and two walks. Erie starter Tommy Collier lasted 3.1 innings and gave up nine runs, seven earned, giving him an 18.90 ERA on the afternoon. Rainy Lara, who started for Binghamton, pitched 3.2 innings and gave up six runs, all earned, good for a slightly better 14.73 ERA for the day. On the offensive side of things, every B-Mets starter got on base at least once, and every starter except for Dustin Lawley had a hit. Travis Taijeron did the most damage in that 4^th inning, launching his first home run of the year over the left field fences and driving in three runners. Matt Reynolds had a good inning, getting on base twice with a walk and a single, as did Cory Vaughn, who got hit the first time, and laced a line drive into right his second time up.

Binghamton won the rubber game of the series, making them 2-1 on this current road trip. They'll look to keep it going tonight against the Akron Aeros, whom they are 2-2 against this season. Tyler Pill will be gunning for his first win of the season, while Will Roberts, 5^th round Cleveland Indians draft pick in 2011, will be toeing the rubber for Akron.

• CF Kyle Johnson: 1-5, R, 2 K, RBI
• 1B Brian Burgamy: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, 2 K, RBI, 2 E (3, 4)
• SS Matt Reynolds: 2-4, R, BB, 2 K, RBI
• DH Matt Clark: 2-5, R,
• LF Cory Vaughn: 1-3, R, BB, RBI, HBP
• C Kevin Plawecki: 1-5, R, K, RBI
• RF Travis Taijeron: 1-4, R, HR (1), 3 RBI
• 3B Dustin Lawley: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K, E (1)
• 2B Wilfredo Tovar: 1-4, R, K
• RHP Rainy Lara: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• LHP Jack Leathersich: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, HB
• RHP Chasen Bradford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (4)

Advanced-A - St. Lucie Mets (13-10)________________________________________

BRADENTON 7, ST. LUCIE 6  (Box)

The Marauders hit Luis Cessa hard, driving in seven runs- five earned- off of the Mexican right-hander in six plus innings. Bradenton struck often, putting up a two-spot in the 1^st inning on the power of a Josh Bell two-run homer, plating two more in the 3^rd, one in the 4^th, and two more in the 7^th, this time on a Josh Bell triple that Bret Mitchell allowed. Blanked in the first few innings despite getting a runner on base in every inning, St. Lucie finally came to life in the 5^th. That inning, Phil Evans doubled and was driven home by Maikis De La Cruz. The rehabbing Juan Lagares also got on base that inning, but Dilson Herrera flied out to left, leaving De La Cruz on third and Lagares on second. The next inning, St. Lucie scored once again, this time pushing three more runs across the plate. Eudy Pina socked a double into center that scored T.J. Rivera and Aderlin Rodriguez and was himself driven in on an Albert Cordero groundball that got past the infielders and into left. After runners moved him over, Cordero was thrown out at home and Lagares flied out, once more leaving runners in scoring position. Going into the bottom of the 8^th, St. Lucie was down 7-4. With men on the corners, Gilbert Gomez hit a flyball into center for a triple that scored two more runs. He tried to stretch the triple into an inside-the-park home run, but was thrown out on a strong throw from centerfielder Jeff Roy to cut-off man Jose Osuna to catcher Jin-De Jhang. Brandon Nimmo flied out to end the inning, but if Gomez was on third, who's to say what might have happened? St. Lucie lost by one run, but the story of the game was leaving runners on base- the Mets left 10 men on, five of whom were stranded with less than two outs.

St. Lucie dropped their first series since the beginning of the season against Palm Beach, but will look to prevent it from becoming two in a row against the Charlotte Stone Crabs, who are coming to Tradition Field for a three game set. Matt Koch will take the mound tonight for St. Lucie and will hope to send the kids home happy on Kid's Day.

• REHAB ALERT CF Juan Lagares: 1-4, K
• CF Gilbert Gomez: 1-1, 3B, 2 RBI
• DH Brandon Nimmo: 0-3, 2 BB, K, PO
• 2B Dilson Herrera: 1-5
• 1B T.J. Rivera: 1-4, R, K, HBP
• 3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 2-4, R, BB
• RF Eudy Pina: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, 2 RBI
• C Albert Cordero: 2-4, R, BB, RBI
• SS Phil Evans: 3-4, R, 2B
• LF Maikis De La Cruz: 1-4, R, RBI
• RHP Luis Cessa: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, HR

Low-A -Savannah Sand Gnats(14-8)__________________________________

SAVANNAH 5, LAKEWOOD 6 (Box)

Chris Flexen has run into adversity in all but one of his appearances this season, and unfortunately, his start yesterday afternoon was more of the same, more bad than good. Maybe it was because it was a little cool and damp, maybe it was because he was having trouble repeating his delivery and follow-through, maybe it was because he was busy thinking about the very...loud Darth Maul jerseys the Cyclones will be wearing on Saturday, August 2^nd, but Flexen did not have his best stuff. He gave up home runs to J.P. Crawford, the very first batter he faced, as well as BlueClaws first baseman Wilmer Oberto. He recovered to pitch a scoreless 2^nd, but really melted down in the 3^rd. He issued three walks and gave up a lot of hard contact into the outfield that allowed four more baserunners to score. After facing 17 batters in just three innings, his night ended. Dario Alvarez and Akeel Morris pitched the final five innings, allowing only one hit and no runs combined while walking two, striking out nine batters. It was left to the offense to get things done. The Gnats got on the board in the 4^th, scratching out a run on a Gavin Cecchini double and two groundouts that moved him over. In the 6^th, Cecchini doubled once again and was this time driven home by a Jared King line drive. In the 8^th,  L.J. Mazzilli hit a triple that drove in Jeff McNeil and was himself driven in by a King groundout, making the score 6-4 going into the 9^th. Savannah was able to scratch out one more run, a Cecchini RBI single that drove in Dom Smith, but wasn't able to get over the hump and dropped the last game in the series, and their chance to sweep the four game set. Still, they won the series, their 6^th in a row (with the 4/17-4/20 series vs Delmarva to be determined on 5/14) and will return home to Historic Grayson take on the Delmarva Shorebirds next Tuesday. Kevin McGowan will toe the rubber for the Sand Gnats, while Delmarva will start the ever-dangerous top prospect Hunter Harvey.

• SS Gavin Cecchini: 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, K, RBI
• DH Jeff McNeil: 0-4, R, BB
• 2B L.J. Mazzilli: 2-3, R, 3B, BB, 2 RBI, CS (1)
• RF Jared King: 1-4, 2 RBI
• LF Stefan Sabol: 0-4, K
• 3B Jorge Rivero: 0-4, 2 K
• 1B Dom Smith:  2-3, R, 2B, BB, CS (1)
• C Jeff Glenn: 0-3, BB, K, PB (2)
• CF Patrick Biondi: 1-4
• RHP Chris Flexen: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
• LHP Dario Alvarez: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K, HB
• RHP Akeel Morris: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Star of the Night

There weren't really any standout performances yesterday afternoon. The Binghamton offense can all get stars for that 4^th inning. In the game itself, nobody particularly stood out, but as a whole, they did pump out nine runs.

Goat of the Night

Even though they collectively hit .351 yesterday (13-37), the St. Lucie offense wasn't able to produce with runners on base, and they lost a very close, eminently winnable game. That the loss was to Bradenton, who was tied in the standings with St. Lucie, makes the loss sting even more.