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Mets Daily Prospect Report, 8/12/18: Dunn and Peterson post quality starts, 51s game called off due to dust storm

Catch up on all the Mets prospects in yesterday’s minor league action here!

By Matthew Mackenzie
Chris McShane

*All results from games played on Saturday, August 11th, 2018

Triple-A: Las Vegas 51s (58-59)

SUSPENDED (INCLEMENT WEATHER)

The 51s and the Reno Aces only made it halfway through Saturday’s game before a dust storm swirled up at Cashman Field, and when that was followed by rain, play was suspended in the fifth inning. Scott Copeland was serviceable in his third start with Las Vegas, recording eight ground ball outs and allowing just two runs in five innings. The two teams will resume play tomorrow as part of a doubleheader, beginning at 5:30 PM.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (55-63)

READING 4, BINGHAMTON 3 (BOX)

Justin Dunn continued to impress on the mound, but the Rumble Ponies bullpen let a late lead slip away as they dropped a close 4-3 contest against Reading. Dunn allowed just two runs, both of them coming in a two-out fifth inning rally, and struck out eight Fightin’ Phils, lowering his ERA to an impressive 3.29 mark. The Boston College product has struck out almost 1.2 batters per inning in his eleven Eastern League starts, and may be a candidate for a September call-up at the end of the 2018 season.

The game got off to a promising start for Binghamton. Kevin Taylor, leading off the first inning, reached on a throwing error, and came all the way around to score on a triple from Joey Terdoslavich. Then, after a walk from Will Toffey, Tomas Nido brought in another run with a sacrifice fly, and despite Dunn’s fifth-inning hiccup, the game would remain tied at 2 going into the eighth inning.

After walks from Andrew Ely and JJ Franco and a single from John Mora, the Rumble Ponies loaded up the bases to open the eighth, and Kevin Taylor came through, lofting a fly ball to right field that was just deep enough to bring in the run. In the bottom of the inning, though, Reading would answer against Matt Blackham. After a single from Damek Tomscha, Deivi Grullon came to the plate with two outs, and launched a ball to left-center for a two-run bomb, giving his team the lead. The Rumble Ponies would sent the heart of their order to the plate in the ninth inning, but Terdoslavich, Toffey, and Nido would go down in order against Reading closer Jeff Singer.

Kevin McGowan will make his fourth start of the season on Sunday afternoon as Binghamton looks to salvage the series finale.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed SS Levi Michael on the 7-Day disabled list, and activated C Tyler Moore from the 7-Day disabled list.

Advanced-A: St. Lucie Mets (27-40/20-27)

ST. LUCIE 11, CLEARWATER 0 (BOX)

David Peterson posted one of his best starts of the season, and the St. Lucie offense went to town in the middle innings as they thrashed the Threshers 11-0 in Clearwater. Peterson, who had been hit hard in the Florida State League thus far, conceded just two hits, both of them singles, and fanned nine batters in six excellent innings. The Oregon product was featured in PitcherList’s weekly prospect review by Adam Garland, who noted that Peterson has been relatively unlucky (pitching to a .389 BABIP) during his time with St. Lucie, and that his high ground ball rates are a reason for optimism in 2019 and beyond.

In the fifth, with the Mets already leading 2-0, they would put the game out of reach with a four-run rally. All nine St. Lucie hitters came to bat in the inning, and after two walks, three singles, a double, and a sacrifice fly, it was 6-0. Then in the sixth, with two runs already in, Quinn Brodey would put the finishing touches on the all-around rout with a three-run blast. Brodey drove in six runs in the win, scored one of his own, and stole a base.

Stephen Villines fanned two batters in a scoreless inning of relief to finish the game. The Kansas product now has 19 2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings under his belt, and he has allowed only one run since his promotion to Advanced A-Ball.

