Three nice pitching performances from Michael Antonin, Tobi Stoner and Jon Niese yielded just one win Wednesday. 

            Over at Baseball Prospectus, Kevin Goldstein talked to a scout who said nice things about Mike Carp, but showed some serious love for Fernando Martinez:

"I know he doesn't have much of a number history, but I think when it's all done, he's the Mets' No. 3 hitter…His body is filling out, his plate discipline is better, he's showing more usable power in-game, his maturity instincts and awareness is highly advanced, his throwing and defense is better to where I think he's a right fielder and not a left fielder–-I see him as a future All-Star and I think it's going to happen pretty fast. He's friggin' sick."

Stars of the Day:

AAA: Off

AA: Dan Murphy & Nick Evans/Jon Niese

A+: Tobi Stoner

A: Michael Antonini

New Orleans (AAA – Pacific Coast League)

New Orleans Zephyrs

            Off so the Big 12 Baseball Championship could use AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

Binghamton Mets (22-22,-7.0) 2, @ Connecticut Defenders (20-23) 1

            Jon Niese and Dan Murphy sent the B-Mets to their eighth victory in nine games.  Niese (3-4, 3.88) held the Defenders scoreless through four innings.  Connecticut picked up a run in the fifth, and it could have been more but for LF Nick Evans and SS Jose Coronado relaying to throw out Jake Wald at the plate for the inning’s final out.  Remember, Evans is learning to play left, so an impressive feat.  All told, Niese danced around four hits and four walks in 5.2 innings to allow just one run, fanning five. 

            Murphy (.335/.377/.486) was 2-3 with a walk, and scored both Binghamton runs.  In the first, Murphy singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a Mike Carp (1-2, 2 BB) single.  In the third, Murphy singled, stole second and came on home on a Evans single.  Evans (.296/.359/.556 in 162 AB) was 2-4.

            Eddie Kunz went 1.1 innings for his tenth save, entering in the middle of the eighth for the first time all year. 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

@ Dunedin Blue Jays (25-21) 7, St. Lucie Mets (9-37, -19.0) 3

            The winning fun only lasted one night for St. Lucie as they fell again despite another strong performance from Tobi Stoner.  Stoner (1-3, 2.76) gave up three runs on six hits in 6.1 IP.  He fanned seven and walked two.  Believe it or not, Stoner’s two walks high a personal season high; in his six starts he’s walked issued zero, one and two walks twice each.  His K/BB ratio now stands at nearly six (35 K/6 BB).  Stephen Clyne (13.17 ERA) struggled again, getting charged with two runs in one third of an inning.

            At the plate, 2B Luis Rivera (.252/.283/.336) was 2-5 and LF DJ Wabick (.276/.324/.356) was 2-4.  RF Chris Fournier went deep for the second game in a row. 

Savannah (A – South Atlantic League)

@ Augusta Greenjackets (27-19) 2, Savannah Sand Gnats (18-28, -13.5) 1

            The Gnats scored their only run in the top of the sixth, but Michael Antonini, who was very good, couldn’t finish a sixth in which he retired the first two batters.  The Greenjackets picked up their first run on a bunt single, two stolen bases and a throwing error by C Francisco Pena.  Then Antonini (3-2, 2.83) issued a walk, and left the game to Josh Stinson, who gave up two singles to score Antonini’s baserunner with the eventual winning run.  Antonini was pretty dominant, giving up those two soft runs on three hits and a walk while whiffing eight. 

            LF Casey Craig drove home SS Jake Eigsti with the Gnats only run. 

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.