AA - Eastern League

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 10, @ Binghamton Mets 3

Thursday, the B-Mets offense scored one run on 10 hits.  Friday, it scored three runs on seven hits, all in the ninth inning.  The larger issue Friday was that the B-Mets trailed from the second batter of the game.

LHP Michael Antonini, in his first start since June 18th, walked the leadoff batter, and then New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ secondbaseman Brad Emaus doubled him home for a 1-0 lead.  The ‘Cats scored twice more in the first inning and four more times a second inning Antonini couldn’t finish.

Antonini worked off a fastball that was largely 88-89 although it was as low as 87 and touched 91 once.  His second pitch on this evening was his slider which had below average velocity around 77 mph.   Antonini gave up hard hit balls on both his slider and fastball.  He walked three.  Moreover, when he was in the strike zone, he worked up, and was hurt with it. As Binghamton manager Mako Oliveras said, “it was his command,” that got him in trouble, “he left a couple of pitches up in the zone.”

CF Manny Garcia was 3-4 with a walk and a two-run single in the ninth.  The 23-year old was as pleased with the process as the results, “I’ve been working with [hitting coach] Luis Natera on my approach, trying to be more patient.  I’m trying to see a lot of pitches, I’m trying to develop confidence with [hitting] 0-2.  I got three two strike hits and that was a good step for me.  I felt confident.”

Caleb Stewart reached base by walking twice and blooping a single to shallow right in the ninth. Ike Davis was 1-3 with a sharp single to left-center field.  He also flew out just shy of the warning track in leftcenter field.  Even in BP, I didn’t see a lot of power from Davis out in that direction.  Most of the balls he really gets into, and he can hit ‘em a long way, are from rightcenter on over into the rightfield corner.

AAA: Rochester Red Wings (37-40) @ Buffalo Bisons (26-49)
LHP Oliver Perez (0-1, 2.08) vs. RHP Jeff Manship (0-0, 4.50)

Oliver Perez! Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra!  Bob from Sesame Street!  Party Time at Coca-Coca Field!

AA: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (35-44) vs. Binghamton Mets (29-49) -  7:05 PM
LHP Mike Antonini (5-2, 5.02) vs. RHP Rey Gonzalez (3-5, 3.18)

The Golden Knights, the Army’s parachute team will drop in before the game AND there will be a flyby just after the anthem.  Consider me stoked.  The B-Mets are in their patriotic jerseys - blue with stars and stripes on the sleeves.  Consider me less stoked about that.
As a preview of coming attractions, I chatted with hitting coach Luis Natera, 1B Ike Davis and 3B Shawn Bowman today.  I’m trying to do a video piece on Nick Evans.

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B-Mets Roster | Fisher Cats Roster

A+: Sarasota Reds (30-45) @ St. Lucie Mets (2-3/36-37) - 7 PM
RHP Jeffrey Kaplan (1-2, 3.12) vs. RHP Matthew Klinker (2-2, 4.89)

Francisco Pena (.226/.271/.317) and Zach Lutz (.264/.372/.412) each went yard last night in the Mets 5-4 loss to Dunedin.  Lutz is hitting .414 (12-for-29) in his last nine games.

Scott Moviel has been transferred from the GCL to the FSL.

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St. Lucie Roster | Reds Roster

Asheville Tourists (4-3, 30-46) (Col) @ Savannah Sand Gnats (4-4/39-39) - 7:00 PM
RHP Juan Nicasio (1-1, 2.10) vs. RHP Kyle Allen (5-3, 4.26)

Kai Gronauer is on a ten game hitting streak.

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Tourists Roster | Gnats Roster

SSA: Brooklyn Cyclones (11-2) @ Tri-City Valley Cats (HOU) (5-6) - 7:00
LHP David Duncan (0-1, 4.15) vs. RHP Wesley Wrenn (0-0, 5.40)

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Cyclones Roster | Valley Cats Roster

Kingsport Mets (3-7) @ Burlington Royals (4-6) - 7:00
LHP Angel Cuan (NR) vs. LHP John Lamb (0-1, 4.00)

Scoreboard
Royals Roster | K-Mets Roster

I’m off to grab some pizza and then head to Nyseg Stadium on a drizzly afternoon that’s rapidly clearing into a beautiful one.

B-Mets Manager Mako Oliveras provided some updates after Thursday night’s game on some of the missing B-Mets.

On Josh Thole: “he’s gonna be about two weeks, maybe less,” Oliveras said.

