4/30/17

2017 Draft – “Friday Starters” – Joe Perez, Wil Crowe, Griffin Canning, David Peterson, Zac Lowther



Carlos Collazo‏  - @CarlosACollazo  -  McCarthy HS RHP/INF Joe Perez hits a huge HR to left-center in a 5-1 win Thursday night. He's the No. 42 prospect on our Top 100.
            Mack –  I’ve currently got Perez in the 4th/5th round range of the upcoming June draft.

 PG - Joseph Perez is a 2017 3B/1B/RHP with a 6-3 205 lb. frame from Pembroke Pines, FL who attends Archbishop Edward McCarthy HS. Big and strong athletic build, pretty mature physically. Right handed hitter, took an outstanding BP, showed big bat speed and raw pull power, used his lower half very well, ball explodes off the bat. Swings were more tentative in the games without the same aggressiveness and bat speed. Big arm strength at third base, stays balanced well and fields the ball out front, also plays first base. Potential primary pitcher in the future, has limited present experience on the mound. Shows big arm strength from a high energy delivery, big downhill plane to the plate, fastball topped out at 96 mph early before settling down. Slider flashed big vertical depth at times. Power arm with a power bat. Good student, verbal commitment to South Florida.

South Carolina RHP Wil Crowe – 4.2-IP, 7-R, 4-K, 3-BB –

The State - Crowe, asked why so many fastballs were thrown, said that was the game plan. “I think I threw just the way I wanted to and how we were planning to throw,” Crowe said. “Tomorrow that might change how we call them, but today we went with our game plan and that was it.” No South Carolina player had more than one hit. The Gamecocks’ lone run was scored in the eighth inning on an RBI double by Ross Grosvenor. John Jones also doubled for USC for his first hit of the season. Crowe (4-4) suffered the loss for the Gamecocks, surrendering 10 hits and seven runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.

UCLA RHP Griffin Canning – 8.2-IP, 1-R, 10-K, 0-BB –

UCLA - The Bruin offense didn’t give Griffin Canning very much support Friday night, but he didn’t need it. The junior ace tossed 8 2/3 innings on 110 pitches, allowing one run and striking out 10 without walking a batter in UCLA baseball’s (20-18) 2-1 victory over Cal Poly (18-22). The contest lasted just two hours and 19 minutes, with wind blowing in all game long.

Oregon LHP David Peterson – 9-IP, CG, 0-R, 20-K, 1-BB –

BA - After getting roughed up a week earlier against Stanford, while his team was in the midst of a five-game losing streak that has greatly reduced its postseason odds, Oregon’s David Peterson wanted to get his team and himself back on the right track. Boy, did he ever. The junior lefthander racked up 20 strikeouts en route to a 2-0 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday at PK Park.

Xavier LHP Zac Lowther – 6-IP, 1-ER, 6-K, 5-BB –

Xavier -  Junior lefty Zac Lowther struck out six, allowing just two hits over six innings of one-run ball.  The six strikeouts moved Lowther into a tie for fifth all-time in XU single season history with 85 on the year. He now has 60 strikeouts in his last 35.1 innings.



2017 Draft - Draft Notes



Good morning.


Kendall Rogers‏ - @KendallRogersD1 -  TCU RHP Jared Janczak could miss at least another three or four weeks with some arm tenderness.

Mack – Janczak was pitching exceptionally well this season and has a stat line of 6-0, 2.25, 60-IP, 63-K. My guess is he would have been drafted in the round 5-7 range, which could be lowered now due to this arm tenderness. It also could take him out of post season play. A shame.


South Carolina RHP Clarke Schmidt suffered a torn UCL and is out for the season

Mack – This is very bad news both for the Gamecocks and Schmidt’s 2017 draft status. He easily would have been one of the top 20 picks in June’s draft. I expect someone will pick him now in the top 100 picks, but there is also a good chance he will return to South Carolina for his senior year.


         Sports Illustrated has a feature on odds on favorite number one pick this year SI -

           Hunter Greene stands 6' 4" and 210 pounds, hits baseballs 450 feet, throws them 102 mph and gloves them just about anywhere left of second base. When he steps to the plate in batting practice, outfielders shout warnings to the soccer players working out on the adjacent football field, lest they take unexpected headers. At 17, Greene has sent balls out of Petco Park in San Diego and Wrigley Field in Chicago, which is not to imply that he simply deposited them over the fence with a souped-up metal bat. No, he put them out of the stadium completely, with nothing but muscle and wood.

Mack – There is absolutely no way this kid isn’t picked first in the draft… as a pitcher. I don’t care home many balls he hits out of major league baseball fields (thrown by batting practice pitchers at 55-mph). Baseball players that can throw a 102 mile per hour fastball become a pitcher until their arm falls off. Once that happens, we’ll give him his bat back.

