Pages

8/20/18

Reese Kaplan -- A 51s Heartbreaker in El Paso


The 51s opened their game tonight with Kevin Kaczmarski getting a rare start but going down on strikes.  That was followed by a sharp single up the middle by Zach Borenstein but Pete Alonso hit the ball a mile high making it easy for it to be caught by the left fielder.  It’s the 4th or 5th uppercut that caused even the jaded writers in the press box to marvel how high he got it into the air.  Borenstein attempted to steal second with Bryce Brentz batting but was thrown out rather easily by the Chihuahuas’ Raffy Lopez.

Nabil Crismat has been having a rough go of it lately and the opening frame didn’t change that trend.  After retiring the first batter, he hit the next one and then surrendered a double to the deepest part of the ballpark resulting in the game’s first run.  Crismatt seems to have three speeds pitching – slow, slower and slowest.  He got cleanup hitter Ty France to swing and miss at a 68 mph strike three.  First baseman Brett Nicholas lined a 67 mph pitch up the middle to plate the second run.  Crismatt, so far this year, has an 8.50 ERA entering the game, a WHIP over 2.00 but is striking out 8.3 per 9 IP with that slow stuff.  He gave up another single to RF by Shane Peterson but the runner held at third base.  2-0 El Paso thus far.

The 51s got one run back in the 2nd when with two outs Ty Kelly drew a walk and then Luis Guillorme hit a Little League double…the ball went off the second baseman’s glove and the right fielder bent down to pick it up and it scooted underneath his reach.  By the time he recovered with a throw to second baseman and a relay to nab Guillorme trying to stretch it into three bases, Kelly had crossed the plate.  2-1 El Paso.  

Of course, Crismatt gave it right back, serving up a leadoff home run to weak hitting Javy Guerra.  He recovered to get the next three down in order.  El Paso leads 3-1.

The 3rd inning wasn’t much better.  After issuing a leadoff walk to Raffy Lopez, Crismatt balked him down to second.  After recording a couple of outs, he surrendered a single to Shane Peterson which resulted in his hook by manager Tony DeFrancesco.  He was relieved by lefty Kyle Regnault.  The highlight of the inning for the 51s was a full circle spin by centerfielder Kevin Kaczmarski while nabbing a deep drive off the bat of Ty France on the warning track.  Regnault got off to an inauspicious debut, uncorking a wild pitch to his first and only batter, but no further damage occurred and they left a runner on 2nd with the Chihuahuas taking a 4-1 lead.

After 9 straight up and down for the 51s, the lone positive note has been the pitching of Kyle Regnault.  After the slow stuff from Crismatt his 90+ delivery must look like Aroldis Chapman by comparison.  Thus far he’s struck out 3 of the 4 batters he’s faced.  They’re sending him out for the 5th inning as well.  He struck out 4 of the 7 batters he faced, gave up a single but otherwise was arguably the most effective pitcher of the entire series here in El Paso for the 51s.  

In the sixth the 51s showed a pulse.  After a couple of quick outs Kaczmarski lined a double to right center.  Borenstein followed with a run scoring single.  It looked for a moment that Alonso got all of one but it was caught against the centerfield wall.  Chihuahuas up 4-2.  

It's my first time seeing Gerson Bautista in person, though I’ve seen him on TV during his short interval with the Mets.  How he generates that much velocity with that physique is a mystery.  Of course, pitches that go straight at any velocity will be hit and the second batter doubled with the third one following with another double.  The fourth batter followed suit – three straight doubles off Bautista.  We thought walks were his Achilles heel.  His heat is consistently between 95 and 100.  El Paso up by a margin of 6-2.

The 51s really came to life in the 7th.  Bryce Brentz led off with a walk and that was followed by Patrick Kivelehan’s third homer of the series.  It was an odd one to dead center on which El Paso’s centerfielder Dusty Coleman drifted back and signaled he was going to catch the ball while standing well in on the grass and then turned around to watch it fly over the wall.  He wasn’t trying to deke the runner; he just misjudged it.  Catcher Colten Plaia doubled down the left field line and Matt den Dekker pinch hit for Bautista.  He, too, delivered a double and the margin was reduced to a single run, 6-5.  Unfortunately, that’s how the inning ended.

