Minors Stuff

The Herd:

New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez joined the Buffalo Bisons Sunday and will make an injury rehabilitation start this week in Coca- Cola Field.

Perez, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract in the offseason that’s been widely ridiculed by New York fans and media, was throwing at New York’s extended spring complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. while battling tendinitis in his knee.
Perez went 1-2 with a 9.97 ERA in five starts for the Mets in April and was quickly dropped from the rotation. Because he had five years of big-league service time and could refuse a minor-league assignment, the Mets first intended to put him in the bullpen before he told them of the situation with his knee.

Perez threw a bullpen session Sunday morning prior to the Bisons’ game against Columbus. That means he’ll start either Tuesday or Wednesday night against Lehigh Valley.

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B-Mets:


The Binghamton Mets dropped a season-high fifth straight game and the third straight to the New Britain Rock Cats. Josh Thole stayed hot going 2-4 and scoring the B-Mets only run as the Rock Cats won their eighth straight game.

New Britain (22-20) brought 10 men to the plate in the fifth inning and scored six runs on five hits and an error off B-Mets starter Dylan Owen. The six runs tied a season-high for runs allowed in an inning by Binghamton.

Owen went six innings and struck out four in the loss. Stephen Clyne gave up three runs in the seventh after walking three men. Matt Moses, who went 3-5 in the game, hit a two-run double in the inning.

Clyne gave up four earned runs to tie a season-high for B-Mets’ relievers. Adam Bostick came on and got Clyne out of a jam by grounding Whit Robbins into a double play and striking out Erik Lis.

Rock Cats’ starter Jeff Manship silenced the Binghamton (18-23) bats one night after they collected 17 hits. He went a season-high eight innings giving up one run on four hits for his fourth win.

The B-Mets broke up Manship’s shutout in the seventh on Shawn Bowman’s RBI groundout to third that scored Thole.



Monday, May 25 New Britain 1:05 pm RHP Jose Sanchez (1-5, 6.59) vs. RHP Jay Rainville (1-2, 5.60)

Tuesday, May 26 Connecticut 6:35 pm LHP Mike Antonini (4-1, 4.88) vs. RHP Henry Sosa (3-0, 1.85)

Wednesday, May 27 Connecticut 6:35 pm RHP Tobi Stoner (1-1, 1.89) vs. TBA

Thursday, May 28 Connecticut 10:35 am RHP Ryan Coultas (3-2, 3.00) vs. TBA


Lucas Duda:

CURRENT HITTING STREAK: 1 (3-8) VS. LHP: .158 (6-38) POSITIONS: 1B (30), LF (2), DH (4)
LONGEST HITTING STREAK: 10 (5/1-10) VS. RHP: .351 (33-94) IN THE ORDER: 3(3), 4(8), 5(23), 6(3), 7(1)
THIS SERIES: 3-8, RBI, R, BB, 2 SO LAST SERIES: 3-11, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB ROADTRIP: 3-11, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB, 4 SO
PINCH-HITTING: 0-0, BB, RBI LAST HR: 4/19 vs. POR RESIDES: Riverside, CA
ACQUIRED: Mets’ 7th round selection, 2007 draft (Southern California) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 3rd season
∗ 2009 NOTES: 20th best prospect in Mets system, Baseball America...Has reached base in 17 of 18 games at home in 2009...Hit in
ten straight games 5/1-10 (.359, 14-39)...Hit walk-off RBI single in 5/17 win over Trenton in Game 2.
∗ CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Led Florida State League in walks (66)...Hit .263 with 11 HR and 66 RBI with St. Lucie (High-
A)...considered the 29th best prospect in the Mets organization, Baseball America...2007: Spent entire season with Brooklyn (SS-A),
hit .299 and was third in the New York-Penn League with 20 doubles.
∗ PERSONAL/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Duda played first base and the outfield in the PAC-10 with USC...was an accomplished prep
pitcher but succumbed to Tommy John surgery relegating him to the field.



Gnats:


LEXINGTON 5, SAVANNAH 2

SUNDAY'S SCORE: Lexington Legends 5, Savannah Sand Gnats 2

FOR THE RECORD: Legends 21-22, Sand Gnats 23-19.

SEEING STARS: For a team entering Sunday ranked last in the South Atlantic League in batting average (.226) and on-base percentage (.291), the Legends certainly looked otherwise. In the first inning, they sent eight batters to the plate, with the first four scoring on a double, infield single, fielding error and Brian Pellegrini's third homer in his eight games with the team this season. "We've got to be aggressive. That's our thing," said Pellegrini, who homered 21 times for the team in 2008. "You get plays like (Michael) Diaz's little single, it sparks you. You just put the ball in play ... then I was able to drive a (changeup) pitch." ... Right fielder Juan Lagares drove in both Savannah runs and recorded his team-high sixth outfield assist to save a run in the eighth. Lagares' perfect strike to catcher Kai Gronauer beat Pellegrini, who steamrolled Gronauer to no effect. Pellegrini, 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, was an honorable mention all-Ohio linebacker in high school.

DECISION MAKING: Pellegrini said tacking on four quick runs helped starter Jordan Lyles (2-4), who yielded only one run in six innings. With the way Lexington pitchers are performing (2.93 ERA, tops in the SAL), a four-run first is a real confidence booster. The Legends used five pitchers despite never trailing ... Savannah starter Eric Beaulac followed a rocky first inning (four runs on three hits) with five shutout innings, including the retirement of 12 Legends in a row at one stretch.

QUOTABLE: "I believe I'm the oldest guy on the team at 24. I think everybody looks to me to be a leader." - Lexington first baseman/outfielder/designated hitter Brian Pellegrini.

GNATS GNOTES: Savannah missed an opportunity to catch the Rome Braves (24-19) for first place in the Southern Division ... Right-handed pitcher Jake Goldberg transferred from the Mets' affiliate in Brooklyn to Savannah on Saturday ... The Sand Gnats picked off their 13th, 14th and 15th baserunners of the season, in the first two cases Lexington's Jay Austin (in the second inning by pitcher Beaulac; and the sixth by pitcher Kyle Allen). Catcher Gronauer picked off Ronald Ramirez in the ninth. Thirteen of the pickoffs have been by pitchers ... Second baseman/designated hitter Josh Satin earned his eighth walk in the five games of the current homestand.
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