Greene is also the kind of ballplayer that is the reason you can’t trade the first pick in the draft. If you could, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg would never have worn a Nationals uniform. Players like this usually come around once a decade (Harper and Strasburg were in back-to-back years in 2008 and 2009) and could easily bring you another team’s number one pick that year, plus two other quality players.

Move on to the rest of the draft. This kid is Twins bound.



Louisville’s Brandan McKay hit four home runs on Tuesday against Easter Kentucky… and he’s a left handed pitcher!

                       Mack – I take that back… maybe Hunter Greene isn’t a lock at 1-1.

                       McKay also plays first base (like he did on Tuesday) and third when he’s not the ‘Friday starters’. Going into this game, he had a .388 average, had hit seven homers, and had a pitching stat line of 5-3, 1.83.

                   You figure out which one of these two-way players should go 1-2 in the draft. Either way, these are two very special players.     



                   Carlos Collazo‏  - @CarlosACollazo  -  McCarthy HS RHP/INF Joe Perez hits a huge HR to left-center in a 5-1 win Thursday night. He's the No. 42 prospect on our Top 100.


                   Mack –  I’ve currently got Perez in the 4th/5th round range of the upcoming June draft.

Mets Minor Stats


                                                                                    BA

OF       Jacob Zanon  (DL)             Col.                 .500
SS        Andres Gimenez                Col.                 .500
2B       Jeff McNeil                          St.L                 .500
C-1B   Anthony Dimino                Col/St.L           .435
SS        Amed Rosario                    LV                   .407
IF         Josh Rodriguez                   LV                   .381
C-1B   Patrick Mazeika                St.L                   .361
1B       Dominic Smith                    LV                   .352
3B       Jhoan Urena                        St.L                 .329
OF       Kevin Taylor                        Bing               .327
SS        Luis Guillorme                    Bing               .310
OF       Travis Taijeron                   LV                   .304

                                                                                    ERA

SP       Merandy Gonzalez           Col.                    0.00
SP       Tyler Pill                               Bing/LV        0.00
RP       Adam Atkins                       St.L                 0.00
RP       Anthony Dimino                St.L                 0.00
RP       Jeff Diehl                              St.L               0.00
RP       Albert Baldonado             Bing                  0.00
RP       Tim Peterson                      Bing                0.00
RP       Cory Burns                           Bing               0.00
RP       Kyle Regnault                     Bing               0.00
SP       Jordan Humphreys            Col.                 1.42
RP       Matt Blackham                  Col.                 1.50
RP       Scarlyn Reyes                     Bing               1.50
RP       Austin McGeorge              Col.                 1.54
RP       Kelly Secrest                       Bing               1.69
SP       Rafael Montero                 LV                   1.74
RP       Adonis Uceta                      Col.                 1.80
SP       Mickey Jannis                     Bing               1.93

RP       Justin Brantley                   St.L                 1.98

Tom Brennan - Mets Minors 50,000 Foot View



Tom Brennan - Mets Minors 50,000 Foot View

Signs of poor Mets drafting are, especially in the power hitting segment of the game, the primary reason for the Met farm's lackluster overall team results so far, in my opinion.  

See if you agree, after a 50,000 foot view:


Las Vegas 51's

Buoyed by Amed Rosario and Dom Smith, who combined are hitting about .375 (Amed up to .407 after Sunday...take that, Ted Williams), the 51's are hitting .285 as a team with 97 runs in 21 games.  Their 17 homers are, however, so-so for a PCL squad, and Rosario and Smith have only 2 between them in about 180 plate appearances.

Vegas has mediocre pitching, having allowed 118 runs resulting in a 5.14 ERA, hence their 10-11 record.


Binghamton Rumble Ponies 

Its sluggers have just 5 homers in 17 games (all stats thru Thursday April 27).  Not a misprint.  

Hitting just .236, too, partly because only 5 long balls avoided capture by the opposing team.

Nonetheless, they are 9-8 due to a 3.16 ERA, largely the result of stellar relief pitching.


St Lucie Mets

Like the Mother Ship Mets in Queens, St Lucie is 8-13, largely due to a 4.99 team ERA.  This is largely the result of poor starting pitching (its starters have ERAs ranging from 4.50 to 8.36).

Hitting wise, the team has 13 homers and a .241 average, the latter being 2nd worst in the league, due to 6 guys (who will remain unnamed) with nearly 300 combined at bats that are hitting about .160.  Pat Mazelka after Saturday? .338 with 17 ribbies.


