MMMLR - 26-8-12

Date: 8-26-12

            Kevin Goldstein‏ -  - 86.2% of the mix-ups on I Love Lucy would never occur if they had cell phones.

           

MLB –

2. Should you bear witness to Jeter lifting a ball in the air, consider it baseball's version of Halley's Comet. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/25-things-you-didn-t-know-about-baseball.html

Josh Beckett‏ -  Hey this is Josh Beckett Just set this up to say thanks to the great fans of #redsox nation I enjoyed the good times we had. Even in the tough times I ran into so many wonderful people that were so awesome I'm Greatly appreciative to all of you #redsox nation fans.

RHP Pedro Beato was in the Red Sox pen on Sunday.

 

MLB - Mets:

Mets demote Jordany Valdespin to clear roster spot for return of Lucas Duda.

The Mets have placed Scott Hairston and Andres Torres on waivers

Mets W-L record since ASG projects out close to 40-120

OF Fernando Martinez minor league stat line this year with Houston: .314/.367/.507/.875, 13-HR, 62-RBI

Dickey isn’t going to receive a massive contract considering his age and the knuckleball approach. Although, an annual salary of $8-10 million isn’t out of the question. Perhaps he signs a deal worth even more. However, the length of the contract isn’t going to push more than four years. Even a four-year extension could be too long for Dickey who will be 40 in nearly three years. - http://mlbreports.com/2012/08/26/dickey-extend/

 

AAA – Buffalo:.

RHP ZACK WHEELER will start Game 1, his fifth start with the Bisons. The righty allowed three earned runs in 5.1 innings in a defeat to the Yankees on Tuesday. RHPDYLAN OWEN starts the nightcap, his first start since July 5 in Syracuse. Owen has made nine appearances out of the bullpen since then and is 2-3 with a 5.85ERA in 10 total starts this season… RHP FERNANDO CABRERA now stands atop of the Bisons record books. Cabrera recorded his 30th career save for Buffalo, the most in the team’s modern era. The reliever was also named to the Bisons ‘All 25 Seasons Team’ last night and leads all modern era Herd relievers with 132 games pitched and 228 strikeouts. His strikeout total is also 5th among ALL modern era pitchers…  OF VALENTINO PASCUCCI slugged his team-leading 16th home run of the season last night and his 54th career Bisons home run (5th in modern era). Pascucci also has a team-high 60RBI this year. He has 188RBI in his Bisons career, the 6th most in the modern era. – team PR

 

One of the ever-constant truths of baseball? No two games are the same. In Sunday afternoon's matinee doubleheader at Coca-Cola Field, the Bisons and Red Wings showed why.

 The first game marked a display of pitching and defensive prowess, with Buffalo's sole fourth-inning run being just enough for a 1-0 victory. In Game 2, one total run would have been irrelevant - bats lit up, runs were plentiful, and Rochester notched an 11-9 win.

All in all, it added up to a doubleheader split between the longtime Thruway foes.

 Newly minted Bison Zack Wheeler got the call in the opener, and definitively showed why he deserves much of the hype bestowed upon him. Wheeler looked confident on the mound from the get-go and made it through all seven innings, allowing only three hits and two walks in the complete-game shutout.

As a result, Wheeler earned a much-deserved inaugural Triple-A win, improving his record to 1-2 as a member of the Herd.

The Bisons offense didn't do too much in support of Wheeler, but it was enough. After being held scoreless despite four hits in the first three innings, Buffalo got on the board in the 4th courtesy of Matt Den Dekker's sacrifice fly that scored Adam Loewen. Wheeler allowed only one hit the rest of the way, and the Herd escaped Game 1 on top.

In Game 2, the Bisons sent an early sign that offense would be more abundant this time around. Leadoff man Fred Lewis launched a solo home run to begin the bottom of the 1st, and Buffalo jumped out to a 4-0 lead when the inning was all said and done.

But the Red Wings countered in the very next frame, with three runs of their own. Consecutive walks to begin the inning set the tone, and a two-out double by Matt Carson scored a pair to pull Rochester within a run. After both teams combined for one run in the first game, seven were scored through an inning and a half in Game 2. Quite a contrast, to say the least.

