AAA: Buffalo Bisons 2, @ SWB Yankees 1

3B Javier Castillo extended his Bisons’-best hitting streak to 15 games with the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth, but the bigger story was Jon Niese.  Niese gave up just one run in six innings, working around eight hits and a walk.  He fanned five.  Niese has allowed two runs or fewer in his last seven starts, all of which have been at least six inning outings.  In five of those seven games, he’s allowed zero or one run.

AA:  @ New Britain RockCats (MIN) 5, Binghamton 0

The B-Mets lost for the eighth time in their last ten games as July is starting to look an awful lot June when the team went 8-21.  LF Lucas Duda (.276/.374/.385) and DH DJ Wabick (.290/.316/.388) were both 3-4 as Eric Brown lost his sixth straight start.   Brown (4-10, 5.87) gave up five runs on eight hits in 5.2 IP. 

A+: St. Lucie Mets 7, @ Jupiter Hammerheads (FLA) 6 (12 innings)

C Francisco Pena lifted his fourth homerun of the year in the top of the 12th inning to give the Mets the extra-inning victory.  Pena (.226) was 3-6 with a triple and the game-winning HR.  Pena has four extra-base hits in eight games in July.  It’s way too early to say that he’s turned a corner at the plate, but maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning.   1B Stefan Welch was 3-6. 
Jeff Kaplan (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K) was relieved by Nick Waechter, who apparently has lost his rotation spot.  Both Edgar Ramirez (2 ip) and Stephen Clyne (1 ip) who were recently demoted from Binghamtom, pitched scorelessly out of hte St. Lucie bullpen.

A: Savannah Sand Gnats 8, @ Lexington Legends (HOU) 0
Robert Carson (7-6, 2.02) turned in the complete game shutout, the first of his professional career.  He struck out eight, walked one and gave up just three hits.  The eight strikeouts were a season-high, but not a career best, as he punched out 12 in a GCL game last year. 
No Wilmer Flores, who was off to St. Louis for today’s All-Star Futures game.  3B Jefry Marte lifted his fifth homer of the year ina 2-4 night that also included a walk, while 2B Josh Satin provided three hits.