Mets Minor League Blog 7-9-09
Toby Hyde
If you read nothing else, know that Brad Holt struck out ten batters in five innings Wednesday night for AA Binghamton.
1. Top 41 Review
2. Figueroa’s Heart Bleeds Blue and Orange
3. Ambres had a tough call
4. The Yankees are underwater
5. The games
1. I began my mid-season review of the Mets top prospects Wednesday. You can read about prospects 36-41 including Lucas Duda, Roy Merritt and more here, and 31-35 including Tobi Stoner and others here. A look at those guys I had ranked in the 20s will follow Thursday. Check out www.metsminorleagueblog.com.
.
2. In his weekly Minor League Report at his Surfing the Mets blog, Adam Rubin highlighted Nelson Figueroa (4-4, 2.63), who was the Bisons only representative to the AAA All-Star game next Wednesday in Portland. Figueroa on pitching at AAA:
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do all year—just be the most consistent starter down here,” Figueroa said. “I don’t think I’m trying to prove that I belong or don’t belong at Triple-A. I’m just trying to show I’m ready whenever the call comes.”
When the Mets designated Figueroa for assignment, he chose free agency to speak
to other teams, before deciding to return to the Mets. He explained to Rubin why, in part he returned
to New York,
“I was very close to going elsewhere, but my heart wants to do something special in a Mets uniform.”
3. Joel Goddett at bisons.com wrote a very nice piece on Bisons OF Chip Ambres. The story focuses on the choice an 18-year old Ambres, a first-round pick of the Florida Marlins, made in choosing baseball over football where he had a full scholarship to play quarterback at Texas A&M. As a senior, Ambres led his football team to an 11-4 record and the Texas state quarterfinals where the team’s run ended despite 330 yards passing from Ambres. After hitting 22 homeruns last year for Pawtucket, the 29-year old Ambres has hit just .226/.235/.236 this year.
4. The Scranton/WB Yankees’ field isn’t draining properly and is costing the team dearly. The Yankees have had to cancel games under sunny skies because the surface is holding water and will need to be replaced at season’s end. This weekend, the Bisons games in S/WB have been moved to Syracuse. Mike Harrington in the Buffalo News is all over the story. This has to be killing the Yankees AAA affiliate financially.
AAA: @ Buffalo Bisons 4, Scranton/WB Yankees (NYY) 1
Lance Broadway (2-5, 5.68), the return from the White Sox for Ramon Castro, tossed a complete game seven-hitter in easily his best effort of the season. He struck out four and walked two.
CF Cory Sullivan was 2-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
AA: @ Portland Sea Dogs (BOS) 3, Binghamton Mets 1 (7 innings)
@ Portland Sea Dogs 6, Binghamton Mets 2 (7 innings)
In game one, in innings 1, 2, 4, and 5, Brad Holt (0-3, 8.40) was perfect, retiring 12-of-12 batters, fanning eight and allowing just two balls out of the infield. However, in the third, a walk, a pair of singles and a double brought three runs home for Portland. Holt fanned 10 in five innings in his best AA outing in four tries. Ike Davis (.273/.394/.509) homered for the third time in four games.
In game two, the Sea Dogs beat up Jacob Ruckle in his first start of the year for Binghamton for six runs in 1.2 innings. CF Manny Garcia (.278/.324/.375) was 2-4.
A+: @ St. Lucie Mets 9, Palm Beach Cardinals (STL) 8
Scott Moviel’s second FSL start of the year did not go well, but the offense picked him up Wednesday night. Moviel gave up six runs, five earned on eight hits in 3.1 innings.
Angel Pagan DHed and was 0-2 while walking twice.
The Mets scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead, but after the bullpen gave up the advantage in the top of the ninth, 2B Hector Pellot won it with a single in the bottom half. CF Seth Williams was 3-5.
A: @ Lexington Legend (HOU) 7, Savannah Sand Gnats 3
3B Jefry Marte was 2-4 from the leadoff spot, but committed his 32nd error, this one with an errant throw. 24-year old 2B Josh Satin (.298/.395/.411) was 2-4 with a homer, his fourth.
Kyle Allen (5-5, 4.54) gave up two homers and five runs overall in five innings for his fifth loss of the year.
SSA: Aberdeen Ironbirds (BAL) 5, Brooklyn Cyclones 4 (12 innings)
The Ironbirds snapped the Cyclones 10-game winning streak, but needed extra innings to do so, getting to Michael Powers in his third inning of work. The run Powers gave up in the 12th inning was his first as a Cyclone in his 9.1 innings of work.
1B Sam Honeck, the Mets 11th round pick from Tulane was 3-5. He’s off to a .319/.377/.348 start for the Cyclones. Here’s one you don’t see all the time: Dock Doyle pinch-hit for 2B Matt Gaski. Doyle stayed in the game and caught, while C Juan Centeno dropped off his shinguards for a second-baseman’s glove and moved out to the keystone. I like it.
R- APP: @ Kingsport Mets 10, Elizabethton Twins 7
Just another crazy night in the Appy League as the Mets pounded out 10 runs on 16 hits. 21-year old OF Pedro Zapata was 4-5 with a double. He’s now hitting .382/.400/.441 after nine games after hitting .221/.257/.248 in 58 games with the K-Mets last year. 3B Joe Bonfe (.367/.465/.517 – age 21) was 2-4 with a double.
Rough outing for young LHP Angel Cuan: 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
R- GCL: GCL Mets 9, GCL Astros 2
Four Astros errors helped the Mets, but only two of the nine
runs were unearned. 1B Juan Torres (.345/.406/.517 – age 20 )
was 2-4 with a pair of doubles.
Toby Hyde writes metsminorleagueblog.com.