Low-A: Columbia Fireflies (34-33/18-29)

DELMARVA 7, COLUMBIA 1 (BOX)

Luc Rennie kept his team in the game for six solid innings, but Carlos Hernandez had a bad day in relief, and the Fireflies collected just four hits in a loss to the Delmarva Shorebirds. Rennie has cooled off considerably since his fourteen strikeout performance against Augusta, and the former Independent League pitcher dealt with fairly heavy traffic on the basepaths in this game, but he was able to limit the damage to three runs, and strike out six Shorebirds in the process. His ERA is still an impressive 2.33 mark.

In the eighth, with Columbia already trailing 3-1, and having scored two runs or fewer in ten of their last eighteen games, things were already looking bleak for the Colaflies. Then, Carlos Hernandez came in and poured gasoline on the fire. The right-hander gave up three hits and three walks, with Joshua Payne ultimately coming in and bailing him out after a bases-clearing double made it 6-1 Delmarva.

The Fireflies are just 5-13 in their last eighteen games; they have struggled mightily on offense after some of their top hitters, like Tiberi, Brodey, and Gladu, were promoted to St. Lucie.

Short Season: Brooklyn Cyclones (29-25)

POSTPONED (RAIN)

Rookie-Advanced: Kingsport Mets (26-24)

KINGSPORT 14, DANVILLE 6 (BOX)

After the K-Mets found themselves in an early 5-0 hole, they rallied in spectacular fashion, taking the lead in the sixth inning and piling on late, pulling away for a 14-6 win.

Matt Cleveland got the start for Kingsport, and he simply could not find any command of the strike zone. After Luis Mejia flied out to lead off the first inning and the next two batters singled to left, the Windsor, Connecticut product fell apart. Cleveland threw eighteen of his next twenty-four pitches out of the strike zone, issuing four walks sandwiched around a strikeout of Ray Soderman, and forcing in three runs. K-Mets Manager Sean Ratliff was ejected, and Cleveland was relieved by Marbin Montijo, who promptly hit the next batter. When Greg Cullen went deep to lead off the next inning, it was 5-0 Danville and things were not looking promising.

Soon, however, the league-leading Kingsport offense would get going, with a methodical attack that plated fourteen runs en route to another impressive night at the plate. Mark Vientos got things going in the third, bringing in Jarred Kelenic and Shervyen Newton with a double, and when Kenny Hernandez brought Vientos around with a single, it was 5-3. Newton would bring the K-Mets within a run two innings later, scoring Kelenic with a single of his own.

Then, in the sixth, the game would finally turn in favor of Kingsport. The Mets loaded up the bases with one out, setting the stage for Yoel Romero, who came through with a sharp ground ball through the right side of the infield. Phil Capra and Guillermo Granadillo came in to score, and Ranfy Adon followed when the throw got away. Just like that, it was 7-5 K-Mets.

In the next inning, Trey Riley had a meltdown of his own for Danville. The junior college product from Illinois walked four consecutive batters to open the inning before his manager mercifully pulled the plug. Unfortunately for the Braves, though, his fellow relieves did not provide much relief. Mason McReaken walked two more batters, the Mets batted around in the inning, and five runs would score in the frame. The big inning made it 12-6 in favor of Kingsport, and they would cruise the rest of the way.

The K-Mets now have 331 runs on the season, over thirty more than any other team in the Appalachian League. With the win, they remain in the second West Division playoff spot, 2 1⁄2 games behind Elizabethton, and 2 1⁄2 games ahead of Bristol.

Rookie: GCL Mets (20-25)

GCL CARDINALS 6, GCL METS 1 (BOX)

Jacob Zanon was the only Mets hitter to collect more than one hit as continued his rehab assignment, and the GCL Mets sputtered to a 6-1 loss in St. Lucie on Saturday. Jender De Jesus accounted for most of the damage as his struggles continued: the Dominican right-hander allowed seven baserunners in under two innings, and five of those would come around to score.

Edinson Valdez accounted for the only Mets run with a solo home run in the second inning. The Mets have not won a game since last Friday.

Star of the Night

OF Quinn Brodey

Goat of the Night

RHP Matt Blackham

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