Mets Daily Farm Report, May 21, 2014: Best (Minor League W/L Record) in the World

*All results from games played on Tuesday, May 20^th, 2014

Triple-A - Las Vegas 51's (32-13)_______________________________________

LAS VEGAS 3, FRESNO 2 (Box)

The 51s and the Grizzlies traded the lead in the early going, but thanks to some strong bullpen work, Las Vegas contained the Fresno offense and gave themselves the opportunity to pull ahead late, which they did. The Grizzles scored the game's first run in the bottom of the 3^rd, on a pair of doubles by Juan Perez and Travis Ishikawa, but Andrew Brown tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 4^th with one swing, his ninth home run with AAA-Vegas and tenth for the year overall. In the bottom of the inning, pitcher Mike Kickham helped his own cause by whacking a flyball that Brown could not field immediately, driving in a run with an RBI triple. Giancarlo Alvarado pitched the 5^th, but at 90 pitches, was taken out in the 6^th in favor of Buddy Carlyle. Carlyle was impressive, striking out all three batters he faced, one swinging and two looking. In the top of the 7^th, with men on the corners and two outs, Matt den Dekker doubled, scoring both runners and pushing the go-ahead run across the plate. Recent Pittsburgh acquisitions Zack Thornton and Vic Black pitched the last three innings of the game, the latter picking up his seventh save of the season.

Noah Syndergaard takes the hill tonight in the continuation of the series.

• LF Cesar Puello: 0-3, K; Not sure if this was actually Puello, or just a simulacrum conjured by Wally Backman to appease us
• PH-LF  Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 0-1, K
• 2B-1B Josh Satin: 1-4
• RF Andrew Brown: 1-3, R, HR (9), BB, RBI
• 3B Zach Lutz: 1-4, R
• C Taylor Teagarden: 1-3, R, BB, 2 K
• 1B Brandon Allen: 0-4, K
• SS-2B Danny Muno: 1-3, SB (2)
• CF Matt den Dekker: 1-3, 2B, 2 K, 2 RBI
• RHP Giancarlo Alvarado: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
• RHP Buddy Carlyle: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Zack Thornton: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Vic Black: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, SV (7)

Double-A - Binghamton Mets (24-18)_____________________________________

BINGHAMTON 1, PORTLAND 2 (Box)

The B-Mets got on the board first, but their 2^nd inning run was their only run. With Jayce Boyd on third, Dustin Lawley hit a flyball deep into center for a sac fly, and that would be all she wrote for the Binghamton offense. Darin Gorski stumbled in the 4^th, giving up a solo homer to catcher Blake Swihart to tie the game. A second run scored that inning, but that run can be attributed more to poor fundies than any fault of Gorski- after singling, right fielder Henry Ramos scored after errors by Matt Reynolds and Matt Clark. While Jon Velasquez and Adam Kolarek silenced Portland's bats over the final three innings, Sea Dog relievers Matty Ott and Noe Ramirez did the same to the B-Mets. Most disheartening, a fielding error in the 9^th inning allowed Clark to reach base, but he was stranded at third.

It was a tough loss for Gorski, who was charged with his first loss since Opening Day, and Binghamton, but they'll look to turn their fortunes around today, with their double dip against Portland.

• CF Kyle Johnson: 1-4
• SS Matt Reynolds: 1-4, K, E (6)
• C Kevin Plawecki: 0-4, K
• 1B Matt Clark: 1-4, K, E (3)
• DH Jayce Boyd: 1-4, R
• LF Cory Vaughn: 1-4, 2B, K
• 3B Dustin Lawley: 0-3, 2 K, RBI
• RF Travis Taijeron: 0-2, BB, K
• 2B Wilfredo Tovar: 1-2, BB, CS (3)
• LHP Darin Gorski: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 6 K, HR, HB
• RHP Jon Velasquez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K, BLK
• LHP Adam Kolarek: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Advanced-A - St. Lucie Mets (26-19)________________________________________

CLEARWATER 3, ST. LUCIE 10 (Box)

