20.8.12 - MMLR

 

Daily Mets Minors Report – 8-20-12

Date: 8-20-12

           

MLB –

Courtney Hawkins, OF, Chicago White Sox: .272/.314/.401 with seven walks, 37 strikeouts in 147 at-bats for Bristol in the Appy League. 3-for-16 with five strikeout so far in five games after aggressive promotion to Kannapolis in the Sally League. Contact issues as expected.

MLB - Mets:

Ben Badler‏ -  Not sure we can believe the stories on Kelly Shoppach and Melky Cabrera until they're confirmed by Scott Swaim.

Carlos Beltran is on pace for 114 RBI,

AAA – Buffalo:.

RHP Jeurys Famila  makes his International League-best 26th start this afternoon. The righty is coming off arguably his best start of 2012 after allowing just four hits in seven shutout innings to beat Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. Familia also walked just one and struck out eight in the outing. Familia leads the Bisons with eight wins and is 9th in the IL with 108 strikeouts.

After enjoying a chance of a lifetime Saturday afternoon - the opportunity to play a ballgame at Fenway Park - the Bisons returned to reality on Sunday. The site was McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, where the Herd closed a quick two-game weekend set with the PawSox.

 The result would not be the same. After Buffalo got the victory in Fenway, the PawSox quickly bounced back Sunday with an efficient 4-1 win over the Herd, enabling a series split. Pawtucket jumped ahead early with a two-run third inning, and the outburst would ultimately provide just enough scoring on the afternoon.

For this, the PawSox pitching staff can take credit. The Pawtucket hurlers kept the Bisons bats at bay throughout the afternoon, with starter Billy Buckner and a pair of relievers combining in a five-hit, one-run performance. Buckner allowed only three hits in six innings of work, exiting the game with Pawtucket maintaining a 3-1 advantage.

Aside from a Zach Lutz homer to left field in the fourth, Buckner kept the Bisons from notching any extra-base hits in his time on the mound.

After Will Inman relieved Buckner to pitch a scoreless seventh, former Bison Pedro Beato entered the game for the eighth - with the task of closing the game and notching a victory against his ex-teammates. Beato was up to the task, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth and a scoreless ninth to finish the job.

Buffalo didn't make the ninth easy on Beato, though. With the Bisons trailing 4-1 in the ninth, Matt Den Dekker led off the inning with a single off Beato to give the Herd some life. After striking out Lucas May, Beato proceeded to walk Fred Lewis, putting the tying run at the plate with one out.

But the Bisons would get no closer. Beato retired the final two Herd batters to preserve the PawSox victory.

Bisons Notes: Bisons starter Jeurys Familia pitched five innings of five-hit, three-run ball. Familia struggled with his command on the outing, issuing five walks and throwing only 53 of 92 pitches for strikes...Relievers Jeff Stevens and Justin Hampson each pitched an inning of scoreless, hitless relief for the Herd...Lutz was the only Bison to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 on the afternoon. – team PR

AA-Binghamton:

RHP Gonzalez Germen (6-10, 4.81) makes his 16th start of the season with the B-Mets and first against the Flying Squirrels. Germen has lost his last four games with Binghamton falling in his last start against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on August 14. The righty allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits over 5-1/3 innings. His last win with Binghamton came against the Erie SeaWolves on July 15. He has factored into the decision in all 16 of his appearances with the B-Mets this season.

LHP Mike Kickham (10-9, 2.79) makes his 25th start of the season and second against the B-Mets. The southpaw owns the third-lowest ERA in the league, occupying the leaderboard with last night’s starter Chris Heston. Kickham comes off a loss to the New Britain Rock Cats on August 14. He struck out nine, but allowed four runs on eight hits over 4-2/3 innings. New Britain snapped his 17-1/3 inning scoreless streak en route to handing him his ninth loss of the season. Binghamton beat Kickham at the Diamond in early July, tagging the lefty for three runs on four hits over five innings. Kickham walked five and struck out two, matching  a season-low. Selected in the 6th round in 2010 out of Missouri State University, Kickham is in his first season at Double-A. He pitched last season with the Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A) and skipped over High-A.

The Binghamton Mets snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided aseries sweep by beating the Richmond Flying Squirrels 5-2 Sunday afternoon atNYSEG Stadium. Binghamton packed their offense into the second and thirdinnings, scoring five runs on five hits, including three doubles.

TheB-Mets struck for two runs in the second against starter Mike Kickham. After anEric Campbell double put runners at second and third, Juan Centeno plated a runwith a ground out to second. Wilfredo Tovar followed with a sac fly to right,giving Binghamton a 2-0 lead.