Rochester wasn't nearly done, by any means. After slugger Valentino Pascucci homered in the 3rd to extend the Buffalo lead to 5-3, the Wings responded with three runs in the 4th, and then four more in the 5th. Hence, Rochester held a 10-5 lead heading into the bottom of the 5th - after Buffalo owned a four-run advantage in the 1st. Just a typical day at the ballpark, of course.

Fittingly, the Bisons refused to go down without a fight, and battled back in the final frames to make things interesting. Buffalo clawed back with two runs in the 5th - courtesy of a two-run homer from Matt Tuiasosopo - and added two more in the 6th thanks to another two-run blast, this one off the bat of Zach Lutz.

Now, the Red Wings advantage was just a single run: 10-9. The stage was set for a frantic conclusion in downtown Buffalo.

But the Herd couldn't complete the comeback. After Carson doubled a run home to give the Wings an 11-9 advantage in the 7th, the Bisons needed two in the final frame to force extra time. It got off to a good start, with Loewen and Josh Satin reaching base to start the frame - putting the tying run on first, and the winning run at the plate.

It wasn't enough, though. Rochester reliever Anthony Slama worked his way through the next three Bisons batters, and the ballgame was over. Slama induced a Fred Lewis groundout to close the deal.

Bisons Notes: Shortstop Josh Rodriguez recorded a multi-hit game for the Herd in Game 1. Lewis and Tuiasosopo notched multi-hit efforts in Game 2...In Game 1, the Bisons went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving six men on base. In Game 2, the Herd went 2-for-9 in the same situation, leaving seven men on. – team PR

 

 

AA-Binghamton:

RHP Greg Peavey (7-8, 5.12) makes his 24th start of the season and fifth against the Sea Dogs. Peavey earned the win in his last start against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on August 21, his first victory in five starts against the club. He struck out a season-high six while scattering six hits over seven shutout innings. In four starts versus Portland, Peavey has gone 2-1 with a 5.49 ERA. Over 19-2/3 innings, he has allowed a .316 batting average. RHP Jeremy Kehrt (7-3, 4.07) takes the mound for his 13th start of the season and fifth appearance against the B-Mets. Kehrt has earned five wins in his last eight starts, going unbeaten during the stretch. He took a no-decision in his last game against the New Britain Rock Cats on August 21. The former reliever allowed two runs on five his and three walks over five innings. In four appearances, including one start, Kehrt has gone 1-0 and compiled a 2.16 ERA versus Binghamton. Over 16-2/3 innings, he has allowed a .348 batting average. A 47th-round selection in 2008, Kehrt is in his fifth year with the Red Sox organization. – team PR

 

The Binghamton Mets used 15 hits and three Portland Sea Dogs errors in a5-3 win in ten innings on Sunday afternoon at Hadlock Field. Wilfredo Tovar capped a four-hit day by driving in the game-winning run with a single to center in the top of the tenth.

With the game tied at three in tenth, Allan Dykstra walked against Portland reliever Michael Olmsted to start the inning and was replaced by pinch-runner Juan Lagares. With one out, Dustin Martin dribbled a roller to first. Olmsted received the toss from Travis Shaw, but failed to step on the bag. The righty followed the error by walking Juan Centeno to load the bases.

Tovar kept the rally going by lofting a single into shallow center. Lagares scored easily from third and Martin came home from second after a throw from centerfielder Shannon Wilkerson bounced off his leg and rolled into left field. Brad Holt made the lead stand with a perfect tenth inning.

The B-Mets stole the spotlight from Portland left fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker who busted out the lumber to give the Sea Dogs the early lead in the first inning. The left fielder launched a 2-2 offering from Greg Peavey deep over the rightfield fence for his team-leading 18th round-tripper of the year.

The B-Mets responded with a four-hit attack in the second against Portland starter Jeremy Kehrt. After a pair of singles put runners at the corners, Juan Centeno bounced into a run-scoring fielder’s choice. Reese Havens gave the B-Mets thelead three batters later with an RBI single to left center.