St. Lucie thrashed the Threshers. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Ruben Amaro's almost $60 million dollar man, was pounded for five runs (though only two were earned) in his two-plus inning rehab start, while Michael Fulmer had his best start of the 2014 season, tossing seven strong innings of one run ball. With two outs in the 1^st, Eudy Pina and Cole Frenzel drove in three runs, and in the 3^rd, a Frenzel double drove in two more. In the 5^th, Fulmer walked in a Thresher run, undoubtedly his lowest point in the game. In fact, all five hits that he allowed, and both walks, came in the 4^th and 5^th innings. While St. Lucie had a fairly solid lead going into late innings, they stepped on Clearwater's throat in the 8^th, when they scored five additional runs. With the bases juiced, T.J. Rivera singled on a ground ball through the hole that plated two, and Gilbert Gomez followed that with a three-run homer to get all the ducks off the pond. Jake Kuebler, in his second inning of work, ran into trouble in the 9^th, as he walked the bases loaded and gave up a single that scored two runs, but Julian Hilario was successful in coming to notch that final out, an out that he recorded with a flourish by striking out shortstop Roman Quinn swinging.

St. Lucie and Clearwater have an early, 10:30 start today, in a match-up that will see Domingo Tapia going for the Mets and Ethan Stewart going for the Threshers.

• 2B Dilson Herrera: 1-5
• CF Brandon Nimmo: 1-2, 2 R, 3 BB, SB (8); As per Greg Karam, Nimmo now has a BB% of 20.5%, and a K% of 18.1%
  
• 3B T.J. Rivera: 1-4, 2 R, BB, K, 2 RBI
• DH Gilbert Gomez: 1-3, 2 R, HR (3), 2 BB, K, RBI
• C Cam Maron: 0-4, 2 R, BB, K
• RF Eudy Pina: 1-4, K, 2 RBI
• 1B Cole Frenzel: 3-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI
• SS Phil Evans: 0-4
• LF Maikis De La Cruz: 1-3, R, BB
• RHP Michael Fulmer: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• RHP Jake Kuebler: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Julian Hilario: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Low-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (30-14)__________________________________

CHARLESTON 1, SAVANNAH 2 (Box)

Ricky Knapp- who is quickly becoming one of my personal favorite unheralded arms within the system- was solid in the series finale against Charleston, allowing only a 1^st inning run through six innings. Asides for that run, Knapp ran into trouble in the 3^rd, allowing a double, single, and hitting a batter to load the bases with no outs. He reared back and got Mike Ford and Miguel Andujar to strike out looking, and then struck out Dustin Fowler swinging to bring the inning to a close without any damage being done. Other than those two innings, Knapp cruised. His RiverDogs counterpart, Jaron Long, also cruised, tossing six plus shutout innings, striking out seven batters in the process. In the 8^th inning, Cesar Vargas replaced Rony Bautista and promptly blew the lead when L.J. Mazzilli doubled in the tying run (charged to Bautista), just missing a home run by a few feet, and Dom Smith drove in the go-ahead run. With a sudden save situation on their hands, Robert Coles was brought in, and the right-hander pitched a clean inning to lock down his ninth save of the season.

The Sand Gnats have today off, and will be getting back to business on Thursday, when they start a seven-game road trip against Lexington and Augusta.

• LF Patrick Biondi: 0-4, K
• 2B Jorge Rivero: 0-4, K
• 3B Jeff McNeil: 2-4, R, 2 K; Thirteen game hitting streak
• SS L.J. Mazzilli: 1-4, R, 2B, K, RBI
• 1B Dom Smith: 2-3, BB, RBI; The slugging percentage thus far is disappointing, and just a bit worrying, but lookout, Mr. Smith is almost hitting .270
• RF Victor Cruzado: 2-4, K
• DH Stefan Sabol: 0-3, K
• CF Champ Stuart: 2-2, BB, CS (1), PO
• C Colton Plaia: 0-3, K
• RHP Ricky Knapp: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HB
• LHP Dario Alvarez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Robert Coles: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (9)

Star of the Night

Michael Fulmer deserves it the most, though Ricky Knapp was contending.

Goat of the Night

The Binghamton offense is the only black mark in the report today, with Las Vegas and Savannah winning close ones, and St. Lucie blowing their opponents out of the water. No one in particular is to blame more than anyone else, so they will all share the blame equally.