All three Mets affiliates in action on Wednesday won behind big offensive performances.  On the hill, both Bobby Parnell and Scott Moviel, two of the Mets best pitching prospects earned wins for Binghamton and Savannah respectively, although neither was dominant. 

 

Stars of the Day:

AAA: Fernando Tatis/Willie Collazo & Carlos Muniz

AA: Fernando Martinez & Jose Coronado & Mike Carp

A+: Off

A: Francisco Pena & Jared Abruzzo & Richard Pena

 

New Orleans (AAA – Pacific Coast League)

New Orleans Zephyrs (17-16, -4.0) 9, @ Fresno Grizzlies (18-15) 7

 

            The Zephyrs raced out to a 9-2 lead after three innings on the strength of a six-run second.   3B Fernando Tatis (.241/.328/.574) lifted a two-run jack in the second as part of a 2-4, 4 RBI night.  CF Brady Clark was 2-3 with a walk, run and RBI. 

            Starter Ruddy Lugo lasted only four innings before leaving with a strained hamstring which the team is calling day-to-day.  The Grizzlies drew closer against Joselo Diaz and Tim McNab the middle innings, but Jose Santiago, Willie Collazo and Carlos Muniz combined on three scoreless innings to finish the game and secure the win.  Collazo struck out two in an inning and a third, while Muniz fanned the only two batters he faced for his fourth save. 

 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

Binghamton Mets (13-20, -8.5) 9, @ Reading Phillies (15-17) 7

 

            CF Fernando Martinez (.250/.280/.350) led a 12 hit Binghamton attack going 2-5 with a triple and 3 RBI from the leadoff spot.  SS Jose Coronado (.263/.343/.288) hitting behind Martinez, was 2-5, driving home and scoring two runs.  3B Dan Murphy lifted his fourth homer of the year, while LF Mike Carp (.339/.388/.551) just continues to rake going 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI. 

            Bobby Parnell (2-2, 5.82) started, and earned the win, giving up two runs on three hits in five innings.  However, he walked a ridiculous six batters and has now issued 23 free passes in 34 IP. 

            Prior to the game the Mets signed 29 year-old RHP Tim Lavigne and reassigned him to Binghamton while placing Jake Ruckle (1-3, 7.36) on the DL.  Lavigne spent parts of the 02-05 seasons with the B-Mets before spending all of 2006 with Norfolk in the Tides final year as a Mets affiliate where he was 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 82.1 IP, fanning 49 and walking 25.  The Mets invited Lavigne to big league camp last year, only to release him.  He signed with the Yankees, who later traded him to Houston.  Lavigne gave up three runs in the ninth inning Wednesday in his return to the B-Mets. 

 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

St. Lucie Mets

 

            Off.  The St. Lucie Mets at 8-24, holders of the worst record in the FSL, are 11.5 games behind Palm Beach in the FSL East. Despite being third from the bottom in team OPS (.680) the Mets have scored the fifth most runs in the 12-team league.  St. Lucie’s 16 team stolen bases are tied for last in the league. 

            While the offense has been mediocre at best, the pitching has been simply bad.  St. Lucie’s team ERA of 5.64 is not jus the worst on the circuit, but is a full run and a half worse than the Clearwater Threshers, the second worst.  The staff has allowed 199 runs, the Daytona Cubs are second with 149.  St. Lucie has given up the most hits in the league and hit the most batters. 

 

Savannah (A – South Atlantic League)

Savannah Sand Gnats (13-20, -11.0) 10, @ Hickory Crawdads (15-19) 9

 

            The Gnats scored six runs in the third inning in building a 9-3 lead.  The top six hitters in the Gnats order all had two or three hits in the contest.  C Francisco Pena (.297/.327/.426) was 3-4 with a double and 3 RBI.  LF Daniel Stegall had only one hit, but it was a three-run bomb.  2B Greg Veloz and SS Matt Bouchard were each 2-5 at the top of the order.  

            Scott Moviel (3-4, 7.53) won his second straight start by tossing five innings, over which time he struck out five, tying a season high.  He yielded three runs, two earned on four hits.  It was the first time he’d allowed fewer hits than innings pitched. 

 

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.