September 1st 2015 -- Phillies 14, Mets 8

Tuesday night in Flushing the Phillies beat up on Jon Niese and the Met bullpen as they win their first game in 8 tries this year at Citi Field with a 14-8 rout of the Mets. Niese got hit hard for his 3^rd straight game giving up a 5 spot in the top of the 3^rd on 4 hits.  Darnell Sweeney had an RBI single, an RBI single by Jeff Francoeur and a 3 run homer by Darin Ruf, his 7^th on the year and it was 5-0 Phils. In the top of the 5^th Ruf hit an RBI single to make it 6-0 and close the book on Niese. The Mets seemed on the verge of another high powered rally in the bottom of the 5^th as they scored 4 times.  Kelly Johnson had an RBI single. Curtis Granderson brought a run home with a fielder’s choice.  Yoenis Cespedes then clubbed a 2 run homer, his 9^th as a Met and 27 over all to make it 6-4.  In the top of the 6^th the wheels came off the wagon, as they say, as the Phillies roughed up Bobby Parnell, Eric O’Flaherty and Carlos Torres for 8 runs. Sweeney had a 2 run double, Ruf added two more RBI with a single Andres Blanco had a 2 run double and scored on a throwing error by Tejada.  The Mets added a single runs in the 6^th on a fielder’s choice by Travis d’Arnaud, 7th on a RBI single by Daniel Murphy in the 8^th on a RBI single by Wilmer Flores and in the 9th with a sac-fly by Conforto.  Niese lasted 5 innings allowing 7 hits 6 runs (all earned) walking 2 and striking out 2. He nails the loss falling to 8-10. Addison Reed made his Met debut in the 8^th and tossed a scoreless frame. Ruf had a huge day going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored, the homer, double and 6 RBI.  Sweeney went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI. For the Mets Cespedes went 2 for 4 with the homer and a triple as he snapped a 0-16 streak, Michael Conforto and David Wright both went 2 for 4. With the loss the Mets fall to 13-2 against the Phillies this year. They are 73-59 overall and 44-24 at Citi Field. The Mets lead in the NL east drops to 6 games. That of course can swing a half game either way pending the outcome of the Nats game in St. Louis.  Wednesday night it’s game three of the series. Matt Harvey (11-7 2.48) goes for the Mets. Rookie Aaron Nola (5-1 3.26) goes for Philadelphia. 

ROSTER MOVES - Binghamton

Please note the following transactions involving the Binghamton Mets.

September 1:

• RHP Kevin McGowan transferred from Binghamton (AA) to St. Lucie (High-A)
• LHP Steven Matz completed Major League rehab assignment with Binghamton (AA)
• RHP Erik Goeddel completed Major League rehab assignment with Binghamton (AA)

ROSTER MOVES - Savannah

Please be advised of the following Sand Gnats roster moves:

9/1 - Alex Palsha was transferred from the Brooklyn roster to the Savannah roster.

9/1 - John Mora was placed on the Savannah Disabled List; retroactive to 8/29/15.

Mets Rotation Change

MiLB

Adam Rubin ‏@AdamRubinESPN  25 seconds ago

Source confirms Steven Matz will sub for Noah Syndergaard in Miami, then Mets go to 6-man next turn.

ROSTER MOVE - Brooklyn

Cyclones reliever Ruben Reyes has been suspended 5 games for hitting Tri-City’s Hector Roa with a pitch on Sunday.

Due to tomorrow’s doubleheader in Connecticut, he will miss 5 games in only 4 days.

In addition to the suspension, he has been fined $125.

Luis Guillorme Named SAL Most Valuable Player

MiLB

Eric Krupa, President of the South Atlantic League, announced the selection of the 2015 Annual All-Star Team.  The All-Star Team was voted on by the 14 South Atlantic League Team’s Field Managers, General Managers, Sports Writers and Broadcasters for a total of 56 votes. Savannah shortstop Luis Guillorme, outfielder Wuilmer Becerra, and Manager Jose Leger were all voted to the Annual All-Star Team. Guillorme was also voted the league’s Most Valuable Player.

