Mets Daily Farm Report - 7/31/13: Trade For Prospects? You Decide

*All results from games played on Tuesday, July 30^th, 2013*

AAA -Las Vegas 51s (60-49)__________________________________

LAS VEGAS 1, NASHVILLE 3 (Box)

Rafael Montero pitched admirably, but the 51s fell to the Nashville Sounds in an eight-inning rain-shortened game. Nashville scored the game's first run, in the 3^rd, and tacked on another in the 6^th, while Johnny Hellweg held Las Vegas scoreless inning after inning, despite working around danger nearly every inning. In the 8^th, the Las Vegas bats finally came alive enough to push a run across the plate, in the bottom of the inning. Pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a fly ball into center with two outs that scored Zach Lutz. The Sounds would get that run right back, though, scoring a run off of Armando Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning. The game ended before the 9^th inning could be played, so who knows whether or not the 51s would have been able to come back and win it or not- I would like to imagine they would have.

• LF Mike Baxter: 1-4
• PH Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-1, RBI
• SS Ruben Tejada: 0-3, HBP
• 2B-1B Wilmer Flores: 0-3, BB
• RF-2B Jordany Valdespin: 0-2, 2 BB
• 3B Zach Lutz: 2-4, R
• CF Matt den Dekker: 1-2, 2B, BB
• RHP Rafael Montero: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, HR

AA -Binghamton Mets (67-41)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 3, ALTOONA 2 (Box)

The B-Mets scored a run in the 1^st when Altoona catcher Carlos Paulino lost a ball that walked Allan Dykstra, allowing Danny Muno to scamper home. That run proved the difference in the game, as both teams scored two runs each in the 6^th inning, and nothing for the rest of the game. Mark Cohoon was his normal self, but he and the defense behind him limited the damage the Curve could inflict. In the top of the 6^th, Wilfredo Tovar hit a triple, driving in a run, and Blake Forsythe doubled, driving in a run. The 3-0 lead wouldn't last long, as Cahoon put two men on base, and his replacement, Ryan Fraser, let both runners score. Fraser was otherwise on point in the 7^th, Chase Huchingson threw a lock-down 8^th, and Jeff Walters pitched a perfect 9^th, saving his 30^th game of the season.

• 2B Danny Muno: 1-3, R, 2 BB
• 3B Josh Rodriguez: 0-4, BB, 2 K
• RF Cesar Puello: 1-4, BB, 2 K
• LF Darrell Ceciliani: 1-4, R
• 1B Allan Dykstra: 0-3, BB, K
• SS Wilfredo Tovar: 1-3, R, 3B, BB, RBI
• CF Alonzo Harris: 0-3, BB, SB (20)
• C Blake Forsythe: 1-4, 2B, RBI
• LHP Mark Cohoon: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Jeff Walters: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (30)

Hi-A -St. Lucie Mets (20-15 / 57-45)________________________________________

TAMPA 4, ST. LUCIE 1 (Box)

Do they have subways in Florida? Regardless, the Tampa Yankees got the best of the St. Lucie Mets despite ‘decent' Domingo Tapia showing up to pitch (as opposed to ‘terrible' Tapia). Tampa scored three in the 1^st inning, and that set the mood for the rest of the game. To his credit, after the three-run 1^st, Tapia settled down, putting up zeroes until the 5^th, when he allowed another run. Baby steps. Rafael De Paula and the Yankee bullpen stymied the offense. St. Lucie scored one run, a Kevin Plawecki RBI-single, and managed only four hits the entire ballgame.

• CF Kyle Johnson: 1-4, 2B, K
• 2B T.J. Rivera: 0-3, 2 K
• 3B Dustin Lawley: 0-3, BB, 3 K
• DH Jayce Boyd: 1-4, 2 K
• C Kevin Plawecki: 1-3, BB, RBI
• SS Matt Reynolds: 1-4, 2B, K
• RF Cory Vaughn: 0-3, R, BB, SB (3)
• RHP Domingo Tapia: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HB
• REHAB ALERT LF Lucas Duda: 0-4, 2 K

Lo-A -Savannah Sand Gnats(17-17 / 60-43)__________________________________

SAVANNAH 9, ASHEVILLE 5 (Box)

At times in the second half, the Savannah offense has been fairly anemic. Last night was not one of those nights, as the Sand Gnats managed to score nine runs against the Tourists. Ashville initially jumped out to a big lead, tagging Luis Cessa for four runs (three earned) in the first two innings. The Sand Gnats scored a few runs in the first half of the game, keeping the score respectable. Finally, in the 8^th inning, they scored four runs, most of them coming on a Cole Frenzel double with bases loaded. In the 9^th, they tacked on a pair of insurance runs, but they proved unnecessary, as Paul Sewald threw a scoreless 9^th, just like he did in the 8^th.

