Catch up on all of yesterday’s minor league action from around the Mets farm system!
Triple-A - Las Vegas 51s (25-10)______________________________________
LAS VEGAS 6, SALT LAKE 3 (Box)
With rumors of an imminent call-up swirling, Rafael Montero pitched like someone who wants to buy the ticket and take the ride to New York last night. While it sounds as though the Mets will use their number-three prospect in relief at the major league level, Montero proved his future should be in the rotation by turning in his second-best start of the season. The right-hander kept the Salt Lake Bees hitless through five and a third innings, struck out five, and put himself in position for a promotion as soon as the super-two cutoff passes. The only negative takeaway from Montero's performance is he couldn't go deeper into the game as a result of deep counts elevating his pitch count.
As for the hitters, Andrew Brown led the attack with his second home run in as many games. Also, there was a Cesar Puello sighting at Smith's Stadium last night. He played left and took an oh-fer, but did reach base after getting plunked in the third inning.
- 2B Eric Campbell: 2-5
- LF Cesar Puello: 0-4, HBP
- RF Andrew Brown: 1-2, 2 R, HR (6), RBI, BB, K
- DH Allan Dykstra: 1-4, R, 2B
- 3B Zach Lutz: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
- C Taylor Teagarden: 0-4, K
- 1B Brandon Allen: 1-4, R, K
- SS Daniel Muno: 1-2. 2 R, HR (3), RBI, BB, K
- CF Matt den Dekker: 1-4, 2B, RBI
- RHP Rafael Montero: 5.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Double-A - Binghamton Mets (16-15)______________________________________
HARRISBURG 4, BINGHAMTON 3 (Box)
Kevin Plawecki had a big night for an otherwise moribund Binghamton Mets offense. The backstop connected for his first long ball of the season to lead off the fifth and brought two more runs home in the eighth via a ground ball single through the box. Plawecki's hit evened up the score going into the ninth, but reliever Chase Bradford couldn't keep the Harrisburg Senators off the board. Lenny's kid Cutter Dykstra rapped a leadoff single, stole second, and eventually scored the game-breaking run when Ricky Hague's seeing-eye safety snuck through the infield.
- CF Darrell Ceciliani: 0-4, 2 K
- 3B Brian Burgamy: 0-3, R, BB, K
- SS Matt Reynolds: 2-4, R, K
- 1B Matt Clark: 1-4, K
- C Kevin Plawecki: 2-4, R, HR (1), 3 RBI
- RF Cory Vaughn: 1-4, 2 K
- LF Dustin Lawley: 0-4, K
- 2B Wilfredo Tovar: 1-3, BB, K
- RHP Matthew Bowman: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
High-A - St. Lucie Mets (20-15)______________________________________
ST. LUCIE 9, PALM BEACH 1 (Box)
Every St. Lucie Met had at least one hit last night and most had multiple base knocks. The top of the order did its job, as Dilson Herrera, Brandon Nimmo, and T.J. Rivera combined to go six-for-ten and each farmhand in the trio drove home a run to boot. Shortstop Phillip Evans had the best day at the dish, picking up three rib-eye steaks on a double, a single, and a sac fly. After two rough seasons, it's nice to see the 2011 draftee off to a solid start.
Right-hander Luis Cessa was very efficient on the mound. Though he only struck out two batters, he issued just one free pass and racked up eleven ground ball outs in eight innings.
2B Dilson Herrera: 3-5, R, 2 RBI, SB
CF Brandon Nimmo: 3-5, R, RBI
1B T.J. Rivera: 3-5, R, RBI
DH Jairo Perez: 1-4, R,2B, BB
C Cam Maron: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB
3B Robbie Shields: 1-4, 2B, BB
RF Eudy Pina: 2-5, R, 2B, RBI
SS Phillip Evans: 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI
LF Maikis De La Cruz: 1-5, K
RHP Luis Cessa: 8 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K
Low-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (23-9)______________________________________
SAVANNAH 5, WEST VIRGINIA 1 (Box)
The Savannah Sand Gnats have the most strikeout prone pitching staff in the South Atlantic League and they added eleven more victims to their league-leading number last night. Starter Miller Diaz five in five-plus innings, while Akeel Morris matched that number in his two-inning relief stint. The flame-thrower from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islander now has a team-best 30 Ks for the season despite pitching exclusively out of the bullpen.
Though the game took place in Appalachian Power Park, neither team did much damage with the sticks. Seldom-used infielder Jorge Rivero had Savannah's only extra-base hit of the evening, an RBI triple that came as part of an error and singles-fueled five-run outburst in the fourth inning.
- CF Patrick Biondi: 1-4, R, CS
- RF Victor Cruzado: 2-3, R, BB
- SS L.J. Mazzilli: 1-4, R, RBI, K
- LF Jared King: 0-3, RBI
- DH Jonathan Leroux: 0-4, K
- 1B Dominic Smith: 1-4, R, K
- 3B Matt Oberste: 1-4. R, RBI, K
- 2B Jorge Rivero: 1-4, 3B, RBI
- C Colton Plaia: 0-3, K
- RHP Miller Diaz: 5.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K
- RHP Akeel Morris: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 5 K
Star of the Night
Excepting Matthew Bowman in Binghamton, there were good pitching performances up and down the system last night. That said, Rafael Montero gets special recognition for not allowing a hit. Several smaller crowns go to his defense for being in the right place at the right time.
Goat of the Night
Horns for Chase Bradford. His ninth inning meltdown kept the farm teams from sweeping for the second night in a row.