“It’s always an honor to have players represent Savannah on the Annual All-Star Team,” said team president John Katz. “With Guillorme and Becerra having missed selection to the All-Star Game, this has got to be one of the most gratifying days of their young careers. We’re all proud of them, and proud of our skipper as well.”

Luis Guillorme, 20, currently leads the SAL with a .314 batting average and 136 hits. The Florida native has appeared in 117 games in his first season with the Sand Gnats. Guillorme is also the top-ranked shortstop in the league with a fielding percentage of .974. The Coral Springs Charter High School product was drafted by the Mets in the 10^th round in 2013. Guillorme is the first SAL MVP to represent Savannah.

“Guillorme receiving the MVP is well deserved,” said Manager Jose Leger. “He has played well both defensively and with the bat. He has hit in the second spot of our lineup and has been driving in runs, getting on base, and bunting guys over when we need it. There is no doubt in my mind that he is our MVP.”

Wuilmer Becerra, 20, has appeared in 112 games for the Sand Gnats in 2015 and currently ranks fifth in the SAL with 126 hits. Becerra also ranks eighth in the league in batting average with a .295 average. The native of Caracas, Venezuela leads the team with 27 doubles and is tied for the team lead with nine home runs on the season.

WHO MIGHT STEP TO THE FORE NOW THAT SO MANY PITCHING PROSPECTS ARE GONE?

WHO MIGHT STEP TO THE FORE NOW THAT SO MANY PITCHING PROSPECTS ARE GONE? - Tom Brennan 

Man, the Mets had a lot of starting pitching prospects last year.  How about a recapof some movement of guys in 2015?

Four promos to Queens:

·        Thor called up and in the rotation.

·        Matz called up, hurt, but about to join the September rotation.

·        Verrett claimed off 40 man, returned to the Mets, on the 25 man roster.

·        Robles promoted to the pen after a late season 2014 switch to the pen in the minors.

Eight starters traded: Michael Fulmer, Luis Cessa, Casey Meisner, John Gant, Rob Whelan, Matt Koch, Miller Diaz, Brad Wieck.

That is 12 guys – and I’d not be surprised if I forgot someone.

In any organization, churn 12 guys out and the cupboard is bare.  Stripped.  Vaporized.

But not the Mets :  several quality starters appear to remain – let me list them:

1)  Seth Lugo – the hard throwing righty (pictured above) is now in AAA, having a very solid year, and eye-catching are 20 Ks in 12 innings in his last 2 starts.  The 34^th round from 2011, soon to turn 26, has jumped up the list this year in a big way.  See him in Queens next year?  Very possibly.

2)   Martires Arias – most fans would say “who?”  Who could blame them after his lackluster first 5 years in the organization?  Two years in the DSL, 3 years in stateside rookie ball showing nothing statistically. You'd look and ask: why is he still here?  But tall guys (he is 6’7” or 6’11”, not sure) can develop later – and he’s had a tremendous 2014 and 2015 in Kingsport, Brooklyn, Savannah, and briefly in St Lucie: 14-5, 1.90, 175 innings, 175 Ks. Still walks a few too many, but big strides there for the big man. An article early this summer published by MILB.com quoted his pitching coach (Valdez) as follows: "His fastball is in the low- to mid-90s at times and he gets some good runs and sink to it.  Anybody with that kind of stuff is certainly capable of making progress. He has to continue to work on his fastball command and throwing to both sides of the plate and continue to get a better feel for the changeup, because it's the best it's ever been this season."   I think Arias is added to the 40 man roster and shows up in Queens in 2017 if he is not traded.

3)   Chris Flexen – pitched great after being a 14^th round selection out of high school in 2012.  Now 21, he endured Tommy John surgery last season, and has come back strong, with a 3-2 record, 2.27, 41 Ks in 43 innings this year. Reputed low 90s fastball with a solid curve..  Another guy who I’d suspect could be ready for Queens some time in 2017.

