I was very happy that Nick Evans enjoyed his big league debut Saturday with a big day at the plate.  However, I didn’t like pinch-hitting an admittedly woozy Church for Evans in the seventh on Sunday even though Church did have a left-right advantage against Cook. 

            Saturday, my dad and I discussed the Mets and Willie.  We agreed that Willie’s been largely the same this year as any other.  Thus, the rationale for holding him culpable for the Mets play this year is to hold him personally responsible for his players’ individual struggles.  However, the counterpoint is that realistically, who among the regulars has been such a big surprise?  Beltran?  After a brutal April, he’s been much better in May: .302/.358/.488.  Same for Reyes, after a slow start, he’s hit a more solid .297/.353/.462 in May, close to his production in the last few years.  Wright and Church have been fine, really even better than fine.  Delgado, Schneider and Castillo’s performances have been completely in line with my expectations.  Similarly, Alou’s injury issues can hardly be blamed on the skipper.  So maybe you’d have to justify a firing by blaming Randolph for the things that don’t show up in the stats every time, like Reyes getting picked off, or the defense booting balls.  Firing Willie just makes him a scapegoat for a middling offense that ranks 7th in the NL in EQA.  Will it make the team instantly better? 

            Listening closely to Howie Rose in the concluding moments of Sunday’s 4-1 loss in Denver, I didn’t hear a broadcaster who, barring a dramatic turnaround, expected Willie Randolph to remain the Mets manager for the entire season.  He also discussed Randolph’s relationship with Reyes. 

 

Stars of the Weekend:

AAA: Valentino Pascucci/Willie Collazo … Anderson Hernandez/Ruddy Lugo

AA: Ambio Concepcion & Caleb Stewart & Mike Carp/Bobby Parnell … Manny Garcia & Mike Carp

A+: JR Voyles & DJ Wabick…DJ Wabick/Emary Frederick

A: Elvin Ramirez… Greg Veloz & Casey Craig & Matt Bouchard

 

New Orleans (AAA – Pacific Coast League)

Saturday: @ New Orleans Zephyrs 1, Albuquerque Isotopes 0

Sunday: @ New Orleans Zephyrs (24-25, -3.5) 4, Albuquerque Isotopes (24-25) 2

 

            Saturday, for the second game in a row, a solo homer from RF Valentino Pascucci was the difference in the game.  Pascucci finished 1-2 with a walk and a second-inning jack.  Willie Collazo and two relievers made Pascucci’s swing stand up.  Collazo (2-1, 2.76), allowed just four hits and struck out four in six innings without walking a batter.  Nate Field struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save. 

            Anderson Hernandez ripped three hits including a tie-breaking homer and single for insurance later in a 3-5 Saturday.  The three hits were a season high, but couldn’t push Hernandez’s average (.195) over the Mendoza line.  New Orleans drew nine walks, three by Abraham Nunez.  Ruddy Lugo threw well, fanning nine and walking two in 7 innings.  He gave up a run on three hits.  Ivan Maldonado gave up one run over the final two frames for the save.

            By winning the first three games of the series, the Zephyrs have blown into a tie for second with the Isotopes. 

 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

Saturday: @ Binghamton Mets 8, Reading Phillies 5

Sunday: Reading Phillies (20-27) 10, @ Binghamton Mets (24-24, -8.0) 7

 

            Saturday, homers by Ambio Concepcion and RF Caleb Stewart kept the B-Mets rolling.  Stewart was 2-3 with a walk and scored three times.  1B Mike Carp went 2-3 with a walk and RBI.  Bobby Parnell (4-3, 5.27) on the whole threw well, allowing just one earned run in six innings, fanning six and walking three.  However, he was unable to work around a 2B Manny Garcia error on a double play attempt in the third that led to a three-run inning. 

            Sunday, down 10-3 entering the ninth, the B-Mets rallied for four runs, and had the tying runs aboard, but couldn’t find their 15th hit of the day to prolong the game.  Five Mets had multi-hit games led at the top of the order by 2B Manny Garcia who was 3-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.  SS Jose Coronado was 2-4 with 3 RBI.  Mike Carp (.344/.407/.532) made it three straight games with two hits going 2-4 with a double, his 11th of the season.  Sal Aguilar took the loss for giving up four runs in six innings.  On of the interesting features of Carp’s season has been the change in the shape of his production by month:

April: .356/.394/.604, 7 2B, 6 HR, 6 BB, 15 K, 101 AB

May: .321/.429/.396, 4 2B, 0 HR, 9 BB, 9 K, 53 AB

            In April, he was swinging freely and connecting with power, while in May, he’s been more patient, but the power has disappeared.  Usually, as players refine their approach (code for becoming more selective) their power numbers improve.  However, he fought a painful side injury in May that surely sapped some of his power. 

 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

Saturday: @ Sarasota Reds 8, St. Lucie Mets 6

Sunday: St. Lucie Mets (11-39, -19.0) 6, @ Sarasota Reds (24-26) 2

 

            Nick Carr’s struggles continue as he lasted just two batters into the second inning without retiring either Saturday night.  He was charged with five runs on six hits in an inning flat as he fell to 0-6 with a 6.50 ERA.  Down 7-0, the Mets rallied with three homers, from Lucas Duda, JR Voyles and DJ Wabick, but came up short.  RF Wabick and 2B Voyles were each 2-4.  Rehabbing Jose Valentin was 2-4 with a double and a run. 

            St. Lucie hopped out to a 6-0 advantage after four and a half, and Eric Niesen and friends made it stand up.  Wabick, who will turn 24 in a few days, was 3-5 with a double and two runs scored.  Voyles and Duda each had two hits.  Valentin was 1-4, but left the game early.  Niesen held the Reds to just one run in 5.1 innings, despite walking four and giving up four hits. Emary Frederick was excellent in behind him, fanning four in 2.2 scoreless stanzas.

 

Savannah (A – South Atlantic League)

Saturday: Savannah Sand Gnats 4, @ Greenville Drive 2

Sunday: Savannah Sand Gnats (21-29, -12.5) 9, @ Greenville Drive (26-25) 5

 

            Saturday, Elvin Ramirez was very strong over 6.2 innings in leading his team to the win.  Ramirez (5-3, 3.26) allowed just one unearned run, but his peripherals: 6 H, 3 BB, 4 H don’t suggest total mastery.   DH Jared Abruzzo had a couple of knocks, while C Francisco Pena contributed his first triple of the year. 

            Even though he didn’t pitch his best game, Angel Calero (1-5, 3.17) finally picked up his first win of the year.  Calero still struck out six batters in five innings.  Brant Rustich worked a scoreless eighth with a walk and strikeout.  Five different Gnats had two hits apiece starting at the top of the order where 2B Greg Veloz was 2-5 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 R and LF Casey Craig was 2-4 with a walk, RBI and 2 R.  Matt Bouchard doubled in a 2-4, 2R. 

 

 

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.