New York Mets Daily Farm System Report- 6/30/12: Matt Harvey is getting closer

*All results from games played on Friday June 29th

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AAA - Buffalo Bisons (41-41)_______________________________________

BUFFALO 8, LOUISVILLE 0 (Box)

The story here is Matt Harvey, who checked in with arguably his best start of the year, quieting the Bats' bats over seven shutout innings. Buffalo scored at least one run in each of the first six innings of the game, and blasted three home runs off something called a Ryan Feierabend to get back to .500 on the season.

• CF Matt Den Dekker: 1-5, HR (12), R, RBI, 2 K (.309/.362/.543 // .205/.244/.479 @ AAA); That 19:4 AAA K:BB rate is kind of ugly
• 1B Josh Satin: 0-4, 2 R, BB (.290/.380/.411)
  
• RF Valentino Pascucci: 0-4, 4 K (.242/.382/.483); Oof.
• RHP Matt Harvey: W, 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K (92.1 IP, 3.41, 83 H, 96 K, 40 BB, 6 HR ); But of course the anonymous scout has to put a damper on the party.
• RHP Elvin Ramirez: 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K (31.1 IP, 1.15, 15 H, 38 K, 12 BB, 1 HR); Since being sent back down, 3 K and 4 BB in 3.2 IP.

AA - Binghamton Mets (36-42)_____________________________________

BOWIE 8, BINGHAMTON 5 (Box)

Another rough outing for Greg Peavey, whose ERA this year is now an unattractive 5.57. In more pleasant news, Wilmer Flores continues his torrid streak since his promotion to the Eastern League.

• CF Juan Lagares: 0-5, 2 K (.268/.328/.357); I held out as long as I could last year to avoid getting suckered in by his high BABIP season, finally gave in and ended up overrating him. At 23, not all that young either.
  
• DH Jefry Marte: 1-3, R, BB (.276/.345/.402)
  
• 2B Reese Havens: 0-4, K (.201/.333/.328)
• 3B Wilmer Flores: 3-4, 2 R (.304/.350/.478 // .412/.450/.588 @ AA)
• C Francisco Pena: 0-4, K, E (1) (.252/.305/.429 // .238/.304/.476 @ AA)
• RHP Gregory Peavey: L, 6 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (72.2 IP, 5.57, 91 H, 44 K, 18 BB, 11 HR)
• RHP Armando Rodriguez: 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (46.2 IP, 2.89, 38 H, 48 K, 9 BB, 7 HR)

Hi-A - St. Lucie Mets (4-5 // 53-24)________________________________________

ST. LUCIE 4, JUPITER 2 (12) (Box)

Rafael Montero pitched well in Jupiter, but St. Lucie's bats didn't awaken until after he was out of the game. St. Lucie tied it at 2 in the top of the seventh, then had to wait until the 12th, when the Mets kicked off the frame with three consecutive hits and then a sac fly to put the game out of reach.

• RF Cory Vaughn: 0-4, RBI, BB (.219/.321/.431)
• LF Travis Taijeron: 0-5, BB, K (.287/.401/.550 // .250/.400/.571 @ Adv. A)
• C Blake Forsythe: 0-5, BB, 2 K (.267/.375/.445); Not much out of the St. Lucie hitting prospects last night. Yeesh.
• RHP Rafael Montero: 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K (83.2, 2.69, 70 H, 65 K, 11 BB, 4 HR); I like Montero a lot, and hasn't hit much of a speed bump so far with the move to Advanced A.
• RHP Jeffrey Walters: W, 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K (34 IP, 0.79, 24 H, 34 K, 4 BB, 0 HR); Didn't see anything from him in Brooklyn last year that suggested he would be this good out of the pen in full season ball. But here we are.
• RHP Taylor Whitenton: SV, 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K (34.2 IP, 2.60, 28 H, 41 K, 23 BB, 0 HR)
  
• LHP Adam Kolarek: 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K (40.1 IP, 1.79, 34 H, 55 K, 12 BB, 1 HR)

Lo-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (2-7 // 43-33)__________________________________

SAVANNAH 6, AUGUSTA 2 (Box)

Michael Fulmer tangled with Kyle Crick for the fourth time this season, and Fulmer evened the series at 2-2 with another strong outing from the 19 year old. No Savannah starter had more than one hit, but the Gnats strung them together at the right time to cruise to victory.

• DH Cam Maron: 1-4, RBI, BB, 2 K (.297/.376/.395)
• 3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 0-4, 2 K (.264/.332/.471)
• C Albert Cordero: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, 2 K (.197/.259/.303)
• CF Gilbert Gomez: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K (.281/.373/.348)
• RHP Michael Fulmer: W, 6 IP, 1 ER, 2 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, HB (63 IP, 3.00, 49 H, 58 K, 24 BB, 4 HR)
• LHP Carlos Vasquez: 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K (44 IP, 3.07, 30 H, 41 K, 15 BB, 3 HR)

Short Season A - Brooklyn Cyclones (8-4)__________________________________

BROOKLYN 5, ABERDEEN 2 (Box)

Rainy Lara posted double digit Ks for the Cyclones, and all in all the Ironbirds struck out 17 times on the evening. Phil Evans kicked off the scoring in the third with a no doubt two-run shot just to the left of the scoreboard and the Cyclones kept pouring it on, scouring four in the frame. That was all Lara would need even after he labored through the fifth and two thirds of the sixth. Matthew Bowman picked up the two inning save, striking out five while doing his best Tim Lincecum impression.

• CF Brandon Nimmo: Day off
• SS Philip Evans: 2-4, HR (3), R, 2 RBI; 4 for 4 on hard hit balls. Best player on the field.
• C Kevin Plawecki: 0-3, R, HBP, E (3); Aberdeen was unafraid to run on him all night, and the arm is not good.
• 1B Cole Frenzel: 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI; Probably a little too good for the NYPL
• 2B Juan Carlos Gamboa: 1-5, R, K
• DH Jeffrey Glenn: 2-4, 2 K
• LHP Juan Urbina: 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Matt Bowman: 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K; Really is crazy how much he looks like Lincecum
• RHP Rainy Lara: W, 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 10 K, 1 HR; Stuff isn't as good as the stat line, but he was still quite impressive.

Star of the Night

Rainy Lara is another one of the older international free agents the Mets have signed in the last few years. He was 18 when he signed in 2009 and after a strong 2010 in the DSL, came stateside in 2011. His stuff doesn't blow you away but he commands his fastball and slider well and has an idea of what he is doing out there. That's usually enough to get NYPL hitters out, and Lara did plenty of that last night.

Goat of the Night

Sorry Ted Berg, Valentino Pascucci gets the horns along with his sombrero.