Hazelbaker struck again to erase Binghamton’s lead in the third. With a runner aboard, he sent a 3-1 pitch over the right centerfield wall. The drive, his second homer of the day, gave the Sea Dogs a 3-2 lead.

Binghamton used another four-hit inning to tie the contest at three in the fourth. With runners at the corners, Havens beat out a potential double play grounder to first, allowing Tovar to score from third.

Kehrt exited after allowing a season-high twelve hits over five innings and handed the torch to Brock Huntzinger. The B-Mets nearly grabbed the lead in the sixth, but were denied by Hazelbaker in left. Huntzinger walked the first two he faced and allowed a long fly ball to left center to Havens. Huntzinger made a running grab at the wall and threw out Tovar trying to scamper to third.

Peavey settled down after Hazelbaker’s home run and posted 4-2/3 scoreless innings to close his day. The righty retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced, allowing just one more hit. Jeff Kaplan bridged the gap to the tenth by allowed one hit over two scoreless innings.

Chris Martin took over in the seventh and posted three scoreless innings to preserve the tie before Olmsted watched things come apart in the decisive tenth inning.

Tovar’s hit made Kaplan (2-0) a winner for the second time this month. Peavey took the no-decision, allowing three runs on six hits over seven innings of work. Olmsted (1-2) suffered the loss.

The win gave the B-Mets a series split in the four-game set with Portland. Binghamton finishes the season series with a 13-6 record, the most wins in one season against the Sea Dogs. – team PR

 

A+ - St. Lucie:

The scheduled Florida State League game between the St. Lucie Mets and Charlotte Stone Crabs on Sunday, August 26 at Digital Domain Park has been postponed due to inclement weather. At this time, the game will not be re-scheduled. Tickets for today’s game can be redeemed for Thursday, August 30 or Friday, August 31. – team PR

 

A – Savannah:

The Rome Braves defeated the Savannah Sand Gnats 4-3 Sunday in the Gnats’ final home game at Historic Grayson Stadium in 2012. The first place Braves have now won 10 of 12 games, while the last place Gnats finished their final homestand at 6-1 and have dropped nine of their last 10 games.

Down 4-2, the Gnats (25-37/66-63) rallied for a run the ninth inning on C Albert Cordero’s RBI single to pull within a run at 4-3. Savannah had the potential tying at second, and winning run at first, but pinch-hitter Dustin Lawley struck out to end the game.

The Braves (40-21/58-73) drew first blood in the first inning with an unearned run that scored when SS Yucarybert De La Cruz dropped a popup in shallow leftfield.

Rome added two runs on four singles in the top of the sixth inning against Savannah starter Marcos Camarena to establish a 3-0 advantage.

Camarena completed six innings, allowing three runs, two earned with three strikeouts and one walk, but was charged with the loss to fall to 7-6.

The Gnats picked up two runs back in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, De La Cruz and 3B Brandon Brown each singled.  CF Gilbert Gomez ripped a double down the leftfield line to score the two runners and pull the Gnats back within a run at 3-2.

Rome pushed their lead back to two runs in the eighth, when 1B William Beckwith blasted a solo homerun to the base of the videoboard in right-center field off Gnats’ reliever Randy Fontanez.

Braves starter Alex Wood, a University of Georgia product, who was the team’s second round draft pick in 2012, shutout the Gnats through five innings Sunday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter while yielding just two hits to pick up his fourth win

 

A-Low – Brooklyn:

Jeffrey Paternostro ‏ @jeffpaternostro  Hansel Robles - FB is 92-93, Slider at 87 is primary secondary tonight. FB is good, Slider needs work.

 

Rookie – Kingsport:

Branden Kaupe, SS, New York Mets: .174/.373/.193 with 34 walks, 35 strikeouts in 114 at-bats for Kingsport in the Appalachian League. Has struggled in conversion to 2B. Other than drawing walks, he's been terrible so far, but you know the next phrase: he's just 18. – www.minorleaguebaseball.com

Rookie – DSL Mets –

Vicente Lupo finished the season:  .343/.500/.608