Advanced A – Florida State League

Brevard County Manatees 4, @ St. Lucie Mets 3 

The Manatees Chris Errecart, a former collegiate teammate of Josh Satin’s broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning with a solo homer off Nick Carr (pictured).  It was the only run that Carr (1-2, 2.30) gave up in four innings. 

Scott Shaw started, and was ok, but unspectacular, giving up three runs on six hits in five innings. 

Carlos Guzman (.305/.356/.515) continued his impressive 2009 season by going 3-4 with a double.  At age 23, it’s a little hard for me to get excited about Guzman’s performance in A-ball.  I need to see him do it at AA, where I fear that pitchers could exploit his aggressive approach.  The one statistical mark against him is that he has 12 walks against  36 strikeouts in 167  AB.

AAA – International League

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7 @ Buffalo Bisons 1

RF Wily Mo Pena’s homer in the ninth inning was the only thing separating the Bisons from a shutout.  Pena (.225/.259/.325 in 80 AB) was 2-4. 

Nelson Figueroa (0-4, 3.54) gave up six runs, all earned on nine hits in 6.2 innings. 

Out of habit, I usually write the AAA recap first and then move on down the system, just to stay organized.  Maybe I need to stop doing so.

A – South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends 3, @ Savannah Sand Gnats 1

Jeff Kaplan (4-1, 1.05) was very good again for Savannah.  The 23-year old tossed 7.2 shutout innings, fanning three and walking two.  However, Lexington scored three times against Josh Stinson and the Gnats bullpen in the ninth for the comeback win.

CF Sean Ratliff who was 2-4, drove home the Gnats only run of the game.  SS Wilmer Flores was 2-4 and 2B Jordanny Valdespin was 3-4 with a double.  Flores has hit in four straight contests.  Valdespin was hitting .385/.406/.615 when he was suspended by the Mets at the end of April.  Since his return, he’s hit a meager .203/.282/.250 in 17 games.

Advanced A – Florida State League

Game 1: @ Brevard County Manatees 6, St. Lucie Mets 5 (8 innings)

In game one, Jenrry Mejia fought his control over four innings, issuing four walks, a wild pitch, a wild throw to first on which he was charged with an error and another errant pitch that earned Francisco Pena his fouth passed ball of the year.  Two of the three runs he allowed were earned and he fanned eight.  Kirk Nieuwenhuis (.261/.351/.477) led the way for the offense by going 2-4 with a double.  He was also 2-4 in game two.  In May, Niewenhuis has hit .293/.391/.600.

The story in game two was the continued strong work of LHP Eric Niesen (3-2, 2.16).  Niesen (pictured) dealt six shutout innings, fanning six and walking two. Niesen will finish the month of May, 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 25 strikeouts against nine walks in 28 IP.

CF Carlos Guzman (.294/.347/.503), who just turned 23 this week, was 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.  1B Ike Davis (.282/.366/.429) was 2-3 with a double and a pair of RBI.

Bisons (13-31) vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (18-27)

RHP Nelson Figueroa (0-3, 2.65) vs. LHP Antonio Bastardo (0-0, 4.50)

The Mets and Phillies affiliates sport the two worst records in the IL North, and two of the three worst in the entire league.

AAA – International League

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 5, @ Buffalo Bisons 3

In a game that was delayed by an hour and ten minutes, the Iron Pigs touched Jon Niese (0-4, 7.96) for five runs on two homers in six innings.  Niese walked three and fanned two.

Managers Ken Oberkfell explained Niese’s struggles to Amy Moritz in the Buffalo News:

“He made a few mistakes in innings where he got hit,” Oberkfell said. “He got behind hitters and when you do that good hitters are going to hurt you. That’s what they did. But overall he threw a lot better than he has [been].”

Moritz also reports that Alex Cora is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday for the Bisons.

2B Argenis Reyes was 2-4 to extend his modest hitting streak to five games.

Brian Moritz is the B-Mets beat writer in the Press & Sun Bulletin in Binghamton…. Is Amy is his better half?

The Bisons play at 1:05 Thursday.

AA -Eastern League

@ B-Mets 6, Connecticut Defenders 5 (11 innings)

The B-Mets who play at 10:35 today, needed 11 innings Wednesday night in a game where the winning run scored on a Connecticut throwing error.

RF DJ Wabick, SS Jose Coronado, and 2B Ruben Tejada all had three this.

LHP Michael Antonini found AA a little more to his liking than AAA as he gave up four runs on five hits over 6.1 IP.  He struck out eight.

Edgar Alfonzo pitched a perfect 11th for the win.