With respect to Jenrry Mejia, Oliveras explained that the Mets are just managing the 19 year old’s innings and the team is, “giving him a chance to rest his arm.”  To date, Mejia has thrown 72 innings between St. Lucie and Binghamton.  Last year, Mejia threw 71.2 innings in the GCL and the New York Penn League.  Mejia has averaged just over five innings a start in AA.  If he came back in the middle of July and made six more starts, he could end up 30 innings over his previous year’s total and in the relative safe zone for innings increases, at least according to the Verducci Effect.

AA - Eastern League

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 10, Binghamton Mets 1

It drizzled at first pitch, and other than Brad Holt and Shawn Bowman, the B-Mets largely fizzled on Thursday night.

Holt started strong, retiring the Fisher Cats 1-2-3 in the first innings with two strikeouts.  He mixed one curveball with a fastball that sat at 93 mph.  B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras was impressed, with the beginning to Holt’s outing, “that first inning, he was outstanding.”

Holt explained that his first inning game plan was simple, I “just tried locating the fastball and go from there.”  In his last outing, be had lasted only one third of an inning while giving up five runs, so even this time, he “wasn’t quite sure what to expect…. my last outing [I was] rusty being off two weeks and had no command of any pitches.”

Holt ran into immediate trouble in the second inning.  After a single and a walk, he fought back from 3-0 count to strike out the left-handed Brian Jeroloman and then induced a soft fly-ball from the following batter.  So, with two on, and two out, he was one out from escaping trouble.  However, he grooved fastball that Al Quintana crushed to the centerfield wall for a two-run double.  Holt thought he was almost too relaxed, “I got a little comfortable, and wasn’t concentrating as much” he said, “and the ball was just getting away from me a little bit.”

The only other two runs Holt allowed were on a bomb to firstbaseman Brian Dopirak in the third on another high heater.  (As an aside, I saw Dopirak take Dillon Gee deep last year in the Florida State League, so maybe I’m his lucky charm.  Or maybe it’s that Dopirak, who leads the Eastern League with 19 jacks has finally figured out to use his tremendous raw power that made him a former top prospect.)

Oliveras was pleased with Holt’s progress.  As he said after the game, ” Iwas excited with the way he threw the ball.”  In this respect, Holt agreed with his skipper, saying of his outing, “it was a step in the right direction.”

When I saw Holt last year, he hit 96.  I didn’t see that Thursday night, but he sat 93 and was hit 94.  However, his curve is now a real weapon.  He induced both a swinging strike three and a called third strike with his hook.  He struck out a hitter on a high fastball that was set up by a curveball on the previous offering.  I’m going to post video of Holt’s curveball in the coming days.  Oliveras, who can be effusive in his praise called the offering, “another plus pitch.”

Holt still is clearly not fully comfortable with his curveball as he gave himself a nod after throwing a good one.  Moreover, his patterns became a little consistent.  After starting a batter with a curve and then going fastball on the next pitch, he repeated he sequence to the next hitter (first pitch curve, second pitch fastball) and got hurt on his heater.  When he learns to throw his deuce in a wider variety of counts, he’ll become very, very tough.

After the game, I was talking to a friend, and a monster Mets fan, about the evening’s action.  I explained that Holt had made tremendous progress in the last year, but was still a long way from the big leagues.  One of the things the conversation reinforced, is the purpose and need for minor league baseball.

The B-Mets only run of the night came on a solo homer from rightfielder Caleb Stewart to begin the second inning.

After Holt left the game, the B-Mets bullpen pitched at varying levels of effectiveness from Edgar Ramirez (ok), Stephen Clyne (ghastly - giving up eight straight hard hit balls in the seventh) and Roy Merritt (very hittable).

At the plate, 3B Shawn Bowman was 4-4 with three singles between third and short, and a double down the leftfield line.  Bowman also started a very fine double play with a diving stab and strong throw to second.  Oliveras was pleased with Bowman’s getting out front and pulling fastballs.  “We talked to him because there was a stage where I think he was just feeling the ball the other way.  I told him, “he’s gotta produce.  He’s gotta be a run producer if he wants to get out of here… His glove, there’s no doubt in my mind that he can play in the big leagues right now,”  said Oliveras.

AAA: Rochester Red Wings @ Buffalo Bisons

Rained out due to unplayable field conditions.  

AA: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (34-44) vs. Binghamton Mets (29-48) -  7:05 PM
RHP Brad Holt (0-1, 9.45) vs. LHP Luis Perez (3.41)

I’m excited about seeing Brad Holt for the first time this year. 

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B-Mets Roster | Fisher Cats Roster

A+: St. Lucie Mets (2-2/36-36) @ Dunedin Blue Jays (3-2/36-36) - 7 PM
RHP Nick Waechter (3-0, 5.93) vs. LHP Charles Huggins (1-1, 5.40)

This will come as a complete shock, but they’re waiting out the rain in Florida.    

