8/4/09

Minors Stuff




The Herd:

For the second time in three games the Toledo Mud Hens handed the Buffalo Bisons a walk-off loss.
The Men Hens, an 11-10 winner on Saturday in their last at-bat, won Monday night's contest, 3-2, as Mike Hessman singled to left to score Scott Sizemore in the bottom of the ninth inning.


Hessman's only hit of the game hooked into the left field corner and moved his average to .203. The game was played before 5,808 at Fifth Third Field.


Buffalo broke open a scoreless game scoring two runs in the fifth inning on back-to-back solo home runs by Rene Rivera and Andy Green. Toledo tied it with single runs in the fifth and seventh.
The Herd managed just five hits, was 0 for 4 with men in scoring position and the pitching staff combined for nine walks. Tim McNab (5-3) took the loss after giving up the hit to Hessman.



Couple of odds and ends you may have missed from this weekend:- Mike Antonini is back in the B-Mets' rotation. He's scheduled to start on Wednesday in Harrisburg. The left-hander, who was the B-Mets' opening-day starter, spent the past five weeks in the bullpen to give his arm and his body a rest. It was actually a nice move by the Mets organization (one implemented by Tony Bernazard - so, all things considered, give credit where credit's due). Antonini said he feels like he's got a bit of a second wind heading into the final month of the season.- Mike Nickeas is likely done for the season. The veteran catcher underwent surgery on his injured right elbow.- Jenrry Mejia threw a bullpen session on Thursday in Altoona. There's no timetable set for his return, but he's slowly getting better.


Gnats:


South Atlantic League

Sean Ratliff, Savannah

.364 (8-22), 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB, 1.091 SLG


Mets prospect Sean Ratliff hit three home runs over two games from July 27-28. Ratliff recorded his first multi-homer game of the season July 28, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and season-high six RBIs. He ranks third in the league in extra-base hits with 45.



Starter Mark Cohoon (6-2, 2.64) was effective enough, yielding four runs on just three hits in his six-plus innings. He gave up a run in the first after an error by returning Cyclone Jake Eigsti. He settled down until the sixth, when he gave up another run on a solo shot. But he didn’t even get an out in the seventh, yielding two walks in a row. Reliever Erik Turgeon then gave up two singles and both inherited runs scored. The leaky pen gave up two more in the ninth. The Cyclones managed just five hits on the night, but had an amazing number of chances.



Just when it looked like Kingsport’s unbeaten streak in Greeneville was coming to an end, the Mets got the help they needed in the final frame Sunday and won on the Astros’ home turf for the sixth straight time.
The 6-4 victory also completed the Appalachian League series sweep.
Greeneville scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 lead before its pitching fell apart in the final frame.
K-Mets shortstop Gered Mochizuki singled to lead off the ninth, and Alonzo Harris and Richard Lucas drew walks to load the bases with one out. Jeff Flagg drew another base on balls to plate the tying run, R.J. Harris was hit by a pitch for the winning run, and Tyler Howe walked to give Kingsport (13-23) some insurance.
Reliever Travis Babin (1-0) kept the Astros scoreless in the ninth to earn the win. K-Mets starter Jhonathan Torres worked a solid 4 1-3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven



Sheffield said he had been uncomfortable watching aging ballplayers hanging around too long, trying to convince the manager they could still help a team. On the cusp of baseball history, Sheffield would not grovel for a chance to play.
"It was my family that wanted me to come back," Sheffield said. "They encouraged me and I knew I had to prove it to myself, that if I was healthy, I could still do what I wanted to do."
When other teams started to call and ask if he wanted to come back, Sheffield started thinking he had a chance to prove something - to himself.
"When you are injured, the doubt starts to creep into your mind," Sheffield said.
This season, Sheffield has surprised pretty much everyone but himself. Saying he is finally healthy, he is hitting .283 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI, and before his hamstring problem put him in the DL, he was pretty much an everyday outfielder for the injury-decimated Mets.
He notched his 500th career home run 16 days after the Tigers released him, becoming one of just six players to have 500 homers and over 2,500 hits with more than 1,500 RBI and 200 stolen bases.
"It doesn't matter now if anyone else respects what I have done," Sheffield said. "I have proven it to myself what I can do. That's all that matters, I know."

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