Thehome team tacked on three more in the third. Juan Lagares was hit with a 2-2pitch from Kickham and scored from first one batter later when Reese Havensshot a double to the right field gap. Dykstra drove in Havens with a single toright and Eric Campbell capped the inning with an RBI double to right.

Germentook the five-run lead into the seventh inning, stranding six runners along theway. Richmond did not crack the scoreboard until the seventh when they startedthe frame with three consecutive hits. Luke Anders broke the shutout with anRBI double and Gary Brown delivered a sac fly. Germen ended his day by inducinga pair of fly outs, stranding a runner at third.

BradHolt tossed a perfect eighth inning and Drew Carpenter navigated past a walkand a single in a shutout ninth, earning his first save as a B-Met. It was justCarpenter’s second career save and first since April 9, 2007 when he was amember of the Clearwater Threshers (PHI: High-A).

Germen(7-10) allowed two runs over seven innings on eight hits, matching aseason-high. It was his first win since with the B-Mets since he beat theAltoona Curve on July 15. Kickham (10-10) was tagged for five runs on six hitsover four frames in his second straight loss. Jacob Dunnington and Austin Fleeteach chipped in with two scoreless innings of relief for Richmond. – team PR

A – Savannah:

The Hickory Crawdads wrapped up the series victory with a 5-3 win against the Savannah Sand Gnats, before 1,890 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Crawdads (31-25, 67-58) scored first with a run in the bottom of the second inning against RHP Michael Fulmer (L, 7-6). 3B Drew Robinson led off with a walk, before racing home on an RBI triple off the center-field wall by LF Alejandro Selen, putting the 'Dads up, 1-0.

The Sand Gnats (24-31, 65-57) battled back by scoring twice in the top of the third inning. RF Charley Thurber started the stanza with a walk and advanced to third on a double to left field by DH Matt Reynolds. A C Cam Maron RBI single scored Thurber and moved Reynolds to third. Reynolds then scored on an RBI groundout from 3B Brian Harrison for the 2-1 lead for Savannah.

Hickory reclaimed the lead with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third. With one away, SS Nick Urbanus singled and then took second base on a groundout. DH Zach Cone and 3B Drew Robinson followed with consecutive two-out RBI singles, lifting the 'Dads back in front, 3-2.

LHP Will Lamb kept Hickory ahead through his fourth and final frame, before RHP Arlett Mavare (W, 5-5) took over on the mound to start the fifth inning.

After Mavare's first scoreless inning of work, the Crawdads stretched the lead in the bottom of the fifth. With one down, Urbanus doubled his way into scoring position, and then moved to third on a passed ball. RF Trever Adams singled Urbanus home to make it 4-2.

The Crawdads added another run to the lead in the bottom of the sixth. C Jorge Alfaro led off the inning with a solo home run over the left-center field wall, increasing the Hickory lead to 5-2.

Savannah struck with a solo shot by 2B Brandon Brown in the top of the seventh to pull within two runs of tying it, but that was as close as they would come. RHP Taylor Dennis (S, 2) relieved Mavare on the mound to start the eighth and dealt two scoreless frames, closing the 5-3 win for the Crawdads. Team PR

A-Low – Brooklyn:

John Sickels - Gavin Cecchini, SS, New York Mets: .257/.327/.360 with 14 walks, 30 strikeouts in 136 at-bats for Kingsport in the Appy League. Nothing special with the bat but that wasn't unexpected at this stage

Kevin Plawecki led the Cyclones’ offense going 2-for-3 with two home runs as Brooklyn shutout the Lake Monsters 2-0 in Vermont on Sunday night.

The Cyclones were held scoreless until the top of the fourth when Kevin Plawecki hit a solo home run to left off Vermont starter Brent Powers. And two innings later, he did the exact same thing, hitting Powers for another solo shot to left – his second home run of the game and sixth of the year.

Powers suffered the loss after allowing the two earned runs off six Brooklyn hits over 6.0 innings. He walked two batters and struck out three.

Hansel Robles earned his fourth win for the Cyclones, throwing 6.0 scoreless innings and giving up just two hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Craig Hansen, Beck Wheeler, and Tyler Vanderheiden combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of relief for Brooklyn. Vanderheiden allowed one hit and struck out two in the ninth inning to pick up his ninth save.

Jayce Boyd went 2-for-4 in the Cyclones’ victory, while Jeff Reynolds, Stefan Sabol, and Edward Rohan also each had a hit.