Rockies prospect LHP Franklin Morales took a no-no into the ninth against my Oaks Saturday.  Well over 100 pitches, Morales was still throwing 98 mph in the 8th inning.  His control is still inconsistent, and was helped by a Little League style generous strike zone, but there are nights, like tonight, when his stuff is so special it doesn’t matter.  He’s listed at 6’0” 170, which is closer to his signing size than his current stature.  I’d estimate he’s now 6’2” 200, and it’s a solid 200. 

 

            Mike McGann of nybaseballcentral.com recaps a crazy Saturday in Metsland below:

 

            While John Maine was at RFK continuing to ease the Mets’ worries about the back of their rotation, it was a wild and wooly day in the farm system, replete with come from behind wins and wild finishes. Every team other than Binghamton tasted victory and Kingsport had one of its all time biggest late comebacks ever.

 

 

Stars of the Day:

AAA: Sandy Martinez

AA: Jorge Padilla

A+: Jose Coronado

A: Will Vogl

SSA: - Tim Grogan

R (APP): Brad Hubbert

R (GCL):  Daniel Stegall

 

 

 

Norfolk (AAA - International League)

@Norfolk 5, Toledo 4

 

            Sandy Martinez slugged a walk-off homer in the ninth inning to lead the Tides to a win at Harbor Park.

            Martinez, who played for Toledo in 2005, also drove in a run with a fourth-inning double. Heath Bell (3-2) picked up the win in relief of Jose Lima who was pitching a shutout until surrendering four runs in the sixth inning. Victor Diaz and Bobby Malek both had two hits and an RBI.

 

 

 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

@Bowie 6, Binghamton 1

 

            Binghamton’s slump continued as starter Miguel Perez struggled and the offense went nowhere.

            Perez (6-5) allowed eight hits and six runs in five innings of work. The B-Mets, now three games out of first place in the Northern Division of Eastern League, were held to just four hits in the game, two by Jorge Padilla.

 

 

 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

St. Lucie 8, @ Vero Beach 5

 

            Jose Coronado’s three-run, eighth-inning single proved to be the margin, as St. Lucie battled back from a big deficit and shaky starting pitching to beat Vero Beach at historic Holman Stadium.  (Ed: If you had trouble with the concept of a three-run single, you weren’t alone.  Coronado himself scored the third run on the play on a throwing error on Vero’s catcher.  This, my friends, is minor league baseball.) 

            Coronado’s heroics bailed out starter Robert Paulk who struggled with control in the strike zone (seven hits) and out of it (two walks) in four innings of work — although he allowed just three runs. Carlos Muniz pitched the final out of the game to pick up his 27th save of the season.

 

 

Hagerstown (A – South Atlantic League)

@Hagerstown 6, @Greensboro 5, 

 

            Late heroics by the bullpen saved a strong effort by starter Jeramy Simmons as Hagerstown managed to hold off Greensboro at Hagerstown Municipal Stadium.

            Simmons (1-2) was sharp through seven innings, allowing just two runs and four hits, but ran out of gas in the eighth, allowing a pair of singles and then a double, which scored a run, to start off the inning. Ryan Meyers couldn’t put out the fire, giving up a single and two more runs before finally quelling the uprising. Kevin Tomasiewicz slammed the door and picked up his 15th save.

            Will Vogl had a pair of hits and drove in two runs to pace the Suns’ offense.

 

 

 

 

Brooklyn (SSA – New York Penn League)

@Brooklyn 6, Batavia 5

 

            Jacob Ruckle overcame a rough start and managed to keep his team in the game, while Tim Grogan drive in a pair of runs to pace a balanced attack as first-place Brooklyn held of Batavia.

            Ruckle, who didn’t figure in the decision, got nailed for three runs in the second, but managed to gather himself and get through the fifth, allowing eight hits, four runs (three earned).

            Jason Jacobs and Luis Rivera both had two hits for the Cyclones.

 

 

 

Kingsport Mets (R – Appalachian League)

@Kingsport 12, Bristol 11

 

            On a night of close finishes and come from behind wins around the organization, Kingsport takes the cake by scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to overcome Bristol.

            Brad Hubbert got things going in the ninth with a two-run homer, then David Wabick singled with the bases loaded, for two more runs. Will Bashelor’s double drove home the final two runs to end the game. Dustin Childress (3-1) picked up the win in relief.

            Wabick had three hits and drove in a pair, while Hubbert had three hits and drove in three.

 

 

 

 

 

GCL Mets (R – Gulf Coast League)

@GCL Marlins 4, GCL Mets 1

@GCL Mets 4, GCL Marlins 3

 

 

            The Mets and Marlins split an unusual home and home doubleheader. In the opener, the Mets were held to just three hits, wasting Mets’ starter Nathan Hedrick’s reasonably solid start.

            In the nightcap, Jeff Voyels scored on a bases-load walk, after the Mets’ overcame a three-run first inning by the Marlins. Daniel Stegall was the lone Met to have three hits in the twinbill.