9/16/24

Tom Brennan: Eric Orze and Paul Gervase Revisited; Wins & Losses

Eric Orze - MiLB.com

Eric Orze, excluding his very brief struggles as a Mets reliever, has had basically 2 seasons in AAA this year.

His first 2 outings were his first season. 

He went 2.2 innings and walked 6 and surrendered 4 runs.

OK, that very short season’s over.

His second season in AAA has been much longer. It started April 8. 

From April 8 through this Sunday, the reliever has thrown 55 innings, gone 5-1, allowing 39 hits, just 15 earned runs (2.45), and 23 walks, and fanned 79 (13 per 9). 

In his last outing on Saturday, he pitched 2 scoreless innings and fanned 5, and when he entered the game, Syracuse trailed 3-2 before scoring 17 unanswered runs over the last 3 innings for a 19-3 win.

Compare his great 2024 “second season” success to the more notable names who have flailed in AAA - Hamel, Vasil, Sproat, Tidwell….and Tyler Zuber.

The 29 year old Zuber may soon be driving an Uber for a living. 

Acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline for Paul Gervase, one of my favorite minor leaguers, Zuber has thrown 14 innings as a Syracuse Met.

Zuber has allowed 24 hits, 21 runs, and 13 walks in those 14 innings. 

A real gem, that Zuber, huh?  Gadzooks.

The traded Gervase? How is he doing? 

His control having become less of an issue in 2024 than last season, Gervase has fanned a prodigious 76 in 44 innings this year in the minors. 

And 172 in 101 innings in 2023 and 2024.  Yowza.

I can see why Stearns traded him, can’t you….

After all, how could you pass on a real gem like Zuber? "ZUBER?  QUICK, DO IT!"

And who really needs to keep a high strikeout reliever like Gervase anyway, right?

The traded Gervase went to the Tampa organization. When it comes to building an excellent pitching staff on a low budget, they wrote the book.


METS LOSE RUBBER GAME

Subtract Lindor and McNeil and, offensively, what have you got? The 1968 Mets, perhaps. 

Lindor got in 1 inning, then left for a lower back MRI.  UH OH.

His failure to slide on Friday may have capsized the Mets pennant race efforts.  And torpedoed his MVP chances.

The late 2-1 loss tarnished my ace, David Peterson’s, brilliant effort. One 8th inning run allowed in 7.2 IP in hostile CBP.  Phillies fans must have thought Cole Hamels was back. 

JD Martinez? He was no doubt signed to help in a September pennant race.  He is, however, a spindly 3 for 28 in September. That is not helping.

As I sign off here, The D Backs and SD won and the Braves were leading 2-0, until the Dodgers remembered they were the Dodgers and won 9-2.

You gotta believe....me when I tell you, I am pulling the white flag out of my basement. Sending it to the dry cleaners.  I may just need it.


BINGHAMTON FINISHES SEASON WITH A WIN

A 9th inning scoreless tie evaporates with 4 runs from HRs from Parada (13) and Matt Rudick (8), the latter being a 3 run shot. 

A 69-67 season record.


SYRACUSE COLLAPSE

A 3-0 lead was coughed up by poor 9th inning pitching from Messrs. Fujinami and Kranick, both former major leaguers, who may both retain that status. 

4-3 loss.  Gilbert 0-3, .207.  

Carlos Cortes hit his 15th HR in 259 at bats, and his 6th in his last 14 games.

Tidwell? 5 scoreless, and a big sigh of relief.  But screwed out of a win.

2 comments:

Mack Ade said...

I like Orze though I don't rank him in my top 20 prospects

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, I have not thought recently about who is in my top 20 or 30. Perhaps in a month I will. I do not think he is in my top 20, but he is IMO one of 2024’s Mets minors top 20 PERFORMERS.