I don’t really have the energy after a 6 hour+ bus trip from New Orleans to parse the entire weekend in the Mets system.  Instead, this report will be heavily focused on the top of the system where the Cubs and Zephyrs just completed a very odd series. 

            Some injury updates first.  Mike Pelfrey was scheduled to throw Thursday, but was skipped with “fatigue.”  Pelfrey has thrown 125 innings this year total versus 117.2 last year.  Joe Smith is nursing tendonitis in his elbow.  Ambiorix Burgos felt something wrong in his elbow, left the mound in pain Friday, and was headed to the doctor.  Early word was it looked bad.

 

 

 

AAA – New Orleans (Pacific Coast League)

Thursday: Iowa Cubs 10, @ Zephyrs 2

Friday: @ Zephyrs 7, Iowa Cubs 0

Saturday: Iowa Cubs 2, @ Zephyrs 1

Sunday: Iowa Cubs (75-61) 9, @ Zephyrs (68-68) 8

 

            Thursday, the Cubs clubbed Jose Santiago for eight runs in five and two thirds.  The Cubs’ Geovany Soto, leading the PCL in batting average and slugging drilled two home runs and narrowly missed a third in going 3-3 with four runs scored.  David Newhan had two of the Zs four hits.   Willie Collazo worked a perfect ninth with a strikeout. 

            Friday, Jason Vargas tossed seven shutout innings, fanning eight.  He looked so much better than the last time I saw him throw, it wasn’t funny.  He used both his curve and change effectively to righties and lefties.  Seven of his eight whiffs were swinging.  Ivan Maldonado’s slider was impressive as well.

            Saturday, the series got weird.  Cubs starter Kevin Hart walked six in six innings, and Cubs pitching walked eight, but none scored.  The teams combined for 12 hits – all singles, the Zephyrs first game home game in 2007 without an extra base knock for either side.  New Orleans left 13 runners aboard and was 1-9 with runners in scoring position.  Dave Williams was tough, but his stuff didn’t stand out.  Willie Collazo worked another scoreless ninth.  It’d be interesting to see him in the Mets bullpen in September. 

            Sunday, the oddness continued.  Adam Bostick threw 13 pitches in the first inning11 for balls, but thanks to a pickoff and a doubleplay grounder, emerged unscathed.  He walked six through 2.2 innings before giving up his first hit, predictably, a three run jack to Soto.  In his first thee innings, he looked as bad as I’ve seen a pitcher look in the PCL all year long.  Then, he retired the final seven hitters in a row before leaving the game.  Down 3-0, the Zs rallied, helped by a big day from Fernando Tatis (4-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) for an 8-3 lead.  In the seventh, an error on Anderson Hernandez and an ineffective Steve Schmoll opened the door for a 5-run I-Cubs inning to tie the score.  With the bases loaded, Ronny Cedeno tripled down the right-field line, and came home to score the tying run on crisp single to left by Soto.  Ryan Cullen gave up a home run to John Nelson in the eight for the deciding run. 

            The Zs, 1-7 on the road in their last eight, leave the Big Easy for their final eight games of the season.

 

 

AA – Binghamton (Eastern League)

Friday: @ Trenton 5, Mets 4 (11 innings)

Saturday: @ Trenton Thunder 7, Mets 0

Sunday: Mets 3, @ Trenton Thunder 2 (14 innings)

 

            Sunday, Endy Chavez was 0-3 with two walks in Binghamton, but Kevin Mulvey was dominant.  In six innings, Mulvey struck out ten, one off a season high, walked one and allowed two runs on four hits.  By the way, putting Chavez in double-A for a few days seems like the right move to me.  Why not wait to bring him back to the big club until September 1 so as not to risk anyone else’s roster spot? 

            Friday, Bobby Parnell didn’t make it out of the second inning, giving up four runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings.  He walked two and fanned four.  He’s now thrown 134.2 innings after 105.1 a year ago.  Will Carroll believes that after increases of more than 30 innings, a young pitcher’s injury risk increases. 

 

A+ -- St. Lucie (Florida State League)

Friday: @ Vero Beach 2, Mets 0 (6 innings, lightning)

Saturday: Palm Beach Cardinals 12, @ Mets 2

Sunday: Mets 3, @ Palm Beach Cardinals 0

 

            Sunday, Deolis Guerra beat a rehabbing Mark Mulder.  Guerra allowed just two hits over five innings, walking one and fanning three, earning his second win of the year and his first since April 23rd.  He’s been working on five or six days rest since his return in August and in 13.1 innings has a 2.03 ERA and 11 strikeouts. 

            Friday, in the lightning shortened game, Jon Niese allowed one earned run in five innings.  He fell to 11-7 with a 4.12 ERA as the Mets were four-hit. 

            The Mets have a 3.5 game lead in the FSL east and look headed for the playoffs. 

 

 

 

Toby Hyde has written Toby’s Mets Minor League Report since 2004.  Please pass this along to friends, family, co-workers, enemies and most importantly Mets fans.  To subscribe to the email newsletter, sign up here: http://groups.google.com/group/mets-minors?hl=en.  Archives are available at http://metsminors.metsblog.com.