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New York Mets Daily Farm System Report- 4/22: Bradley Holt, Esq.

By Jeffrey Paternostro

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report - 4/22

Send all of your questions about the Mets farm system to AAProspectMailbag@gmail.com

*All results from games played on Thursday April 21st 2011

AAA - Buffalo Bisons (6-9)_______________________________________

Well, at least one level of the Mets organization knows you are in fact allowed to win games in doubleheaders.

GAME ONE

BUFFALO 4, ROCHESTER 2 (10) (Box)

The game story looked to be pretty much written going into the bottom of the seventh. Kyle Gibson was dazzling for the first six frames, not allowing a single hit or walk to the Bisons batters, their only two baserunners reaching on errors. But CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis led off the inning by swatting a home run, sending the Twins prospect to the showers and the game into extras. The Red Wings quickly struck back in the eighth, aided by a Manny Acosta throwing error, and regained the lead. Then things got a little odd. Apparently the Bisons must have been out of bench players in the bottom of the eighth, because they brought up some guy I've never heard of to the plate. Perhaps they invoked some obscure International League rule that allowed them to choose a fan out of the stands to hit. I don't know who they got, but he tied it up with a solo home run. The game wandered into the tenth, and this mystery fan's turn came up again. I imagine they dragged him back from the concessions line and into the batter's box, where he hit another home run. This time it was a two-run, walkoff shot. I salute you, mystery man. Too bad the ushers at Coca-Cola Field never got your name.

  • CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-4, HR (2), R, RBI, K; Adam Rubin seemed to think Captain Kirk might be an option if the Mets want to bring up a CF to replace Pagan. He'd have to be added to the 40-man, so I somehow doubt it, but he is mashing so far this year.
  • 1B Nick Evans: 2-4, 2 HR (3), 2 R, 3 RBI
  • 3B Zach Lutz: 0-3, BB, K
  • LF Lucas Duda: 1-4, K
  • SS Ruben Tejada: 0-3
  • 2B Luis Hernandez: 0-3, K
  • RHP Casey Fossum: 6.1 IP 0 ER (1 unearned) 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K; Not much to add, I mean, it's Casey Fossum
  • RHP Manny Acosta: 1.2 IP 0 ER (1 unearned), 2 BB, E (1); An errant pickoff led to the unearned run. Seems to be a lot of those lately.


GAME 2

BUFFALO 4, ROCHESTER 1 (Box)

Game 2 was another pitcher's duel as Bisons'  RHP Chris Schwinden and the Red Wings' Scott Diamond both allowed only a single run each through the first five innings. Diamond got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, though, walking RF Lucas Duda and then allowing a one out single to 1B Valentino Pascucci. He gave way to Carlos Gutierrez, who promptly walked Zach Lutz to load the bases and then allowed SS Ruben Tejada to unload them with a bases clearing double. Three Bisons pitchers combined to shut the door, (I wonder how many it takes to change a lightbulb) and the doubleheader sweep was complete.

REHAB ALERT: C Ronny Paulino played both games of the doubleheader. He caught Game One going 0-4 with a strikeout and two throwing errors, then went 0-2 with a walk as the DH in the Game Two. Yes, I am excited for his Mets debut, too.

 

AA - Binghamton Mets (5-7)_____________________________________

NEW HAMPSHIRE 5, BINGHAMTON 4 (10) (Box)

Binghamton outhit the Fisher Cats 13-5, but helped along by three B-Mets errors, New Hampshire pulled out the win in extras. The story of this game, however, was the rejuvenated and refined RHP Bradley Holt, Esq, who recorded 15 of his 18 outs on the evening by either strikeout or groundball. He has been primarily a flyball pitcher throughout his minor league career, and I am curious to see if he is doing anything differently with his pitch selection or if this is a just a fluky couple of games. 

  • SS Jordany Valdespin: 0-4, K, E (3); Hitting just .159/.240/.273 on the season so far.
  • 3B-1B: Eric Campbell: 1-5, RBI, K
  • 1B Josh Satin: 3-5, 2B, R, 2 K, SB, E (2)
  • C Kai Gronauer: 1-4, RBI, BB
  • RHP Brad Holt: 6 IP, 1 ER (1 unearned) 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K, E (1); 9/3 GO/FO Ratio; STEVE BRAD HOLT!
  • LHP Roy Merritt: BS, 1.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 BB; His struggles continue.

Hi-A St. Lucie Mets (13-2)________________________________________

ST. LUCIE 10, CHARLOTTE 7 (Box)

The St. Lucie bats came alive and pounded Stone Crab pitching into Stone Crab cakes. Five St. Lucie starters recorded multi-hit games, including three each for CF Matt Den Dekker and LF Juan Legares. The St. Lucie staff kept it interesting, though, surrendering nine hits and issuing four free passes. The scoring came in bunches as the teams scored 15 of the game's 17 runs in the fourth through seventh innings. 3B Jefry Marte finally gave the Mets a bit of breathing room and their final margin of victory with his second home run of the game, a two run shot in the top of the ninth inning. Closer Jeffrey Kaplan held the Stone Crabs scoreless in the ninth to record his sixth save of the year as St. Lucie improved to a perfect 7-0 on the road.

Lo-A Savannah Sand Gnats (7-7)__________________________________

SAVANNAH 6, LEXINGTON 5 (Box)

The Sand Gnats battled back from an early 4-0 deficit to take the lead with a four run eighth. The Legends pitching staff helped things along by walking in two runs, but it was RF Cory Vaughn who struck the big blow of the inning, a two run double to unknot a 4-4 tie. Josh Edgin had an adventurous ninth, loading the bases with one out, but back to back strike outs preserved the win and gave Edgin his fourth save of the year. Erik Goeddel started the game for the Sand Gnats and struggled. He has struck out 15 and walked only 5 in his first 12 innings of the season, but when he has been hit he has been hit hard, surrendering three home runs and 15 hits in total.

★ Star of the Night ★

A whole bunch of worthy candidates to choose from last night. Let's go with the red hot  St. Lucie 3B Jefry Marte. A bit of a disappointment the last two years after his impressive 2008 debut in the Gulf Coast League, Marte is still only 19 and absolutely crushing what is traditionally a pitcher's league. He's flashing his plus power again, but the best news might be the two walks that bring him to eight in fourteen games this year.  The defense is still a bit raw, and he might not be able to stay at third, but if the bat reaches its potential, that won't matter.

 

Goat of the Night

It was looking like a clean sweep for the Mets system last night, but LHP Roy Merritt, coughed up the lead in New Hampshire, and kept groundball machine Brad Holt from picking up the W. Coming into last night's game lefties were batting 1.000 against him. That is not a typo. 

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