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St. Lucie Roster | Jays Roster

Asheville Tourists (4-2, 30-45) (Col) @ Savannah Sand Gnats (3-4/38-39) - 7:00 PM
RHP Parker Frazier (4-5, 5.25) vs. RHP Kyle Allen (5-3, 4.26)

Josh Stinson was promoted to St. Lucie Wednesday.  RHP John Church, Tim Smith and OF Joe August have all joined the Gnats. 

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Tourists Roster | Gnats Roster

SSA: Brooklyn Cyclones (10-2) @ Tri-City Valley Cats (HOU) (5-5) - 7:00
LHP Mark Cohoon (2-0, 2.25) vs. LHP Colton Pitkin (1-1, 1.64)

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Cyclones Roster | Valley Cats Roster

Kingsport Mets (2-7) @ Burlington Royals (4-5) - 7:00
RHP Zach Von Tersch (0-0, 12.00) vs. Keaton Hayenga (1-0, 1.50)

Scoreboard
Royals Roster | K-Mets Roster

According to Kiley McDaniel at Baseball Prospectus:

9:40 AM: It’s been confirmed to by a Mets source that they have signed Venezuelan LHP Juan Urbina, son of former big leaguer Ugueth Urbina (pictured). I have also confirmed that the bonus is for over $1 million. I’ll try to track down the specific amount. Sources also indicate this will be the only Mets signing today.

No truth to the rumor that there’s a clause in Juan’s contract limiting him to switchblades instead of the family’s preferred machetes.  Ok, now that we’re done with horrible cheapshots, how about some scouting reports.

More from BP:

Urbina is a projectable lefty, and is the son of Ugueth Urbina. A number of teams are interested in him because of a fastball that’s hit 92 that he throws with solid command, as well as for his good feel for a breaking ball.

McDaniel reported a month ago that it was widely believed that Urbina had a deal in place with the Mets.

From Baseball America:

Juan Urbina pitches like the son of a former big league pitcher, as he shows advanced feel for pitching and the ability to throw strikes frequently. Urbina’s fastball sits at 88-89 mph and reaches 91 mph. With his loose arm, smooth delivery, clean followthrough and projectable, slender frame, Urbina should have at least a plus fastball in the future. His curveball is also advanced for his age and could be another future plus pitch. Urbina is expected to sign with the Mets, with projected bonus numbers rising from $700,000 to more recent estimates from scouts at $1.2 to $1.3 million.

Read those reports carefully and note that at present Urbina doesn’t have a plus offering.  The hope, as articulated by BA is that both his fastball and his curveball will be above average offerings.  Some pitchers add life to their fastball as they age, some don’t.  Such is the risk with signing all young players, including HS players in the draft, but the distance between the 16 year olds and what they can become is even greater.

Use the comment section to propose interview questions or themes you’d like to see me explore during my next few days in Binghamton.

A few things I’m looking forward to seeing/learning:

1. How will Brad Holt respond Thursday night after retiring one batter his last time out?

2. In a good way, what’s gotten into Ike Davis?

3. How come Jenrry Mejia is looking at two weeks off?  He has not pitched since June 23rd and is not listed among the B-Mets starters through the weekend.  Why is this a secret?

4. I’ll be soliciting opinions from scouts on players, and I’ve already got a few great quotes on Thole.

5. How has Manny Garcia taken to the OF?  I’ve heard good things.

6. Has SS/2B Ruben Tejada filled out at all?

7. Why is Michael Antonini working out of the bullpen?  (I doubt I’ll get a straight answer on this.)

8. What did Dylan Owen learn in his recent brief trip back to the FSL?

Ok, that’s more than a few.  Toss yours in here as well.

It’s not quite Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but Matt and Ted make for a pretty funny pair too.
I think episode four is my favorite - Ted’s interviews with the B-Mets mascots are fantastic, and the Josh Thole sequence at the end adds some solid substance.
Episode three is focused on pitchers Holt and Mejia.

Man, am I picking the right week to go see some B-Mets baseball.

C Josh Thole hits the DL with a dislocated thumb so he’ll miss at least the next week.

That’s better than RHP Ryan Coultas, who will miss the entire rest of the season to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.  Coultas gave Brian Moritz a great quote:

“It’s very frustrating,” Coultas said. “I love pitching. I felt like I’ve found my niche, we’ve got an awesome group of guys here … I’m pretty bummed.”

After Wednesday’s loss which dropped the B-Mets to 3-12 in their last 15 games and 8-24 in their last 32, Manager Mako Oliveras had a 25 minute closed-door post-game meeting.  After a twitter back and forth with Brian Moritz (I’m @tobyhyde), I learned that it was the third-such meeting in the last three weeks.  Yuck.