*All results from games played on Saturday, April 8
Triple-A - Las Vegas 51s (1-2)
Triple-A - Las Vegas 51s (1-2)
EL PASO 7, LAS VEGAS 0 (Box)
Donovan Hand pitched about as well as you would expect Donovan Hand to pitch, but the offense was what we can only hope was an uncharacteristic performance and not what will be the norm, getting blanked by El Paso starter Tyrell Jenkins and the Chihuahua bullpen. The 51s never really seemed to have a chance in this one.
- 2B Gavin Cecchini: 0-3, BB
- LF Matt Reynolds: 2-4, E (1)
- SS Amed Rosario: 1-4
- 1B Dominic Smith: 0-4, K
- RF Travis Taijeron: 1-4, 2B
- C Kevin Plawecki: 2-4, 2 2B
- 3B Josh Rodriguez: 0-3, BB, 2 K
- CF Desmond Jennings: 1-3, BB
- P Donovan Hand: 0-2
- PH Jayce Boyd: 0-1, K
- RHP Donovan Hand: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- RHP Beck Wheeler: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP
- RHP Ben Rowen: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HB
- RHP Kevin McGowan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Double-A - Binghamton Rumble Ponies (2-0)
GAME ONE
BINGHAMTON 2, NEW HAMPSHIRE 0 / 5 (Box)
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, after some delay, won their very first ballgame! Tyler Pill, the winningest pitcher in Binghamton Mets/Rumble Pony history, made his second Opening Day start in as many years, and outpitched Toronto top prospect Sean Reid-Foley, who was only allowed to throw 37 pitches before being removed from the game, most likely because of the cold. In the shortened five-inning contest, the Rumble Ponies scored their runs in unspectacular fashion. In the second, Patrick Biondi plated Kevin Taylor with drag bunt fielder’s choice, and in the fourth, Champ Stuart grounded out to first, allowing J.C. Rodriguez to score. Nothing fancy, but a win is a win.
- CF Champ Stuart: 0-4, RBI, 3 K
- SS Luis Guillorme: 1-4, 2 K, E (1)
- 3B David Thompson: 1-3
- 1B Matt Oberste: 0-2, BB
- DH Kevin Taylor: 0-2, R, BB
- C Tomas Nido: 1-3
- RF L.J. Mazzilli: 3-3, R, CS (1)
- 2B J.C. Rodriguez: 0-2, BB
- LF Patrick Biondi: 0-3, RBI
- RHP Tyler Pill: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
- RHP Cory Burns: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (1)
GAME TWO
BINGHAMTON 8, NEW HAMPSHIRE 2 / 5 (Box)
Game Two of the series had a lot more action. Binghamton exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning to put the game well out of reach for the Fisher Cats. David Thompson got things started, plating the Rumble Ponies’ first run of the evening with a fielder’s choice. The RBI ended New Hampshire starter Conner Greene’s night, and set in motion a chain that led to six consecutive hits against reliever Tim Mayza. P.J. Conlon, meanwhile, was cruising. Making his Double-A debut, the southpaw had no problems with the Fisher Cats line-up. He allowed a pair of singles in the first, but then went into cruise control for the next couple of innings. His only blemish on the night was a two-run homer in the fifth that would end up being the only two runs New Hampshire scored. Tim Peterson and Corey Taylor pitched the sixth and seventh, respectively, allowing the Fisher Cats to gain no ground and completing the double header sweep.
- CF Champ Stuart: 1-3, R, K, SB (1)
- LF J.C. Rodriguez: 1-1, R
- LF-CF Patrick Biondi: 0-2, 2 BB
- 3B David Thompson: 0-4, R, RBI, BB, 2 K
- DH Matt Oberste: 3-4, R, 3 RBI, BB, K
- 1B Kevin Taylor: 1-4, R, RBI, BB
- RF L.J. Mazzilli: 1-4, R
- 2B Luis Guillorme: 1-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, SB (1)
- SS Jio Mier: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
- C Colton Plaia: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K
- LHP P.J. Conlon: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
- RHP Tim Peterson: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- RHP Corey Taylor: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Advanced-A - St. Lucie Mets (1-2)
ST. LUCIE 5, PALM BEACH 4 (Box)
St. Lucie won their first contest of the year, and they did it in dramatic fashion, staving off a sweep by scoring a run in the top of the ninth. St. Lucie initially jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Peter Alonso smashed a two-run homer over the center field wall, but the Cardinals got a run back in the bottom of the inning. St. Lucie went up 3-1 in the second on a John Mora RBI single, but the Cardinals got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Palm Beach then scored a run in the third, tying the game. Suffice to say, Justin Dunn was not all that dominant in his first start of 2017. The right-hander struggled with his command, throwing 40 strikes and 40 balls, walking five, uncorking two wild pitches, hitting a batter, and not recording a strikeout. Craig Missigman allowed a run in the bottom of the fifth, giving Palm Beach the lead, but Jhoan Urena singled with two outs in the seventh to plate Wuilmer Becerra and tie the game up once again. Dale Burdick led off with a double and moved over to third on an Enmanuel Zabala sac bunt. John Mora hit a slow roller back to the pitcher Jacob Evans, but Burdick would not let that stop him, and charged home. He beat Evans' toss back to the plate, giving the Mets a one-run lead. Newcomer Joshua Torres pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning, earning his first save of 2017 with a flourish, striking out the last batter he faced.
- CF Enmanuel Zabala: 0-4
- RF John Mora: 1-5, 2 RBI, 2 K
- DH Wuilmer Becerra: 1-3, 2 R, BB, HBP
- 1B Peter Alonso: 3-5, R, HR (1), 2 RBI
- 3B Jhoan Urena: 2-4, 2B, RBI, K, SB, E (1)
- LF Nick Sergakis: 1-3, K, SB (1), CS (1), HBP
- 2B Vinny Siena: 0-3, BB, 3 K
- C Dan Rizzie: 0-3, BB, K, E (1)
- SS Dale Burdick: 2-4, 2 R, 2B
- RHP Justin Dunn: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, HB
- RHP Craig Missigman: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
- RHP Tyler Bashlor: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
- RHP Joshua Torres: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (1)
Low-A - Columbia Fireflies (3-0)
COLUMBIA 7, AUGUSTA 0 (Box)
The Colaflies remain undefeated, winning their third in a row against the Augusta GreenJackets in convincing fashion. They did most of their damage in the second and the third, when the team combined to score seven runs. Through three games, this seems to be a trend, as Columbia has scored 20 of its 30 total runs in the first four innings. Columbia combined for three singles and two walks in the second, plating three runs. They combined for two singles and three walks in the third, plating four runs. With so many men on the base paths, the Colaflies were frisky. Anthony Dimino, Gene Cone and Michael Paez all stole a base, with Paez stealing second and third back-to-back. Augusta scattered a few runs early, and scored a pair off of Taylor Henry in the seventh, but Columbia was in control of this ballgame from start to finish.
- LF Gene Cone: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (1)
- SS Luis Carpio: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K, E (1)
- CF Desmond Lindsay: 0-4, BB
- 1B Dash Winningham: 1-5, RBI, K
- 2B Michael Paez: 0-3, R, BB, 2 SB (2, 3)
- RF Jacob Zanon: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, SB (3)
- DH Anthony Dimino: 2-2, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, SB (1)
- C Brandon Brosher: 1-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, K
- 3B Milton Ramos: 1-4, RBI
- RHP Gabriel Llanes: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, WP, HB
- LHP Taylor Henry: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
- RHP Adonis Uceta: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HB, SV (1)
Star of the Night
P.J. Conlon
Goat of the Night
Justin Dunn