Minors Stuff

The Herd:

Buffalo finally has an inning:
•Defensive Substitution: Sean Danielson replaces first baseman Kevin Youkilis, batting 1st, playing right field.
•Defensive switch from right field to first base for Chris Carter.
•Robinson Cancel singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Angel Chavez.
•Mike Lamb singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Chip Ambres. Robinson Cancel to 2nd.
•Coaching visit to mound.
•Jesus Feliciano doubles (6) on a ground ball to right fielder Sean Danielson. Robinson Cancel scores. Mike Lamb to 3rd.
•Pitcher Change: Chris George replaces Enrique Gonzalez.
•Jonathan Malo grounds out, pitcher Chris George to first baseman Chris Carter.
•Chris George intentionally walks Argenis Reyes.
•Cory Sullivan reaches on force attempt, fielding error by second baseman Travis Denker. Mike Lamb scores. Jesus Feliciano scores. Argenis Reyes to 3rd. Cory Sullivan to 2nd.
•With Fernando Martinez batting, passed ball by John Otness, Argenis Reyes scores. Cory Sullivan to 3rd.
•Fernando Martinez walks.
•Pitcher Change: Rocky Cherry replaces Chris George.
•Wily Mo Pena reaches on force attempt, fielding error by third baseman Angel Chavez. Cory Sullivan scores. Fernando Martinez to 3rd.
•Javier Valentin singles on a ground ball to right fielder Sean Danielson. Fernando Martinez scores. Wily Mo Pena to 2nd.
•Robinson Cancel grounds into a force out, third baseman Angel Chavez to second baseman Travis Denker. Wily Mo Pena to 3rd. Javier Valentin out at 2nd. Robinson Cancel to 1st.
•Mike Lamb flies out to right fielder Sean Danielson.


The Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, today announced that RHP Fernando Nieve has been promoted to the Bisons from Binghamton (AA). He made the start tonight in Pawtucket against the Red Sox.

Nieve, 26, was 0-1 with a 4.91ERA in five games and four star
ts with the Binghamton Mets (18.1IP, 16H, 10R, 10ER, 6BB, 19K). He is coming off his best start as he allowed just one run on two hits and struck out six in six innings of work against New Hampshire on May 12.

Nieve was claimed off waivers (Houston) by the Mets on March 15, 2009. He spent most of last season with Round Rock (AAA) and was 2-5 with a 5.72ERA in 36 games and seven starts. He also made 11 relief appearances for the Astros, going 0-1 with an 8.44ERA (10.2IP, 17H, 10R, 10ER, 2BB, 12K).

To make roster room, INF/OF Jason Cooper has been transferred to Brooklyn (A).



The Buffalo Bisons have finally hit double figures in the win column.

Right-hander Fernando Nieve, who was promoted from Double-A Binghamton only Monday, pitched six innings and Tim McNab earned his first save with three innings of work in a 9-2 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox before 7,773 at McCoy Stadium.

The victory boosted the Herd to 10-26 on the season.

Nieve, 26, allowed three hits and struck out seven in his first appearance for the Herd. He walked six, but the Paw- Sox left seven on base.

“We needed him to go out and do what he did,” manager Ken Oberkfell said of Nieve, who pitched in place of Jonathon Niese (flu). “He gave us six quality innings and did a job for us. He’s a veteran pitcher. He kept us in the game and, fortunately, we took advantage of some of their miscues in the field, which was something we haven’t done in a long time.”

The Bisons, who hit a season-high for runs scored, won it with a six-run explosion in the seventh inning against Pawtucket starter Enrique Gonzales and two relievers.
The Bisons sent 11 batters to the plate in their big inning, which was helped by a passed ball and two errors. The Herd had four hits in the inning, including a double by Jesus Feliciano to drive in the first run of the frame.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bisons/story/676021.html


B-Mets:

THE SEASON SO FAR: The Mets are 17-18 and in fourth place in the Northern Division, 2.5 games behind New Hampshire.

WHO'S HOT: OF Emmanuel Garcia was tied for third with stolen bases on the week, giving him 11 on the season, which also ranks third in the league.

