Catch up on all of yesterday’s minor league action from around the Mets farm system!
*All results from games played on Friday, July 4th, 2014
Triple A - Las Vegas 51s (51-37)______________________________________
ALBUQUERQUE 7, LAS VEGAS 6 (10 innings) (Box)
The 51s sent three bombs bursting through the air during their Independence Day match with the Albuquerque Isotopes but, unlike American troops at Fort McHenry on the night the Star Spangled Banner was written, the team couldn't outlast the enemy. Wilmer Flores opened the scoring barrage with a three-run shot in the fourth inning, though the Topes countered by scoring two in the bottom of the frame and three more in the seventh. Albuquerque brought that lead into the ninth, only to see it slip away when closer Jose Dominguez gave up his first long ball of the year, a pinch hit, game-tying, two-run shot off the bat of Daniel Muno.
The see-saw affair tilted back toward the 51s in extras, as Wilmer Flores connected for his second homer of the game. It also would have been an two-run blast had pinch runner Anthony Seratelli not been caught trying to steal second during Flores's at-bat. That insurance run might have helped swing the outcome, too. As it was, relievers Chase Bradford and Buddy Carlyle loaded the bases in the the bottom of the tenth on a pair of singles and a walk. A fielding error and another walk later, the meltdown was complete and the Isotopes were winners.
- CF Matt den Dekker: 0-5, K
- 2B Matt Reynolds: 2-5, R, 2B (That's now six multi-hit games in his last ten for Reynolds)
- 1B Allan Dykstra: 2-3, R, BB, HBP
- PR-LF Anthony Seratelli: CS
- 3B Wilmer Flores: 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
- LF-1B Brandon Allen: 1-4, BB
- RF Andrew Brown: 0-5, 3 K
- SS Omar Quintanilla: 1-3, BB, K, HBP
- C Juan Centeno: 1-5, R
- PH Josh Satin: 0-1, K
- PH Daniel Muno: 1-1, R, HR, 2 RBI
- LHP Darin Gorski: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K, HR
Double-A - Binghamton Mets (50-35)______________________________________
ERIE 9, BINGHAMTON 6 (16 innings) (Box)
First the good news: Brandon Nimmo picked up two extra-base hits (his first at the Double-A level), including a homer. The bad news is Gabriel Ynoa's B-Mets debut didn't go as well as hoped. The right-hander issued as many free passes in this game (two) as he'd allowed in his last eight starts for Savannah and was rather hittable. Of the nine base knocks the SeaWolves picked up against Ynoa, four went for more than one base.
The aforementioned Nimmo helped keep Ynoa from being the pitcher of record, however, by clearing the bags with a sixth inning double (against a lefty, no less). Brian Burgamy's RBI single one frame later tied the game and it stayed knotted until the tenth. It also remained an even affair after the tenth, as Steven Moya cracked a solo homer and Dustin Lawley countered with one of his own in the Binghamton half. Erie eventually scored three unanswered runs in the top of the 16th to cinch one of the longest (but not the longest) Independence Day games in the history of the Mets organization.
- DH Kyle Johnson: 1-8, 2 K
- 2B Dilson Herrera: 1-6, R, 2 BB, 3 K, SB
- 3B Brian Burgamy: 1-6, RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
- LF Dustin Lawley: 1-6. 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB, K
- 1B Jayce Boyd: 2-8, R, 2B, RBI, K
- CF Brandon Nimmo: 2-6, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K
- SS T.J. Rivera: 1-5, 2 BB
- RF Travis Taijeron: 0-6, BB, 4 K
- C Xorge Carrillo: 1-3, R, K, HBP
- C Kai Gronauer: 0-2, BB, K
- RHP Gabriel Ynoa: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
- LHP Jack Leathersich: 1.2 IP, BB, K
- LHP Adam Kolarek: 2 IP, 2 H
- RHP Jon Velasquez: 3 IP, H, ER, BB, 3 K, HR
- RHP Randy Fontanez: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K
- RHP Ryan Fraser: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, K, HR
High-A - St. Lucie Mets (51-32)______________________________________
ST. LUCIE 2, JUPITER 1 (Box)
It was a nail biter, but St. Lucie managed to eke out a one-run victory and also had the decency to win in regulation. Domingo Tapia hurled his best game since late May, walking just one batter and getting grounders. That said, the 23-year old Dominican with a heavy fastball did have his outfielders running around more than usual, as he actually recorded more outs via the air (eight) than the ground (five).
