Fresno 2, Las Vegas (3-4) 1

With the game tied at one in the eighth inning, Wally Backman called on Dario Alvarez to replace Erik Goeddel to set up a lefty-lefty matchup with the powerful A.J. Reed with one out. Reed, former Mets draft pick in 2011, took the first pitch from Alvarez over the left center field wall for the game-winner. Reed is the Astros #2 prospect and is coming off a 2015 season in which he led the entire minor leagues in homeruns (34), RBI (127) and slugging (.612).

The 51s would go down in order in the ninth inning on what was a frustrating night for the offense that produced only three hits and had two players caught stealing.

Dilson Herrera was back in the lineup after being limited to pinch hitting the last four games but it was still has the designated hitter. He is still recovering from a sore shoulder and could return to second base soon. He went 0 for 3 with a walk and is hitting just .176 in the early going.

Outfielder Roger Bernadina had two of the teams three hits and reached via walk, he is 5 for 15 to start his 51s career. The only other Vegas hit came from shortsrtop Gavin Cecchini who went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored the only run. He has now reached base five times in the last two games and has struck out only three times in his first seven Triple-A games.

Andrew Barbosa was making his Mets and AAA debut last night, what a debut it was for the tall left-hander. He went five innings allowing only one run on seven hits while striking out six and walking no one. Barbosa, 6’8″, isn’t going to overpower hitters, instead he relies on deception and the angles he throws from much like former Met Chris Young.

The Mets signed the former Long Island Duck this offseason as a minor league free agent and he was suppose to start the season with Binghamton but the 51s needed a spot starter last night. When I first saw him pitch in winter ball this offseason I was amazed how many hitters were late on his uppers 80’s fastball. He does pair it with an awesome changeup that he uses in any count and gets plenty of swings and misses on.

Goeddel pitched 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts as he waits on his opportunity to return to the big club. Josh Smoker pitched a scoreless sixth inning, he has allowed only one baserunner (hit) in his first 3.1 AAA innings.

Roster Note: Per Russ Langer (51s broadcaster) Eric Campbell was told he is headed back to the Mets. Which makes sense assuming the Mets put Jacob deGrom on the DL. Box Score

Binghamton 7 (4-2), Erie 3

Mets right-handed pitching prospect Robert Gsellman was strong on the mound again going 6.2 innings giving up one run on five hits. He really had the late movement on the sinker working last night as he induced a whopping 13 ground ball outs to help pick up his first win of the year. He has allowed two runs on seven hits in 12.2 innings with nine strikeouts to begin the 2016 campaign.

Gsellman retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced before giving way to Logan Taylor in the 7th inning. Taylor walked two in his 0.2 innings of relief but managed to go unscored upon and stranded an inherited runner. Kelly Secrest allowed two runs in the 9th inning before shutting the door on the B-Mets victory.

The B-Mets offensive star of the night was catcher Xorge Carrillo who went 3 for 5 with a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Matt Oberste continued his good start to the season going 2 for 4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. He is hitting .375 with five runs scored and is serving mainly as the B-Mets designated hitter.

Outfielder Victor Cruzado went without a hit but did walk and score three times on the night. Over his last two games, he has walked and scored on five occasions. Fellow outfielder Kyle Johnson was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBI. Dominic Smith had a rough night going hitless in five at bats while striking out three times, he is hitting just .185 to start his Binghamton career.

Jeff McNeil sat out his third straight game with an abdominal strain. Before the game, LHP Kyle Regnault was placed on the 7-day disabled list and outfielder Jared King was activated from the DL. Box Score

St. Lucie Mets (6-3) 4, Brevard County 0

Corey Oswalt rebounded from a rough first start of the year (2.2 IP, five earned runs)to throw six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He walked only one and gave up four hits in route to his first St. Lucie Mets win. Kevin McGowan faced seven batters in relief and struck out five of them in his 2.1 perfect innings. He has struck out 13 in 6.2 innings to start the year.

In his third rehab appearance Josh Edgin came on to get the final two outs of the game, he struck out both batters he faced (lefty and righty). He needed only eight pitches to do so with six of them coming for strikes. He has now pitched two innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. Sorry there wasn’t any velocity readings.

The offensive was paced by leadoff man Champ Stuart who reached base three times (two singles, walk) and did not strikeout! Jhoan Urena had only one hit on the night, however that was a deep solo shot in the 9th inning for his first long ball of the season. St. Lucie took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Amed Rosario (1 for 4) and John Mora (1 for 4, 2B, SB) both scored on a wild pitch.

Tomas Nido, Michael Katz and Kevin Taylor each had one hit in the game. Wuilmer Becerra continues to sit with an undisclosed injury, he hasn’t played since a pinch running appearance on the 11th but hasn’t been placed ont he DL yet.  Box Score

Greenville 8, Columbia (5-4) 3

It would have been tough for the Fireflies starter Thomas McIlraith to come up with an encore to his six no-hit innings in his first start and things did not go as planned when he was knocked out of the game in the fifth inning. He went 4.2 innings allowing three runs on two hits and four walks.

Neither Craig Missigman or Christian Montgomery were effective out of the pen, they combined to issue four walks and five runs in 3.1 innings. Righty Nicco Blank made his Columbia debut with a scoreless ninth.

David Thompson (1 for 4, R) stretched his hitting streak to nine games with his fourth double of the season. Ivan Wilson was bumped down to seventh in the order and responded by going 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base, double and a run scored. Box Score