4)   Rob Gsellman – just 22, the tall righty (13^th round 2011 out of HS) had a fine year in Savannah in 2014 (10-6, 2.56 in 20 starts), then 13-6, 2.63 in 22 starts so far this year in St Lucie and Binghamton.  My only concern with Rob is his relatively low strikeout rate (82 in 133 innings this year) but his 1.07 WHIP this year shows he is truly getting the job done.

5)   Marcos Molina – still 20, after a remarkable year in Brooklyn in 2014, where he was the league’s best starter, he developed a sore elbow in 2015 and missed 12 weeks.  He pitched well in 3 outings in August, but is back on the DL.  Time will tell if this is temporary or if he will undergo the knife – but assuming a healthy return, he is a potential future rotation guy in Queens.

6)   Gabe Ynoa – he has stalled in AA, but is still young and throws reasonably hard.  Low K and walk rates.  I think he figures it out in 2016, & eventually becomes a major league back end rotation guy or a 7^th inning guy.

Other guys just a notch below are Ricky Knapp and Corey Oswalt, both with fine 2015 records but allowing a high level of hits. Logan Taylor has shown some promise this year too.

Some guys in rookie ball have had some outstanding games, which to me shows a potential for breakout talent. We’ll see who emerges from that pack in 2016.

All in all, a drop in the quantity and quality of starting pitching prospects – but the cupboard is not bare. 

And the above does not consider Mets’ relief prospects, of which there are quite a few goodies.

So don’t have sleepless nights – the state of arms in the minors is good.

The Morning Report 9.1.2015 | Conforto Continues to Shine, Duda Not Ready for Activation, Addison Reed Ready to Secure the 7th, Nationals in Free-Fall

Anthony McCarron | NY Daily News- Michael Conforto had an eventful night in the Mets' 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Monday, from homering to open the scoring to more of his trademark patient at-bats to a play that served as reminder that the technology age is changing the game. He finished the night 2-for-2 with a walk and is now batting .293 with a .928 OPS and has reached base in 13 consecutive games. "We continue to very quietly talk about what a good player this guy has a chance to become," Mets' manager Terry Collins said after the game. "He's an outstanding hitter. He's got a great swing."

(Chris Soto: After seeing Conforto in Binghamton a few I had no doubts that he could hit around .250ish with some pop immediately, however, I could have never imagined him just fitting right in and crushing the way he has so far. A .293 AVG?? I thought that was his peak! A .928 OPS, Nope....never would've pegged him for that either. How about the good defense he has displayed? Hah...we were all told he was a below average defender and yet he's posted a +3 DRS so far which across a full season equals a +20.3 defensive UZR. A mark only the most elite of OF'ers even sniff.)

Mike Puma | New York Post- The Mets’ first-base shuffle might continue longer than the club originally anticipated. Lucas Duda’s stiff lower back hasn’t progressed as quickly as the Mets would have hoped, leaving it unclear if he will be in position to return from the disabled list Sunday when he is eligible. “We don’t have any day in mind, be he hasn’t hit — he is still tracking [pitches],” manager Terry Collins said. “I don’t know how close he is. I know he gets his therapy inside and goes out and he’s doing what he should be doing. He’s played catch, so that was a good sign. He played catch [Monday] and tracked another 250 balls off the machines so he is doing stuff, he just hasn’t swung the bat.”

(Chris Soto: This is one of the view pieces of bad news the Mets have been dealing with during the 2nd half of the season. Yea....the team is doing well right now. However, if the club is going to continue to succeed and push into the playoffs, they are going to NEED Lucas Duda's power in the middle of this line-up. Having Duda hitting behind a guy like Cespedes or Wright will make pitcher's think twice about working around them as they certainly don't want men on base with Duda's 30 HR power behind them.)

Anthony DiComo | Mets.com-  Addison Reed stepped into a Mets uniform for the first time on Monday. Bobby Parnell should return from the disabled list on Tuesday. With those two, and with Jeurys Familia and Tyler Clippard in tow, the Mets will spend September with four relievers boasting significant closing experience. If the bullpen was a significant concern for the Mets during the second half of August, manager Terry Collins is convinced it no longer is. "They're very good, all of them," Collins said. "When Bobby's healthy, he's dynamic. So it's going to make a big difference for us as we move into September, and we've got a lot of options and a lot of mixing and matching we can do with some quality relievers."