- CF Gilbert Gomez: 1-4, K
- 2B Phillip Evans: 0-3, RBI
- DH L.J. Mazzilli: 1-4, K
- C Cam Maron: 1-3, K
- 1B Aderlin Rodriguez: 0-3, 2 K
- SS Gavin Cecchini: 0-3, K
- 3B Jeff McNeil: 0-3
- LF Maikis De La Cruz: 2-3, 2 R, HR, RBI
- RF Eudy Pina: 1-2, BB, K
- RHP Domingo Tapia: 6.2 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 3 K
- RHP Beck Wheeler: 1.1 IP, BB, 2 K
Low-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (56-26)______________________________________
SAVANNAH 9, HICKORY 7 (Box)
The Sand Gnats led 8-1 halfway through this game, thanks in no small part to another monster day at the plate by Matt Oberste. The 2013 seventh-rounder now has a seven-game hitting streak during which he's twice racked up four-hit games. He's smashed all three of his home runs this season during that span as well. Champ Stuart is also starting to come alive. He's working on a six-game streak with at least one hit and he's connected safely more than once in all but one contest during his hot week.
By the eighth inning, shaky relief work by Dawrin Frias and Bret Mitchell allowed Hickory to pull within a run, but an RBI single by Victor Cruzado gave Akeel Morris a bit of breathing room and the youngster from the U.S. Virgin Islands retired the last four batters of the game with typical ease.
- LF Patrick Biondi: 1-5, R, 2 K, SB
- CF Champ Stuart: 2-5, 2 R, 2 K, SB
- 1B Dominic Smith: 1-5, 2 R, RBI
- DH Matt Oberste: 4-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
- 3B Cole Frenzel: 1-4, BB
- RF Victor Cruzado: 2-4, R, RBI, BB, SB
- SS Yeixon Ruiz: 1-5, 2 K
- C Jeff Glenn: 0-3, RBI, 2 BB
- 2B Jonathan Johnson: 0-4, BB, 2 K
- RHP Ricky Knapp: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
- RHP Akeel Morris: 1.1 IP, 2 K
Short Season-A - Brooklyn Cyclones (11-8)____________________________________
ABERDEEN 3, BROOKLYN 2 (Box)
Cyclones alum Dillon Gee returned to Coney Island for his second rehab start and pitched like a guy with a decade's worth of experience on his competition. Offensively, Jhoan Urena paced the attack with three hits and a pair of doubles. He even turned his lone single into a two-bagger of sorts by swiping second base.
- CF Tucker Tharp: 2-4, K
- SS Amed Rosario: 1-4, K
- 3B Jhoan Urena: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, SB
- 1B Michael Katz: 0-3, BB, K
- RF Michael Bernal: 1-4, R, 2 K
- DH Tyler Moore: 0-3, K
- PH-DH Jeff Diehl: 1-1, 2B
- C Tomas Nido: 0-4, RBi, 2 K
- LF Joe Tuschak: 0-4, K
- 2B William Fulmer: 0-2, R, BB, 2 K
- RHP Dillon Gee: 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 10 K
- RHP Josh Prevost: 2 IP, 2 H, ER, K
Rookie - Kingsport Mets (6-9)______________________________________
GREENVILLE 14, KINGSPORT 1 (Box)
Greenville scored six times in the first inning. Kingsport had a total of five hits in the game.
- SS Luis Guillorme: 0-3, K
- 3B Jean Rodriguez: 1-5, 2 K
- 1B Zach Mathieu: 1-3, R, BB, 2 K
- C Luis Ortega: 2-3, 2B, BB
- CF Ivan Wilson: 0-3, BB, 2 K
- RF Jose Figuera: 1-4, RBI
- 2B Branden Kaupe: 0-4, 2 K
- LHP Yoan Gonzalez: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, BB, 2 K
Rookie - Gulf Coast Mets (6-5)______________________________________
GCL METS 5, GCL MARLINS 1 (Box)
- RF John Mora: 1-4, R
- 2B Dale Burdick: 2-3, R, BB, 2 SB
- DH Jared King: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, SB
- 1B Dash Winningham: 0-3, BB, CS
- SS Milton Ramos: 0-3, RBI
- C Natanael Ramos: 1-3, BB
- 3B Alvin Maracaro: 3-4, K
- CF Raphael Ramirez: 1-3, R, BB, K
- RHP Audry German: 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 K
As for Dominican Summer League action, Mets1 beat the DSL Nationals7-2. Catcher Ali Sanchez, who the Mets signed as a 16-year old during the 2013 international signing period, homered and his hitting .327/.421/.459 through his first 100 at-bats. Mets2, meanwhile, lost 6-2.
Star of the Night
There are several good candidates, but let's award the star to Wilmer Flores. He's raking right now and hopefully getting the same kind of confidence boost that Travis d'Arnaud got during his Las Vegas stint.
Goat of the Night
Everyone who threw a pitch for Kingsport.