SALT LAKE 4, LAS VEGAS 3 (Salt Lake wins best-of-five series, 3-1) (Box)
Yesterday afternoon, the 51s became the third Mets affiliate to get knocked out of the minor league playoffs, falling 4-3 at Cashman Field. Vegas jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a Kirk Nieuwenhuis leadoff home run, but starter Aaron Harang gave the lead back in a two-run fourth for the Bees. Vegas struck back quickly, as Wally Backman good luck charm Rylan Sandoval singled in Jamie Hoffman to knot things at two. However, Salt Lake added a pair of run on a solo home run in the fifth and a two-out double in the seventh off the Vegas pen. Back-to-back doubles from Ruben Tejada and Mike Baxter in the bottom of the eighth got the 51s within one, and Las Vegas got the tying run to third in the ninth, but Kirk Nieuwenhuis would strike out to end an otherwise successful season for the Mets Triple-A affiliate. This leaves the Sand Gnats as the sole affiliate to make it to the league championship, their best-of-five with the Hagerstown Suns kicks off on Monday
- CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 2-5, HR, R, RBI, 2 K
- SS Ruben Tejada: 1-3, 2B, R, BB; Supposedly will be on his way back to the majors in a couple days, about time.
- RF Mike Baxter: 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB
- 1B Eric Campbell: 0-3, BB
- 3B Dustin Lawley: 0-3, BB, K
- C Juan Centeno: 0-3, K
- RHP Aaron Harang: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR; Has to be better to watch than Dice-K, right?
- RHP Jeff Walters: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K; Missed his promotion to Vegas, but a nice little preview of 2014 coming attractions for the PCL perhaps?