WHO'S NOT: LHP Roy Merritt dished up three home runs on the week after allowing just one homer in his first 15 appearances. He is now 0-3 with a 4.34 ERA and has issued 10 walks and struck out 15 batters.

DID YOU KNOW?: For the first time this season, the B-Mets posted a come-from-behind win after trailing through eight innings. Binghamton rallied to win, 8-7, in walk-off fashion Thursday with the aid of an error, a game-tying two-run homer by OF Josh Petersen and SS Ruben Tejada's hard ground ball to second that caromed off a defender's glove and into shallow center to allow the winning run to score.

FOR WHOM THE BELL THOLES: C Josh Thole accomplished a feat that had not been seen in a Binghamton uniform since June 17, 2004 when he pounded out five hits in five at-bats Thursday. Josh Pressley did it against Akron back in 2004, going 5-for-5 with three RBIs. The banner night raised Thole's average to .349, which ranks third-best in the Eastern League.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090518&content_id=587363&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp



MONDAY'S SCORE: Lexington Legends 2, Savannah Sand Gants 1

FOR THE RECORD: Savannah 21-16, Lexington 18-19.

SEEING STARS: Joshua Satin was the only Gnat with two hits. Rafael Fernandez drove in Savannah's only run with a single in the top of the eighth. For Lexington, Brian Pellegrini his a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.

DECISION MAKING: Best news for the Gnats, Elvin Ramirez carried a one-hitter through six innings, striking out four. Reliever Chris Schwinden took the loss, giving up two hits, one a home run to Pellegrini. Lexington starter Jordan Lyles struck out eight and walked two through seven innings but Henry Villar got the win in relief when Savannah scored in top of the eighth.

ON DECK: Savannah is off today and the Gnats open a homestand at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Bowling Green.

http://www.savannahnow.com/node/724532


Queens:

Carlos Delgado (60 DXL)
"Going to Vail" doesn't have the same ring of dread that "Going to Birmingham" does. While I have nothing but love for Birmingham and its metro area, it's also not exactly the vacation spot that Vail is. For baseball fans, the skiing mecca might begin to enjoy that same reputation for creeping doom, however. Delgado has an appointment and a flight to see Dr. Marc Phillipon, which means there's a likelihood that the Mets slugger is dealing with an acetabular labrum tear. Delgado will first see team physician David Altchek, so the flight out could be canceled if there's any news either way. What remains very, very unclear is how long Delgado will be out of the lineup. As far as magnitude, this go anywhere from a couple of days to ending his season, and anything in between. Surgery would cost him around two months, assuming he can have the same type of surgery that Alex Rodriguez and Alex Gordon had. There is even a lesser surgical option available if the problem is merely a bone spur in the hip causing the problem, which was the speculation last season. The Mets will try to get by with current backups at first base, but if Delgado is out for an extended period, you can bet that Omar Minaya will become active. Ken Davidoff has a great take on the effects.

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8900

Given the current state of their farm system, uncertainty surrounding the flexibility of their payroll and a growing sense of dread concerning the prognosis of Carlos Delgado (the team announced that the veteran first baseman will have arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday), the New York Mets must demote Daniel Murphy.
As soon as humanly possible.

After watching him play the outfield, reading the various scouting reports on his infield defense from the minor leagues and the reality of his at-the-moment talents, Murphy needs to be playing first base every day.

He can do that most effectively at Triple-A, because it would seem if he did so at the major league level, his margin for error would be very small. Going to Buffalo to learn the position would remove him from the somewhat questionable lineup juggling of New York manager Jerry Manuel, whose decision to pinch-hit the very rusty Angel Pagan for Murphy in a bases-loaded situation on Sunday was puzzling to say the least.

http://baseballdigest.com/featured/2009/demoting-daniel-murphy


Fantasy:

talked to Nationals acting GM Mike Rizzo, who said that he doesn't see any pitchers in the 2009 draft class jumping straight to the Majors. Knowing that Rizzo plans to draft Stephen Strasburg, the implication is that the righty won't join Washington's rotation right after signing. If you've been holding your fantasy league's #1 waiver pick for him, it's time to think about Plan B. Passan and Chico Harlan of the Washington Post both suggest the most we'd see from Strasburg would be a September cameo as part of a contractual obligation.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com