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Mets Daily Prospect Report, 8/26/18: McGowan blanks River Cats, Brooklyn hanging onto wild card spot

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

By Matthew Mackenzie
MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at New York Mets
Kevin McGowan
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

*All results from games played on Saturday, August 25th, 2018.

Triple-A: Las Vegas 51s (64-67)

LAS VEGAS 6, SACRAMENTO 0 (BOX)

Jose Lobaton hit a three-run home run in the first inning and the 51s never looked back from there, as Kevin McGowan blanked the last-place Sacramento River Cats for seven terrific innings. McGowan, who has shown flashes of effectiveness since he was moved into a starting role, conceded just three hits and fanned five batters; the Franklin Pierce product now has a 3.86 ERA with Vegas on the season.

Ty Kelly added on to the lead with a pair of RBI singles in the second and eighth innings, and Lobaton put the finishing touches on the win with a run-scoring single of his own. Lobaton and Kelly would drive in all six Vegas runs in the game. 51s Manager Tony DeFrancesco was ejected in the second inning.

Matt Gage will make his Vegas debut in Sunday afternoon’s game as the 51s go for their second win in a row.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (61-70)

NEW HAMPSHIRE 9, BINGHAMTON 7 (BOX)

Back in Binghamton after a rocky stint with the 51s, Nabil Crismatt would find the going equally rough on Saturday afternoon, and the Rumble Ponies were unable to make a five-run third inning stand up against the Fisher Cats’ potent offense. Crismatt allowed thirteen hits in five tumultuous innings, and one might wonder if the Colombian right-hander is running out of steam at the end of a long season.

After New Hampshire struck first with a two-out rally in the game’s opening inning, the Rumble Ponies would answer back with a big third inning, chasing Hector Perez from the game. Andrew Ely led off the inning with a walk, moved up to second on a base hit from Tyler Moore, and scored on a double from JJ Franco. Two batters later, John Mora came through with a double of his own, scoring Moore and Franco. After an RBI single from Joey Terdoslavich and a bases-loaded walk to Ely, it was 5-2. That excitement would be short-lived, however. Crismatt gave up a solo blast to Connor Panas in the fourth, and fell apart in the fifth, allowing the first five batters of the inning to reach base, and the Fisher Cats to regain the lead.

Binghamton would jump back in front two innings later when a throwing error allowed two runs to score, but yet again, New Hampshire would have an answer. Jon Berti drew a one-out walk, and Forrest Wall followed with a single, setting the stage for Max Pentecost. The slugger came through with a three-run bomb, sending the Fisher Cats on their way to an exciting 9-7 win.

Ryder Ryan was impressive in relief, striking out six batters in two innings. After some early struggles in the Eastern League, the UNC product looks to be settling into a rhythm.

Advanced-A: St. Lucie Mets (27-40/25-35)

ST. LUCIE 5, FORT MYERS 2 (BOX)

Michael Gibbons posted his fifth good start in a row, striking out five in six innings of one-run ball, and St. Lucie cruised to a comfortable win over Fort Myers on Saturday. The former Wheaton College star has not lost a beat in his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, putting up a 3.21 ERA in ninety-eight minor league innings, and he should be expected, barring further setbacks, to start 2019 in Binghamton.

Brandon Nimmo played his first rehab game on Saturday, picking up a hit, a walk, a stolen base, and scoring a run. In addition, David Wright finally seems to be adjusting to live baseball: the Mets captain scored two runs and collected two hits in the win. Jeremy Vasquez put the finishing touches on the game with a solo home run in the seventh, and Adam Atkins finished out the game for his fifth save.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent OF Brandon Nimmo to St. Lucie Mets on a rehab assignment.

Low-A: Columbia Fireflies (34-33/26-31)

COLUMBIA 5, ASHEVILLE 4 (BOX)

Jay Jabs’ second home run of the season would ultimately be the difference in the game, as the Fireflies staved off a late Asheville rally to win a one-run thriller. Todd Czinege got the scoring started for the Tourists, going deep with one out in the second, but Columbia would answer with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no one out, and Dionis Paulino came through with an RBI single, tying the game at 1. Two run-scoring outs from Jabs and Giovanny Alfonzo would follow, and it was 3-1. Hansel Moreno would make it 4-1 Colaflies with an RBI single of his own in the fifth.

Asheville would close the game in the seventh, however: two runs scored on a double, two singles, and a sacrifice fly, bringing the Tourists to within a run. Jabs answered with his solo shot in the next frame, though, and that was just enough insurance for Columbia: Asheville drew within a run yet again in the ninth, ultimately stranding the tying run on first.

Yeizo Campos, who has been relatively inconsistent in a swingman role for Columbia, had all his pitches working on Saturday, as he struck out seven Tourists over seven solid innings of work, picking up a win in the process.

Short Season: Brooklyn Cyclones (36-30)

BROOKLYN 10, CONNECTICUT 3 (BOX)

The Cyclones jumped out to a 7-0 lead and cruised to a 10-3 win on Saturday, picking up a key win that allowed them to maintain sole possession of the NYPL Wild Card spot, even as Auburn took down State College. Chase Chambers and Anthony Dirocie each picked up two hits and drove in a pair of runs, and the Cyclones collected sixteen hits as a team, allowing them to pile up ten runs without a single ball leaving MCU Park.

Billy Oxford pitched two scoreless innings in relief, lowering his ERA on the season to 1.37. The Azusa Pacific product will be an interesting arm to watch in the Columbia bullpen next season.

Rookie-Advanced: Kingsport Mets (32-32)

BURLINGTON 11, KINGSPORT 2 (BOX)

Kingsport starter Nate Peden saw his struggles continue on Saturday, and Nelson Leon provided little in the way of relief, and the K-Mets were routed by last-place Burlington, 11-2. However, with Bristol dropping their fifth game in a row, the Mets remained three games ahead of the Pirates and dropped their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to two.

After posting two solid starts in a row against Bluefield and Greeneville, Peden, who had struggled to begin the season, coughed up seven runs on nine hits in this game, and his ERA is now an unsightly 6.48 mark. Leon, in addition, has allowed six runs in his last four innings of relief work. At one point in this game, eight of nine Burlington hitters reached base in a row. Meanwhile, after allowing the light-hitting Royals offense to pile up thirteen hits and eleven runs, the Kingsport staff ERA is now 4.91. This less-than-desirable mark has surely stood in the way of their playoff push, despite the K-Mets offense piling up forty more runs than any other team in the Appalachian League to date.

Yoel Romero and Ronny Mauricio each collected two hits in the loss, but the Mets offense was largely quiet on a rare off night for their league-leading offense.

ROSTER ALERT: Kingsport Mets placed LHP Joel Huertas on the 60-Day disabled list retroactive to August 23rd, 2018.

ROSTER ALERT: 2B Wilmer Reyes assigned to Kingsport Mets from GCL Mets.

Rookie: GCL Mets (24-31)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

Stars of the Night

C Jose Lobaton and RHP Kevin McGowan

Goat of the Night

LHP David Roseboom

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