(Chris Soto: I'm not sure if I would go as far as saying it's no longer a concern....but Addison Reed certainly makes me feel a little better about the 7th inning. Reed struggled mightily in the month of June and ended up losing his closer's job to Brad Ziegler, but it wasn't that long again when he was considered one of the top young emerging closers in baseball. The stuff is certainly still there, in fact it seems almost seems normal since throughout his entire career he has always struggled in June. Hopefully the Mets have found lightning in a bottle here.)

David Schoenfield | ESPN Sweetspot- There's a time to recognize that baseball is a long, six-month grind and as a manager you have to be aware not to burn out your bullpen. Then there's a time to play with a little more urgency. That time is now for the Washington Nationals. When Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run off St. Louis Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist in the top of the seventh to give the Nationals a 5-3 lead, the Mets had already won to momentarily increase their lead. This is the kind of game the Nationals had to win, just to keep pace. Piscotty singled. Peralta singled. Score tied. Both batters had two strikes on them but Janssen couldn't put them away. Williams watched his bullpen implode because he didn't want his eighth-inning guy to get four outs. It's bad baseball. It's bad managing. And yes, it was bad relief pitching. 

(Chris Soto: Boy are the Nationals in trouble! The magic number continues to dwindle, the bullpen is fading, the dream rotation isn't getting it done, and the media continues to turn on them. Bryce Harper isn't worried though... Well, he certainly should be! The Nats are now 6.5 Games Behind the Mets and with the Cubs and Pirates running away with the wild cards spots, they need to wake up and start playing better or else they'll be left out of the playoffs completely.)

DOWN UNDER: Mets Minor League Results - 8-31-15

DOWN UNDER: Mets Minor League Results - 8-31-15

Only Savannah won.

STAR OF THE DAY: Casey Delgado

HONORABLE MENTION: Jonathan Johnson and Luis Mateo: Kevin Kaczmarski

SCORES:

Las Vegas (74-63) 5  - El Paso 6

Binghamton (73-61) 2 - Reading 6

St Lucie (66-65)  - Charlotte: Doubleheader

- Game 1 was a rain-shortened 5-2 loss.

- Game 2 was rained out.

Savannah (81-49)  - Augusta: Doubleheader

- Game 1 a walk off 2-1 win in the 11th.

- Game 2 - won 2-0 

Brooklyn (31-37) 2 - Tri City 4

Kingsport (39-28) 6 - Danville 14
  

Now Here's the Scoop:

Las Vegas went with 10 game winner Darin Gorski against an El Paso team that trailed them by 1.5 games. A 2 run 9th inning lead was sqandered by the pen, leading to an untimely 6-5 loss.  Reynolds and Herrera went deep.


Binghamton rolls out Steve Matz against a 21 over .500 Reading squad in his last tune up.  5.1 Ip, 1 hit....READY!  They lost late, but a big win for the Mets, as Matz is coming back strong!


St Lucie lost a rain shortened contest 5-2, and the second game was rained out.

 
Savannah went with the challenging duo of Knapp and Delgado.

Game 1 was a tightly pitched contest, won by Jonathan Johnson's walk off 11th inning homer. Luis Mateo fanned 4 in 2.1 shutout innings.

 Casey Delgado tossed a masterful, 7 inning 2nd game shutout, striking out 9. The Gnats scored just 4 in the twin bill in the two games but won both.


Brooklyn is 14 under since their 14-5 season start, with hitting the main culprit. Then, another loss as the team scored just 2 runs, while managing 11 hits.


Kingsport's Eric Manoah got the call. The K Mets have won 20 of their last 25. FUEGO! Anyway, tonight the pitchers got bombed, leading to a lopsided loss. Kevin Kaczmarski (.352) had a single, double and triple.

GOAT: too little hitting. Kingsport pitching.