Jacob Rhame entered the game in a double switch to pitch the 7th to El Paso.   He breezed through the middle of the Chihuahuas lineup 1-2-3 and didn’t appear to even break a sweat.

Pete Alonso finally logged his first hit of the series, a well struck single to deep centerfield.  He represented tying run at 1st but Bryce Brentz would have none of that, depositing a Kazuhisa Makita pitch into the night sky giving Las Vegas a 7-6 lead.

Jacob Rhame had an even more impressive follow up in the 8th, striking out the side.  At this point he is in line to be the winning pitcher.

In the 9th manager Tony DeFrancesco turned to Chris Beck after Rhame retired 5 of 6 on strikeouts.  Personally, I would have gone with Peterson who was 1-2-3 effective earlier in the series.  Beck started off with a strikeout of Javy Guerra.  He got pinch hitter Carlos Asuaje on a warning track shot to left field.  With two outs and no one on it came down to Beck against rightfielder Forrest Allday. After going 3-2, Beck threw a 90 mph fastball that the diminutive lefty slammed into right field for a single to prolong the inning.  Beck then gave up a fat pitch to Luis Urias who lined it just below the home run line in right centerfield for a triple, tying the score.  That was followed up by a long ball to deep right centerfield and all they could do was watch as the victory was snatched out of their hands.  Final score, El Paso wins 8-7.


*********************************************************************

After a crushing defeat like that, it was unlikely the coaches and players would be in a mood to talk, but I cornered pitcher Buddy Baumann currently on the DL with some tendinitis.  Earlier in the year I’d seen him in a Chihuahuas uniform facing the 51s.  Then he made it up to the Mets for a cup of coffee before being returned to Las Vegas.  

We chatted about the end of the game and I told him it must have been a tough decision for Tony DeFrancesco to yank Jacob Rhame when he’d struck out 5 of the 6 batters he’s faced.  Baumann said, “You know down here a large part of the game is making sure we all get some work in and Beck’s been tremendous for us.”  

I wasn’t going to dispute his opinion, but a quick check reveals that Beck is even worse in Vegas than he was in New York, entering today’s game with a 7.11 ERA.

After waiting awhile I saw Steve Kaplowitz, on-air radio personality for the local ESPN 600 sports talk station.  The last time the 51s were in town we'd sat together in the press box.  

We said our hellos and he introduced me to his companion, former major league pitcher Butch Henry who had been a manager of the independent league El Paso Diablos that folded when the Chihuahuas came into existence.  He was there to see his former teammate and current 51s manager Tony DeFrancesco who served as his catcher back in 1989 and they hadn’t seen one another in 29 years.

While waiting we reminisced a bit about his career with Houston, Colorado, Montreal, Boston and Seattle.  His best year was likely 1994 with the Expos when as both a starter and reliever he went a combined 8-3 with a 2.43 ERA.  He finished his career with a 33-33 record and a 3.83 ERA.  

Then Tony DeFrancesco came out of the clubhouse and gave Henry a big bear hug.  They chatted amicably about families, children and players they used to know.  Tony was about to invite us into the clubhouse but got told they had to clear out as it was getaway day, so that ended my time with the 51s.   

I did flag down Gerson Bautista to speak about his brief stays in New York (since talking about today’s debacle was not going to be a happy conversation).  He had great praise for both Dave Eiland and Mickey Callaway in terms of their pitching knowledge.   After he walked away, Henry said that if he can get his slider to work he’s going to be scary good and to give him time as he’s just 23 and still learning how to harness what he can deliver.