• CF Brandon Nimmo: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, RBI, E (4)
• LF Maikis De La Cruz: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, RBI
• RF Eudy Pina: 2-4, R, 2B, 3B, BB, RBI
• 3B Jeff Reynolds: 2-4, 2 R, 2 2B, K
• C Jeff Glenn: 2-4, K, 2 RBI
• 1B Cole Frenzel: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, K, 3 RBI
• SS Phil Evans: 0-3, K, RBI
• RHP Luis Cessa: 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 6 K, HR, WP, E (2)

Short-A - Brooklyn Cyclones (20-21)

BROOKLYN 0, WILLIAMSPORT 1 (Box)

The Cyclones fall back below .500 once again, shut out by the Williamsport Crosscutters. Williamsport starter Drew Anderson held Brooklyn to two hits and no runs for six strong innings. Mark Meadors and Tyler Buckley, who took the ball in the game's later innings, allowed one hit between the two of them, and completed the shutout. Seth Lugo, who started for Brooklyn, allowed plenty of hits, but the defense was able to come up big behind him and limit the damage. Striking out nine in five innings also probably helped. He allowed only one run, in the 4^th inning. Because of the offensive woes of the night, he went home the hard luck loser despite pitching an otherwise solid game.

• CF Patrick Biondi: 1-3, BB, K, 2 SB (14,15)
• SS Gavin Cecchini: 0-4, 2 K
• 2B L.J. Mazzilli: 0-4, 2 K
• LF Jared King: 1-3, BB, K
• DH Alex Sanchez: 1-3
• C Edward Rohan: 0-2, BB, K
• RHP Seth Lugo: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Rk - Kingsport Mets (23-15)_____________________________

KINGSPORT 1, ELIZABETHTON 7 (Box)

Elizabethton scored first, then they scored again, and then again, and then again. Kingsport just had no answer until the 7^th inning, when Twins first baseman Rory Rhodes made a fielding error on a routine play, allowing Yeixon Ruiz to reach base and Pedro Perez to score. Suffice to say, neither offense nor pitching was particularly good last night. Starter Persio Reyes allowed three runs and an unearned run, and his replacement, Edioglis Villasmil, allowed three of his own. The offense was able to manage seven hits, but was only able to push one run across the plate.

• 2B Jeff McNeil: 0-5, K, SB (7)
• CF Champ Stuart: 1-4
• SS Amed Rosario: 1-4, K, E (10)
• DH Pedro Perez: 2-4, R
• 3B Yeixon Ruiz: 0-4, BB, K
• RF Jeff Diehl: 2-3, BB, K
• RHP Persio Reyes: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, WP

Rk - GCL Mets (9-24)_______________________________

GCL CARDINALS, GCL METS (Box)

Early on in this game, there was nothing much going on. Cardinals first round draft pick Rob Kaminsky was putting up zero after zero, as was Mets starter Octavio Acosta. Finally, in the bottom of the 5^th, the GCL Mets scored a run. Vicente Lupo walked, and though he was dead-to-rights on his stolen base attempt, GCL Cardinal second baseman Malik Collymore bobbled the pick-off throw from Dewen Perez, allowing Luto to make it to second safely. Branden Kaupe singled to centerfield, and Lupo was able to scurry all the way home. In the 7^th inning, Casey Meisner relieved Octavio Acosta. He navigated around a two-out single in the 7^th, but was unable to work a clean 8^th, and the Cardinals tied the game as a result. The GCL Mets were unable to score in the bottom of the inning, so the game went into the 9^th inning tied. Meisner stayed in the game, and pitched a clean inning- he allowed a single, but picked off the base runner. The rehabbing Travis d'Arnaud started things out in the bottom of the inning with a lead off double. After Dominic Smith was hit by a pitch, Wuilmer Becerra laid down a bunt that moved both runners over. Jhoan Urena was intentionally walked to load the bases, to set up the double play and ensure an out anywhere. The plan almost worked, as Ivan Wilson hit a ground ball to short. Leon Canelon, pinch running for d'Arnaud, was thrown out at the plate, but the speedy Wilson was able to leg it out to first, ensuring that the GCL Cardinals would only get one out, and that bases would still be loaded. Up came Vicente Lupo, looking to be the hero. In the 9^th inning, with bases loaded and two outs, he...got plunked. Anti-climactic, but a win is a win. He'll be able to ice down that bruise with a nice rib-eye steak.

• 1B Dom Smith: 0-2, R, BB, HBP
• RF Wuilmer Becerra: 0-3, 2 K
• CF Ivan Wilson: 0-4, 2 K
• LF Vicente Lupo: 1-2, R, BB, K, RBI, CS (2), HBP
• 2B Branden Kaupe: 1-3, RBI, SB (5)
• RHP Octavio Acosta: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
• REHAB ALERT DH Travis d'Arnaud: 1-4, 2B

2013 Amazin' Avenue Mets Top 50 Prospect Rankings

Walters has a strong 9.9 K/9 rate and respectable 2.4 BB/9 rate to go along with his 1.97 ERA

Star of the Night

I'm going to go a little out of the box, and pick Jeff Walters as the Star of the Night, in honor of his 30^th save. At 25, he's a little old for the league, and does have a pretty generic name, but I think he's flying under the radar here, and might be a contributor to the big league bullpen in another year or so.

Goat of the Night

Dustin Lawley had a night at the plate I'm sure he would like to forget. Sure, he walked, but one more strikeout, and he would have had the dreaded platimum sombrero- and it's very likely he would have wiffed one more time, given his strikeout rate.

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