*All results from games played on Wednesday, May 7th, 2014
Triple-A - Las Vegas 51's (23-10)_______________________________________
LAS VEGAS 7, SALT LAKE 5 / 10 Innings (Box)
Another game, another recap in which we're all left scratching our heads wondering why Cesar Puello was not in the starting line-up, right? Well, not tonight! According to Las Vegas 51 radio announcer Russ Langer, Puello has been placed on the 51s' Temporary Inactive List. The reason, however, has yet to be disclosed. Reliever Buddy Carlyle was just activated from the same list, so there may very well be some roster juggling going on, rather than something more extreme or more sinister.
Jake deGrom was in the line-up, though, and the righty was gunning for his fifth win of the season, coming into the game an undefeated 4-0. Opposing him was some Shoemaker...Matt Shoemaker to be specific. deGrom was the one who pitched like a shoemaker, however, as he allowed a Luis Jimenez two-run home run on a hanging slider three batters into the game- the first round tripper in nearly an entire calendar month the right-hander has allowed- and didn't get much better from there. He allowed two more runs to score in the 2nd as well, though in a different manner. After allowing three consecutive singles and an RBI, deGrom got the inning's first two outs. On what should've been the third out of the inning, Danny Muno committed a throwing error, allowing a second run to score. Brandon Allen tried to go to his right to get the groundball between first and second, but Muno fielded it. The second baseman was forced to throw while on the move, and to deGrom covering at first, who was also on the move. With two men on, deGrom was able to get the third out. In the top of the 3rd, after Juan Centeno and Eric Campbell got on base, Wilmer Flores scorched his fifth double of the season to the wall, scoring both runners and cutting the Bees lead in half. The Bees plated one more run off of deGrom in the bottom of the 4th on two singles- the first of a case could be made that it should've been a second throwing error charged to Muno- and a sac fly.
In the 8th, the Bees removed the dominant Shoemaker- he pitched eight innings, giving up two earned runs on eight hits, with one walk and eleven strikeouts- and inserted in reliever Michael Brady. Kirk Nieuwenhuis immediately greeted him with a double, and after moving over in a groundout, was plated by an Allan Dykstra sac fly. After Andrew Brown walked, Brady was removed in favor of former Met farmhand Rob Carson. Carson did what Rob Carson does, and walked the next two batters, loading the bases. Muno came up with bases juiced, but unfortunately grounded out weakly to second to end the threat. In the 9th, Eric Campbell doubled and Wilmer Flores single to put runners on the corners with two outs. Allan Dykstra came through with a line drive to center that plated a run, making it a 5-4 ballgame. Andrew Brown walked, loading the bases for a second consecutive inning. Brandon Allen carefully navigated his at-bat, drawing a walk that forced in the tying run.
Zack Thornton was brought in to pitch the bottom of the 9th, and Mr. Groundball induced three quick groundballs to end the inning and force extra innings. Muno got the inning started with a line drive into center, and after Juan Centeno moved him over with a sacrifice, Eric Campbell came through with a ground rule double that landed just on the chalk, putting Las Vegas ahead 6-5. After Wilmer moved him over with a single, Dykstra blooped a fading quail between the left and centerfielders that neither man could get to, giving the 51s a very crucial insurance run. Vic Black was brought in to pitch the bottom of the 10th, and he came through striking out all three batters he faced, the two on breaking balls and one with the heat.
ROSTER UPDATE: Omar Quintanilla was designated for assignment. While the corresponding move to fill his vacant spot on the Mets' roster has not yet been announced, Wilmer Flores will reportedly be called up by the Mets.
- 3B Eric Campbell: 3-5, 3 R, 2 2B, BB, K, RBI, PO
- CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 2-6, R, 2 B, 4 K
- SS Wilmer Flores: 3-6, R, 2B, 2 RBI, ; Astromets Defense Report 1/2/3/4
- DH Allan Dykstra: 2-5, 3 K, 3 RBI
- RF Andrew Brown: 0-4, 2 BB, 2 K
- 1B Brandon Allen: 2-3, 2 BB, K, RBI
- LF Matt den Dekker: 1-3, 2 K
- PH Taylor Teagarden: 0-0, BB
- 2B Danny Muno: 1-5, R, E (4)
- C Juan Centeno: 2-4, R
- RHP Jake deGrom: 5 IP, 10 H, 5 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, HR
- RHP Buddy Carlyle: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
- RHP Jeff Walters: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K
- RHP Zack Thornton: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K
- RHP Vic Black: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K, SV (4)
Double-A - Binghamton Mets (15-14)_____________________________________
BINGHAMTON 6, NEW HAMPSHIRE 0 (Box)
Greg Peavey must be a morning person, because, on a cool, 60-degree afternoon in New Hampshire, he blanked the Fisher Cats for nine innings, tossing the first complete game shutout of his career. He needed only 100 pitches for the afternoon, allowing only two hits, an Andy Burns line drive single in the 4th and a Yusuf Carter line drive single in the 5th. The B-Mets offense gave Peavey a nice cushion in the 3rd, scoring three runs. Xorge Carrillo and Kyle Johnson reached on back-to-back hits and Brian Burgamy drove them in with his fifth home run of the year. Binghamton later expanded their lead with a Dustin Lawley RBI double in the 6th, and a Cory Vaughn two-run homer in the 7th, but with the way Peavy was pitching, those additional runs weren't needed. With the win, the B-Mets snapped a four-game losing streak and moved back above the .500 mark.
