Minors Stuff

The Herd:

The Buffalo Bisons couldn’t hold an early lead Saturday night, dropping the series opener with Pawtucket, 3-2, at Mc- Coy Stadium.
Bisons starter Kyle Snyder went 5x innings and was charged with all three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Bisons manager Ken Oberkfell was hoping to get six innings out of Snyder because the bullpen was thin after Friday’s doubleheader against Gwinnett.
“He’s been stretched out,” Oberkfell said. “We were hoping to get him through six innings — we were trying to get him right around that 70-pitch count. I’m sure he was getting tired. That’s the longest he’s went.”
The Herd scored first, plating two runs in the third with back-to-back-to-back hits, giving Buffalo a 2-0 lead.
The Red Sox answered, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Jonathon Van Every and Chip Ambres both singled. Chris Carter then doubled into the right corner to bring home two runs and knock Snyder from the game.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons/story/673933.html

B-Mets:

Tuesday, May 19 at Connecticut 6:35 pm RHP Fernando Nieve (0-1, 4.91) vs. TBA
Wednesday, May 20 at Connecticut 6:35 pm RHP Dylan Owen (0-3, 6.82)vs. TBA
Thursday, May 21 at Connecticut 10:35 am RHP Jose Sanchez (1-4, 6.00) vs. TBA
Friday, May 22 New Britain 7:05 pm RHP Ryan Coultas (2-1, 2.67) vs. TBA



One thing Josh Thole has learned this season is the importance of routine. Virtually every day, he and Binghamton Mets hitting coach Bill Masse run through the same drills in the batting cage in the same order. It's one of the main reasons Thole has developed into one of the B-Mets' best hitters in the first six weeks of the season. "Hitting, as I see it, is all about timing and having the same swing every time up there," Thole said. "Making sure my hands follow the same (swing) plane every time. It doesn't always happen, but the routine helps."

Thole, 22, is off to a strong start to his first Double-A season. A catcher, Thole went into play on Saturday third in the Eastern League in batting with a team-best .357 average. On Thursday night, he became the first B-Mets player in five years to have a five-hit game, 5-for-5 with two RBI in a victory over Trenton.
He reached base in eight consecutive at-bats to start this homestand, which was put on hold as Saturday's doubleheader was rained out necessitating a twin bill starting at 12:05 this afternoon.

In the first two games of this series with Trenton, he went 7-for-8 with a walk, three doubles and three runs scored.

"He's been outstanding, behind the plate and everything," B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras said. "He's starting to do well driving in men in scoring position. (On Thursday night), he was loud- he had hard contact at the plate."

Thole was the Mets' 13th-round draft pick out of Mater Dei High School in Breese, Ill., in 2005. He played mostly first base until last season, when he was moved to catcher at Single-A St. Lucie.

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090517/SPORTS02/905170362/1118/Sports/B-Mets++routine+has+Thole+hitting+.357



Lucy:


The St. Lucie Mets and Fort Myers Miracle ran a marathon under the lights Saturday with the Miracle finally coming out on top 11-9 in 13 innings at Tradition Field.
The Mets led 8-6 going into the ninth inning, but the Miracle tied it up to force extra innings. The Miracle went up 9-8 in the top of the 10th, but the Mets further extended it with a run in the bottom of the 10th.

After scoreless 11th and 12nd innings, Fort Myers put runners on first and second and Juan Richardson got an infield single, scoring Evan Bigley. St. Lucie shortstop Reese Havens committed a throwing error on the play, and Ben Revere also scored.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/may/17/no-headline---200905170049-17tslucie/


Gnats:


SATURDAY'S SCORE: Savannah Sand Gnats 3, Lexington Legends 2

FOR THE RECORD: Savannah 20-15, Lexington 18-18

SEEING STARS: Savannah scored the final three runs, winning the game on an unearned run with two outs in the ninth. Kai Gronauer hit a one-out double and later was awarded home after Lexington shortstop Jorge De Leon threw Jefry Marte's groundball into the stands behind first base. Pitcher Henry Villar (0-1), who struck out the side in the ninth, took the hard-luck loss for the Legends ... Gnats left fielder Raul Reyes delivered a clutch two-out single to drive in two runs in the sixth.

DECISION MAKING: Josh Stinson (1-1) picked up the win in relief of starter Robert Carson, who allowed three hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts, but also threw three wild pitches. They yielded just five hits as Savannah won its third straight game. Lexington hurlers combined for 12 strikeouts with nine hits.

ON DECK: Savannah and Lexington will play the third game of their four-game series at 2 p.m. today. Right-hander Eric Beaulac (2-1, 2.81 ERA) will take the hill for the Sand Gnats while RHP Kyle Greenwalt (2-3, 2.38) throws for Lexington. The Gnats will be on the road until Wednesday when they host Bowling Green at Grayson Stadium.

http://www.savannahnow.com/node/723910


Queens:

Tossing the Bad Apple: The Mets reel off seven straight wins to take over first place in the NL East, yielding just 20 runs in that span. The streak is part of a larger stretch of nine straight quality starts for the previously beleaguered rotation, which coincides exactly with Oliver Perez's exile. The offense takes a hit as Carlos Delgado is sidelined by hip woes just as he's heating up (.423/.516/.654 in May), but replacement Fernando Tatis (.328/.385/.517) has been no slouch.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8878