This was a really nice piece from Lynn Worthy about AA RHP Collin McHugh with quotes from both B-Mets manager Wally Backman and Pitching Coach Marc Valdes and McHugh himself.

Backman on McHugh:

“He turned himself into somebody this year… If he stays healthy, he’s going to pitch in the big leagues.”

Backman on keeping McHugh in AA despite some ugly-looking numbers to start the year:

“You’re talking about a kid with a six-something ERA, we were only going to have him for a short time,” Backman said. “We begged to keep him. They said, ‘Okay, go ahead you can keep him.’ Once you ask for a guy like that and they let you have him, you’re stuck with him. He did all the work you had to do. He definitely the most improved and most consistent pitcher that we had here for the time he was here, without question, even more so than our two big guys (Familia and Harvey).”

McHugh on McHugh, explaining his AA success:

“(I was) more aggressive, more aggressive in the strike zone…You can’t give hitters too much credit. Pitchers always say that, but it’s the truth.”

This is a nice nostalgia trip.

Saturday: Reading Phillies 6, @ Binghamton Mets 5
Sunday: Reading Phillies 5, @ Binghamton Mets 4
Monday: Reading Phillies 6, @ Binghamton Mets 2

Final starts of the year edition.

Sunday, Matt Harvey: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 H
Monday: Jeurys Familia: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. I love the 96 strikeouts in 87.2 innings.
How about these monster platoon splits:
Vs Left: .331/.401/.551, 16 BB/32 K – 10% BB/21% K – 153 TPA
Vs Right: .194/.288/.257, 19 BB/64 K – 8% BB/27% K – 235 TPA

- Reese Havens didn’t play on Monday, but with three doubles in his last four games finished up at AA in 2011 with a .289/.372/.455. In 36 games after the AA All-Star Break, he bashed at .315/.397/.488 with 17 walks and 34 strikeouts.

- Allan Dykstra (.267/.389/.474) finished with home runs in each of his last two games to run his season total to 19.

AAA: @ Lehigh Valley 2, Buffalo Bisons 1

SS Jordany Valdespin’s throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the ninth allowed Lehigh Valley to score the game-winning run. Valdespin (.295/.320/.442 – 23 G at AAA), who was 1-4, did extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

AA: Reading Phillies 4, @ Binghamton Mets 2

Oh damn. He’s doing it again. After two hitless games that ended his hitting streak at 19 games, RF Juan Lagares got going again, going 2-5 with two doubles.

For the second straight game 2B Reese Havens (.287/.373/.455) doubled and walked.

Tobi Stoner (4-6, 5.76): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. A fitting conclusion to a lost season for a guy who made big league appearances in both 2009 and 2010.

Binghamton Mets 2, Erie SeaWolves 1

Now that’s a way to end a season.  Collin McHugh (8-2, 2.89) 9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K.   The complete game was the first by a B-Mets starter this year, and the 11 strikeouts were a new double-A high for McHugh.

Splits time (at AA):
Pre All-Star Break: 5.06 ERA, 8 G, 7 GS, 37.1 IP, 39 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 2 HR, 19 BB, 35 K
Post All-Star Break: 1.45 ERA, 10 G, 9 GS, 56 IP, 39 H, 9 R, 13 BB, 65 K

That’s just excellent.

2B Reese Havens (.288/.373/.455) was 1-3 with a double and a walk.  Patience?  Power?

Something important to keep in mind about the guys playing second base in AA and AAA at the end of the year: Havens has a .373 on-base percentage in AA and an 11.4% walk rate.  Jordany Valdespin had a .341 on-base percentage and a 5.8% walk rate in AA.

C Kai Gronauer’s (.243/.321/.365) solo home run in the eighth inning broke a 1-1 tie to give the B-Mets the go ahead run.

Binghamton Mets 6, @ Erie Sea Wolves 5

Jeurys Familia: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.  10 gb outs, 2 fb outs.  The 21-year old in his first go-round in AA: 16 GS, 82.2 IP, 78 H, 40 R, 31 ER, 33 BB, 92 K.  With a big-time fastball and a slider that can be deadly, he fanned 10 batters/9 IP, walked 3.6 and had a 2.8 K/BB ratio.

Juan Lagares was 0-4 to snap his hitting streak at 19 straight games.

After going 2-for-4 with a solo home run, 24 year old 1B/3B Eric Campbell is now hitting .328/.385/.500 in 134 AB after the all-star break.

Binghamton Mets 4, @ Erie Sea Wolves (PIT) 3

Damn, man.  Juan Lagares was 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 19 straight games.  Dude’s hitting .397/.420/.544 in 32 games in AA.  He’s hit safely in 30 of 32 games with the B-Mets.  He’s hitting .402 (33-for-82) with five doubles, two triples, a homer and a .437 OBP in his 19-game streak which is the longest active hitting streak in the Eastern League.  He’s one game away from tying Tim Fedroff (Akron – Cleveland affiliate) for the longest hitting streak in the Eastern League in 2011.  Raise your hand if you saw this coming.  Anyone?

Brahiam Maldonado launched a solo home run, his 27th jack of the year, in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 tie to give the B-Mets a win.  Maldonado, who is second in the EL in homers, will be 26 in September and is hitting .228/.291/.465 overall with 37 walks against 137 strikeouts in 125 games.  Lets move on.

Robert Carson was ok: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.  It was his first walk-less start since May 4th.

Brad Holt worked a scoreless eighth, while Josh Stinson handled the ninth.