Columbia Fireflies

Anchored by 2 awesome starters (Merandy Gonzalez and Jordan Humphreys) and 3 excellent relievers (Zanghi, Blackham, and McGeorge), the 12-10 Fireflies have a 2.60 ERA and league-best WHIP of 1.05.  After Saturday, Blazing Blackham has 21 Ks in 12 IP.

Hitting-wise, though, just 7 homers in 22 games and a .225 average. Tim Tebow, at .250, is only 16 points behind team leader Luis Carpio.

In some fairness in evaluating the above stats, key hitters Nimmo, McNeil and Alonzo have hardly played, which undoubtedly has affected offensive production.  And a few key pitchers, including Szapucki and Flexen, have missed the entire season so far.

Let's see what May brings.







St. Lucie 5 - Clearwater 4



 The St. Lucie Mets sweated out an exciting 5-4 win over the Clearwater Threshers on Saturday at First Data Field in front of 4,592 fans.

The Mets entered the ninth inning leading 5-1, but three batters into the inning Jan Hernandez hit a three-run homer off of Tyler Bashlor to get within a run. Drew Stankiewicz followed with a single. Pinch runner Mark Laird advanced to third base with two outs. Bashlor was able to get a ground out to shortstop J.C. Rodriguez to keep the tying run 90 feet away and end the game.

Mets starter Andrew Church picked up a much-deserved win. He limited the Threshers to one run on seven hits in seven innings. It was the deepest a Mets starter pitched into a game this season. Church struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Brandon Nimmo and Wilmer Flores made rehab starts and batted 1-2 in the order. Nimmo went 0 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout. He played all nine innings in center field for a third straight day. Flores went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. He was also hit by a pitch and scored a run. Flores played seven innings at third base.

Jeff McNeil started the Mets scoring with a two-run homer off the right field foul poll in the first inning. However, McNeil appeared to hurt himself on the play and had to leave the game.

Vinny Siena took over at second base for McNeil and went 2 for 4 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Patrick Mazeika went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Anthony Dimino contributed two hits.

The Mets (9-14) and Threshers (16-7) conclude their three-game series with the rubber match at First Data Field on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Rumble Ponies 7 - Fisher Cats 3



Mickey Jannis took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, helping the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to a 7-3 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at NYSEG Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Jannis allowed just two hits through 6-1/3 innings, while the Binghamton bats garnered 12 hits in the victory. Five of the Rumble Ponies seven runs crossed in the first three innings.

Jannis retired the first 14 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning. Tim Lopes broke up Jannis’ bid for a no-hitter with an infield single in the sixth. Jannis coaxed nine groundouts out of the Fisher Cats and struck out a season-best six before exiting with two runners aboard in the seventh.
Binghamton backed Jannis with early offense. For the 13th time in 2017, Binghamton cracked the scoreboard first. Matt Oberste supplied a sacrifice fly to right field to put Binghamton on the board. The fly ball scored Luis Guillorme after Tomas Nido launched the first of his three hits on Saturday.

Binghamton added another run in the second inning with some help from the Fisher Cats. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tim Lopes booted a Luis Guillorme groundball, allowing Patrick Biondi to score from third.

Three more Rumble Ponies runs scored in the third inning. Oberste began the frame with his first home run of the season, before Jio Mier’s double and Colton Plaia’s single gave Binghamton a 5-0 advantage after three innings.

In the seventh, Gunnar Heidt greeted Rumble Ponies reliever Corey Taylor with an RBI single up the middle. Lopez capped New Hampshire’s scoring with another RBI single.

The Rumble Ponies responded in the seventh inning when Nido tripled home a pair of runs for a 7-3 lead. The there-bagger was Nido’s first of the season, bringing his RBI total to seven.

New Hampshire tacked one final run off of Logan Taylor in the ninth inning, but Binghamton completed the wire-to-wire victory.

For the first time at Double-A, Jannis (3-0) earned his third straight victory. Sean Reid-Foley (1-2) allowed five runs over three innings in the loss.

The Rumble Ponies (10-9) wrap up their three-game series against the Fisher Cats on Saturday afternoon at1:05 PM. LHP P.J. Conlon takes the hill against RHP Conner Greene. 

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton is 10-3 when scoring first…the Rumble Ponies did not commit an error for the eighth time in the last ten games…Colton Plaia reached base in all four of his plate appearances

4/29/17

Roster Moves - Columbia



Please note the following New York Mets minor league transactions.