The shutout was Binghamton's first since Mark Cohoon blanked the Harrisburg Senators on August 10th, 2012. Coincidentally, B-Mets start a series against those same Harrisburg Senators tonight. Blake Schwartz, still looking to replicate the success he had in 2013, will take the mound for the Senators, while Kutztown alumnus Darin Gorski will pitch for Binghamton.
- CF Kyle Johnson: 1-2, R
- PH-CF Darrell Ceciliani: 0-2, BB, K
- 2B Brian Burgamy: 2-5, R, 2B, HR (5), K, 3 RBI
- SS Matt Reynolds: 0-3, BB, PO
- 1B Matt Clark: 0-4, K
- DH Jayce Boyd: 2-3, 2 R, HBP
- RF Cory Vaughn: 1-4, R, HR (1), K, 2 RBI
- 3B Dustin Lawley: 1-4, 2B, K, RBI
- LF Travis Taijeron: 0-4, K
- C Xorge Carrillo: 2-3, R, BB
- RHP Greg Peavey: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Advanced-A - St. Lucie Mets (18-14)________________________________________
PALM BEACH 6, ST. LUCIE 1 (Box)
Maikis De La Cruz singled in Phil Evans in the bottom of the 3rd, but a four-run 4th inning but St. Lucie in a hole they wouldn't be able to crawl out of. After retiring the inning's first two batters, Michael Fulmer allowed a single and a walk. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, and the lead runner was driven home by catcher Jesus Rafael Montero, the younger brother of Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Alejandro Montero. Phil Evans flubbed a throw, allowing third baseman Ildemaro Vargas to reach and a run to score on what should've been a routine groundball to end the inning. Centerfielder Charlie Tilson followed that up with a flyball into right that found some real estate and allowed two more runners to score. Fulmer was able to induce a groundball to end the inning, but the damage was done. Palm Beach didn't let up in the 5th, scoring two more runs on a David Washington two-run homerun. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the ledger, Thomas Lee strung together scoreless inning after scoreless inning, quietly putting together one of his best starts of his season. Reliever Corey Baker took over for Lee in the bottom of the 7th and continued where his teammate left off, finishing the game without allowing
- 2B Dilson Herrera: 0-4
- CF Brandon Nimmo: 1-4, K
- 1B T.J. Rivera: 1-4, K
- DH Jairo Perez: 0-4, K
- C Cam Maron: 2-4
- 3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 0-4, K
- RF Eudy Pina: 1-4
- SS Phil Evans: 1-4, R, E (8)
- LF Maikis De La Cruz: 2-3, RBI
- RHP Michael Fulmer: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR, WP
Low-A - Savannah Sand Gnats (21-9)__________________________________
SAVANNAH 9, WEST VIRGINIA 3 (Box)
Ricky Knapp was a little more hittable than you might like, but he got the job done, limiting West Virginia to three runs in a Sand Gnats victory over the Power to kick off their three game series. Part of his success in the early morning game was the fact that he was inducing groundball after groundball- he had 11 groundballs to 1 flyball out on the day, and four of the nine hits he gave up were groundballs that fielders just couldn't get to in time. He allowed a run in the 2nd and 3rd, putting Savannah in an early hole, but the offense got him off the hook in the 5th, when they scored two runs to tie the ballgame. Dom Smith got the inning started with a single, and two outs later, stole second to get himself in scoring position. Patrick Biondi hit a line drive to left to score Smith, and took second on the throw home to get himself in scoring position. Gavin Cecchini came to the plate next and tripled on a flyball to center, driving home Biondi. In the 6th, the Sand Gnats inflicted even more damage. With L.J. Mazzilli and Jared King both in scoring position, Stefan Sabol grounded out to plate one run. Dom Smith came to bat next, and he reached on a Reese McGuire throwing error- ending up all the way on third base- that a second run to score. Matt Oberste and Colton Plaia followed up with RBI hits of their own, and after Clario Perez was brought to replace beleaguer reliever Jerry Mulderig, Gavin Cecchini greeted him with a two-run homer, putting an exclamation point on the six run inning. Both teams scored a run in the 7th, and were silent for the rest of the game. The Sand Gnats will look to take a second game against West Viginia today, sending southpaw Dario Alvarez to the mound for his first start in nearly a calendar month. Opposing him will be Lithuanian right-hander Dovydas Neverauskas
- SS Gavin Cecchini: 2-5, R, 3B, HR (3), 3 RBI
- 3B Jeff McNeil: 1-3, CS (2), HBP
- 2B L.J. Mazzilli: 1-5, R, 2 K
- RF Jared King: 0-3, R, BB, HBP
- LF Stefan Sabol: 1-5, R, 2 K, RBI
- 1B Dom Smith: 3-5, 2 R, K, SB (2)
- DH Matt Oberste: 2-4, R, 2B, K, 2 RBI
- C Colton Plaia: 2-4, R, K, RBI
- CF Patrick Biondi: 1-3, R, K, RBI
- RHP Ricky Knapp: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HR, E (1)
- RHP Tyler Vanderheiden: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Star of the Night
There were a few impressive performances at the plate- 2012 and 2013 Mets first round draft picks Gavin Cecchini and Dom Smith in particular- but everyone pales in comparison to the job Greg Peavy did last night.
Goat of the Night
I think Danny Muno deserves the horns. He was involved in two questionable plays that allowed Salt Lake City to score- one ruled an error, a second borderline play called a hit- and came up short in the 8th with bases loaded and the tying and go-ahead runs on base. He later redeemed himself in extras, but ideally, the game wouldn't have gone to extras to begin with.