Here are some photos I took at the games, but bear in mind I was not at field level this time but high up in the press box:





Alonso prior to getting plunked



Infielder Christian Colon jawing after the beaning




Benches emptying



Gerson Bautista




Chris Beck 



P.J. Conlon




Tim Peterson



Zach Borenstein



Matt den Dekker




Carter Capps' odd delivery putting him closer to the plate




Chinese Heritage Day in El Paso 




7 comments:

  1. Nice article and pics, Reese.

    Your comments on Alonso show that just looking at a boxscore can be misleading. He made some strong, just miss contact.

    Bautista trying to harness the slider - I always find that puzzling - if it is the one pitch that can turn you into a success, why it cannot be mastered sooner. Find a workable technique, and repeat, repeat, repeat.

    Crismatt is disturbing, velocity-wise. I thought he threw harder. Pitches thrown slow, slower, slowest tend to go out fast, faster, fastest.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One of our readers pointed out Randy Jones made a career out of the slow stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That Randy Jones reference sure sounds like the inspiration for an article tomorrow :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Slow tossing Lefties usually are more effective than slow tossing eighties.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Raymond -

    The current Mets brain trust love pitchers in their 80s

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mack, you are too much with that eighties comment.

    We need to start a "NY Mets Comedy Club" to lighten things up. We have a couple of players here now, that look like they could use some serious levity and fun.

    I never understood humans too much, or so it sometimes seems to me. This team is playing for 2019 and then beyond, but they actually have players here so uptight right now that they could probably be used for kindling wood (or something).

    I can imitate Jose Reyes perfectly if you'll agree to do your Bartolo Colon homerun imitation!



    ReplyDelete
  7. Recap Thursday: Around the Shoe Horn

    Salt Lake 8 / Las Vegas 6
    Not a true pitchers duel, but lefty reliever Ian Krol pitched a nice inning with a strikeout. He now has a healthy 2.82 ERA. The game's bright spots: 3B Christian Colon went 2 for 5 in the game with a homerun. He is now batting .307. 1B Peter Alonso went 2 for 5 with a double and is now hitting .242. Salt Lake had 13 hits and Las Vegas 10 hits.

    The Binghamton Rumbleponies lost their game as well, to Hartford's Yard Goats, 2-1 was the final score. New Mets starter Franklyn Kilome pitched five solid innings, had six strikeouts, surrendering just 4 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs on the night. Kilome now has an overall 3.97 ERA. Not bad!

    Tonight, Freeport, NY's own Justin Dunn goes tonight on the mound. He is sporting a 6-4 record, with a wholesome 3.11 ERA. He has cut some teeth lately.

    And "under the radar" Levi Michael was made a Post Season All-Star for his skill and versatility (he plays six positions) and has put up a nice 3.05 batting average, a .391 OBP, 42 extra base hits, 30 doubles, and 10 homeruns. He was voted the league's best utility player! Outstanding!

    I mention this MiLB AAA and AA notes often because I want to point out that the Mets organization has a lot more good players with real potential for a bright future here on the parent club, than many people may think. And they deserve to get their mention.

    It takes a team of players at every position starting, and the bench role player guys as well. This is the prerequisite for success. Each player is vital to a really good team. This is how to build a true winning team and organization. And it includes everyone equally.

    It doesn't matter if you are Willie Mays or a late inning pinch hitter, Nolan Ryan or a seldom used early inning reliever. It's a team and everyone matters, everyone deserves respect for what they do well and contribute.

    Personal accolades are great, we all like to see that happen to one of our team's players that we admire. But it has to be a team first, with each player contributing what they can do best. It's about effort. It's about hustle and conviction. It's about sacrificing yourself for the team, so that the team can have a realistic opportunity to win a ball game.

    If things get too focused on any one player, the team can suffer for it. And then this too, each player (whether they realize it or not) has thousands of kids watching them, who want to be just like them when they grow up. Players are still role models way more than some may think, and it really does matter how they behave on and off the fields and courts. Personal character is foremost important in this way, even in this 2018 time frame where loudmouths and imbeciles have kind of tried to take things over. Don't let them.

    ReplyDelete