I recommend this very nice profile of Mike Carp by Brian Moritz in the Press & Sun Bulletin.  Adam Rubin wrote about Carp’s ups and downs as well in his weekly minor league report here. 

            While Fernando Martinez was on his hot streak, Baseball America slipped him into their weekly Hot Sheet Friday.  And of course, a Mets fan wanted to see Carp on the list, as this exchange from the chat shows:

 

Q:  Herb from NYC asks:
I've been surprised that Mike Carp hasn't made any of the Hot Sheets yet with a BA around .450 with 5 HR in double A at a young age. How come?  A: 

Matt Eddy: We looked at Carp for this edition, but the way it broke down, he batted "just" .333-.379-.407 with a pair of doubles this week. He's fighting his way back onto prospect lists after a down year in 2007. Give him time.

 

 

Stars of the Weekend:

AAA: Ruddy Lugo

AA: Nick Evans…Eric Brown

A+: Dillon Gee/Jason Jacobs…*Brahiam Maldonado*/Tim Stronach

A: Darren Clark…Elvin Ramirez/Greg Veloz

 

New Orleans (AAA – Pacific Coast League)

Saturday: Rained Out

Sunday: @ New Orleans Zephyrs (14-9, -2.5) 2 , Round Rock Express (7-15) 0 (5 innings)

 

            Sunday, Ruddy Lugo improved to 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA with five shutout innings in a cheap complete game – one shortened by rain.  Lugo struck out two and walked one, while giving up four hits.

            New Orleans had three hits all afternoon, combining two doubles with a walk to plate two runs in the second inning.  Fernando Tatis doubled with out one, and after Chris Aguila walked, Shawn Wooten doubled Tatis home.  Aguila scored on a groundout by Jesus Feliciano.  Aguila and Feliciano were the only Zephyrs in Sunday’s lineup hitting above .260. 

            This was the first time New Orleans has swept Round Rock at home since the Express joined the PCL. 

            New Orleans is off Monday before heading to Tacoma and Portland this week. 

 

 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

Saturday: @ Portland Sea Dogs 12, Binghamton Mets 1

Sunday: @ Portland Sea Dogs (17-6) 3, Binghamton Mets (10-14, -7.5) 0

 

            Saturday was just not a good day for Bobby Parnell and the B-Mets.  Parnell lasted only 4.1, yielding seven runs on seven hits and five walks and a bomb.  He was responsible for the first three runs of the eight-run Portland fifth before giving way to Eude Brito.  Brito managed to give up eight hits and five runs while recording eight outs.  Fernando Martinez’s nine game hit streak came to a crashing halt with an 0-4, complete with four strikeouts.  Binghamton only had five hits, one of which left the yard when Nick Evans went deep for the fourth time this year in the ninth.  Evans played leftfield, and committed two errors. 

            Sunday, Eric Brown (0-2, 4.97) threw well, but didn’t get much help.  Brown gave up a run on seven hits in six innings fanning four.  Eddie Kunz gave up a run in the ninth as his ERA rose to 5.06.  No Met had more than one hit.  Salvador Paniagua, playing his third game with Binghamton, had a double, the only extra-base hit of the day for the B-Mets. 

            The B-Mets are off Monday before welcoming New Britain to NYSEG Stadium this week. 

           

 

 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

Saturday: @ St. Lucie Mets 9, Palm Beach Cardinals 2

Sunday: @ St. Lucie Mets (4-20, -12.0) 6, Palm Beach Cardinals (16-8) 4 (14 innings)

           

            Saturday, Dillon Gee and the Mets enjoyed their first win in almost two weeks.  Gee threw six excellent innings to help the Mets snap their 11 game skid.  Gee (1-2, 5.04) gave up a run on four hits in six innings, fanning five without issuing a free pass.  At the plate, C Jason Jacobs was 3-4 with a RBI and R.  1B Lucas Duda was 2-4 with a double, 2 RBI and 2R.  LF Brahiam Maldonado was 2-4 with a double.  DH Josh Thole went yard. 

            Sunday, St. Lucie won its second straight game in one of the wildest games in the Mets system all year.  The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the 14th to take a 4-3 lead only to watch Brahiam Maldonado launch a three run, two out homer in the bottom half.  Maldonado, a 22-year old outfielder picked a good time for his first long ball of the year.  The 6’0 185 lb outfielder was one of the few bright spots on last year’s Savannah team where he hit .310/.349/.500, but is off to a slower start in the FSL this year where he’s hit .205/.247/.295 through Sunday’s action.   

            Nick Carr started Sunday, and saw the game through 4.2 innings.  He yielded three runs, struck out five and walked three before turning the game over to the pen.  Roy Merritt struck out two in a scoreless 1.1, John David Wesley and Stephen Clyne each went an inning.  Arthur Santos offered 2.2 scoreless frames with three hits and Tim Stronach finished the final 3.1. 

            St. Lucie finishes up the series against Palm Beach in a Monday matinee with first pitch scheduled for 10:30 AM. 

           

 

Savannah (A – South Atlantic League)

Saturday: Rome Braves 7, @ Savannah Sand Gnats 2

Sunday: @ Savannah Sand Gnats (8-16, -11.0) 4, Rome Braves (10-14) 2

 

            Saturday, big Scott Moviel lost his fourth straight decision and his second in a row to the Braves.  The Braves touched Moviel (1-4, 9.68) for six runs, all earned on seven hits, and one jack in four innings.  Savannah didn’t get on the scoreboard until Darren Clark’s ninth inning homer, his first of the year.  2B Greg Veloz had a couple of knocks as did recent arrival Michael Hernandez. 

            Sunday’s promotion was Brides and Baseball: A Wedding Expo.  Don’t laugh, the paid attendance of 1,958 was the Gnats largest on a Sunday in three years.  The big crowd saw Elvin Ramirez throw well for 5.1 innings to start the game.  Ramirez (2-1, 4.03) yielded a run on four hits, and struck out four.   At the plate, the 1,2 hitters, 2B Greg Veloz and DH Matt Bouchard were each 2-4 with an RBI.  Veloz (.213/.271/.292) is 11 for 13 stealing bases in the early going.  Jose Jimenez and Jake Eigsti both doubled to help the Gnats score a run. 

            The Gnats, who are off Monday, welcome the Hickory Crawdads to town for four beginning Tuesday. 

 

Toby Hyde has written Toby’s Mets Minor League Report since 2004.  Please pass this along to friends, family, co-workers, and Mets fans of all types.  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.