(J. PATRICK RICE/TCpalm.com)
Sacramento 12, Las Vegas (5-6) 1
The 51s continued the trend of the Mets minor league teams on Tuesday night in which all four of them combined to score six runs. Something that has plagued the Vegas offense all year is hitting with runners in scoring position and last night was no different going o for 9 while leaving ten runners on.
Dilson Herrera went 2 for 5 with a run batted in for the second consecutive night and he is 7 for 19 with three runs scored during his four-game hitting streak. He hit his third double of the season and lifted his batting average up to .278.
Brandon Nimmo was o for 3 on the night but did walk, steal his first base of the season and throw out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double. Roger Bernadina extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 1 for 4 night. He hit his 3rd double of the season and is leading the 51s with his .345 average.
T.J. Rivera (1 for 4) made his first start of 2016 at first base while Ty Kelly (0 for 3, BB) started at third base for the first time this year.
Starter Seth Lugo got knocked around by the River Cats in only 2.2 innings, he allowed a career high nine runs on ten hits and struck out three. He fell to 1-2 on the season and his ERA ballooned up to 10.66. He lumbered through the night throwing 74 pitches including being left out there to toss 44 of them in the third inning.
Zach Thornton pitched 1.1 scoreless but allowed both inherited runners to score. Erik Goeddel pitched a scoreless inning, he has given up one run on five hits in four innings this year. Josh Smoker struck out three in his inning of work, though he did give up a run on two hits. Box Score
Akron 7, Binghamton (5-5) 2
In his first start of the 2016 season Mickey Jannis took a no-hitter into the 7th inning but on Tuesday night he fared very differently. He had trouble commanding the knuckleball and was knocked out after only four innings. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out only one.
Lefty reliever David Roseboom had his best outing of the season, he pitched two scoreless inning with one strikeout and lowered his ERA to 3.38.
The B-Mets were getting no-hit by Akron starter Shawn Morimando before L.J. Mazzilli hit a RBI triple in the top of the 6th inning with one out. Derrik Gibson would single him in to narrow the RubberDucks lead to 4-2. Those would be the only two hits the offense managed all night.
Dominic Smith went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts lowering his season average to .186. The B-Mets did walk five times with Stefan Sabol and Matt Oberste each doing so twice. Veteran Niuman Romero got tossed by the homeplate umpire in the 8th inning forcing Oberste to go from DH to making his first apperance of the year at third. Box Score
Charlotte 4, St. Lucie (8-5) 3
The Mets offense produced 11 hits on the evening though they stranded seven men on and scored all of their runs in the 4th inning. Charlotte would score three of their own in the 5th inning and one more in the 8th to get the victory.
Josh Edgin started the game for St. Lucie, pitching a 1-2-3 first inning on just nine pitches. He got a strikeout, pop out and a ground out in his fourth rehab appearance. Overall, he has now thrown four rehab innings allowing a run on two hits and striking out five.
Josh Prevost went 6.1 innings out of the pen, he allowed four runs (three earned) on ten hits and struck out four. He fell to 1-1 on the season with a 3.52 ERA in 12.2 innings. Alberto Baldonado pitched 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts but allowed the game-winning hit that scored an inherited runner. The lefty has now struck out 10 batters in 6.1 innings of work this season.
The offense was lead by prospect Wuilmer Becerra who went 2 for 4 with a two-run double, he was the designated hitter again as he recovers from a sore shoulder. Here you can watch the Becerra double. Amed Rosario reached base three times on the night (2 for 3, BB, R) and hit his league leading fourth triple of the season.
Luis Guillorme was 2 for 4 and now has five hits in his last three games as he starts to heat up with the bat. Michael Katz went 2 for 4 with a RBI and run scored. After striking out only twice in his last four games, Champ Stuart was back to his old ways going 0 for 5 with three strikeouts. Box Score
Charleston 7, Columbia (6-7) 0
Righty Chase Ingram had his first rough start of the year allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out five. He drops to 1-1 on the year with a 2.81 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 16 innings. Craig Missigman continued his season long struggles giving up three runs in two innings of work.
Nicco Blank pitched a perfect 9th inning with one strikeout and lowered his ERA to 2.25. The Fireflies pitching staff gave up three homers on the night and have now given up a league high 14 on the season.
The Fireflies offense was non-existent against Charleston starter Josh Rogers who only allowed three hits in 7.2 innings. Columbia got once hit a piece from outfielder Tucker Tharp (1 for 3, 2B), shortstop Milton Ramos (1 for 3) and first baseman Dash Winningham (1 for 4). Vinny Siena was hitless on the night but did walk in the 9th inning for his league leading 13th time in 2016.
Columbia has a quick turnaround with a 11:05 game on Wednesday, P.J. Conlon (1-0, 1.69) will make his third start of the season. Box Score
Rosario with another walk, good to see. His triples make me wonder if he has a bit of Jose Reyes in him..that would be fabulous.
I think he definitely has the speed to hit a bunch of triples. Should steal 20-25 bases too once he becomes more efficient at doing that.
Very nice.
Nimmo sharp as usual with the 0-4. Blame Wally for batting him 8th. Oh wait, he was hitting 2nd.
Wally still not concerned with pitchers usage…
Hey Michael, thanks for the recaps as always.
Have you heard any rumblings about a potentially quick promotion for Rosario if he keeps this up? I may have missed something around the start of the season, but just assumed when I saw Rosario and Guillorme at St Lucie that Rosario may be looking at a quick promotion if he starts off hot.
Heck, if not for his injury last year, I think Rosario would have earned his way onto the AA roster to start 2016. Curious if you’ve heard anything like that?
I think they Rosario will certainly be up in Binghamton very soon. It sounded like to me that the real reason for him starting in St. Lucie was to get off to a nice start with the bat which he has done. Would still be good to see him take a few more walks though. My guess would be mid-May he is back with Binghamton.
Thanks Michael. That is what I was hoping to hear! Needless to say, if Rosario can translate his impressive skill set into equally impressive tangible results, that would be a very welcome development. I know results don’t mean as much as his refining his approach and swing, but it would be a nice next step in his development. Certainly, it would skyrocket him up the prospect lists, not that that is so important.
I’ve been very impressed with how he has more than handled himself as among the youngest players in the league each year (coupled with his very quick hands). But there is still something to be said for seeing more quantifiable success, even for the player, to gain that much more confidence and challenge him that much more as the league starts making adjustments.