Effective Saturday, April 29, 2017

                - RHP Colin Holderman transferred from Columbia’s active roster to the disabled list

                - RHP Harol Gonzalez transferred from the disabled list to Columbia’s active roster

                - INF Reed Gamache transferred from Columbia’s active roster to the disabled list

                - INF Andres Gimenez transferred from the Dominican Summer League Mets to Columbia

                - INF Blake Tiberi transferred from Columbia’s active roster to the disabled list

                - RHP Darwin Ramos transferred from Advanced-A St. Lucie to Columbia

Richard Herr - Injuries

Injuries
I’m sure a lot of you were watching the Mets game on SNY when Yoenis Cespedes pulled his hamstring. Terry Collins and Ray Ramirez went running out to second base to see how he was doing. As they were helping him off the field, SNY showed a video of Cespedes taking batting practice the day before. He hit one ball, and immediately contorted in pain as his hammy acted up. With that one take, I could see that Cespedes should have been on the DL. I didn’t need no steenking medical knowledge to be able to tell that. Whatever Ray Ramirez’s opinion was about whether or not Yoenis should be playing, a rank amateur could tell that he was in no shape to play the game. I might mention that one of the coaches was throwing batting practice and saw Cespedes’ reaction.

What’s the conclusion I’ve drawn? I want to take Ramirez off the list of people I blame for Yoenis re-injuring his hammy. The decision to play him didn’t need any special medicl knowledge to know that he should have been on the DL. This one falls directly on management’s shoulders. They should learn to “not panic.” It’s a 162-game season. If guys are hurt, let them heal.  

Whenever Richard Herr isn’t solving all the Mets’ problems, he spends his time writing humorous science fiction novels.


You can see his books at https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Herr/e/B00J5XBKX4.

ROSTER MOVES - RUMBLE PONIES



Please note the following transactions involving the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

April 29:
  • RHP Mickey Jannis activated from Temporary Inactive List
  • LHP Ben Griset placed on Disabled List

Robert Ippolito - The Blame Game



With last night's game in the bag, the Mets currently sit at 9-13. Not really the ideal start we all had in mind after resigning Yoenis Cespedes this past off season. So much was set to hinge on our "centerpiece" for the offense and a starting rotation that was compared to the best in the bigs. A month later, our rotation has a lot of question marks and our star power is on the 10 day DL with a bum hammy. We can only hope for the best in regard to Noah's health, praying that the Mets aren't trying to hide a more serious issue.

I have my doubts, however, and I don't think that they are without reason. Instead of putting Cespedes on the DL with his first instance of hamstring issues, he was given minimal rest and put back into games. While nobody can say for sure if this was management's or his decision, it should have never been an issue to begin with. I get he is pretty much our entire offense, or at least it feels like it, but being so early in the season means we get him healthy to have down the long summer stretch. The real questions start when we start pointing the finger. Do we blame Yo for telling everyone he was ok to play? Or how about Terry Collins for inserting him back into the lineup too early and not 100 or even 85%. If you can barely stand up for batting practice, how does anyone expect you to play in the field or run the bases.

Lets not forget about our GM, Sandy Alderson. With so much pressure to succeed this season, and not much of an offensive haul this past winter, does he pull Terry into his office and tell him who needs to play and when? I'd say we could monitor the Michael Conforto situation, but with limited players as it is, we all know he is going to play now. Another superstar to match with Yo this past off-season, and maybe we don't miss him that much. Who am I kidding, we miss him regardless! While we are still playing the blame game, can we throw David Wright into the mix. An inability to stay healthy has cost our Captain many games and more than likely the rest of his career. While we are all holding our breath and hoping for the best, it might be time to face the cold hard truth.

Even if Wright never plays again, he is not the right person to blame for this mess. A front office that should have never gambled house money on his health...seems a bit more fair. Continuing down the line, lets not forget about Ray Ramirez and his crack team of condition coaches and trainers. When players proactively run the opposite way from this man, that says a whole lot more about the issue than I want to know. I could continue to go down the list of options, but lets get to the point before I commit anymore run on sentences. There is no one reason or person to blame for this unexpected start. Its a team effort on and off the field, and this is no different. That being said, its still early and there is so much baseball left to be played. Lets all take a couple of deep breaths, wait for some players to return, and hope we can win the division...or at least another wild card birth.

Let me take this time to offer my thanks and appreciation to Mack and the rest of the guys on the blog for allowing me the opportunity to contribute this season. Let's Go Mets.

Reese Kaplan -- The Bizarro World of Sandy Alderson


Earlier in the week we excoriated the on-field manager for his ponderous decision making, his overuse of the bullpen, his unwillingness to integrate younger players into regular playing roles, his blind spot regarding underperforming veterans and his inability to motivate his offensive players to perform.  Today we turn our attention to the smartest guy in the room, Sandy Alderson, and what he’s done (and not done) to put the Mets into the predicament in which they thus far have been unable to extricate themselves.

Going into the 2016 season the Mets had several players coming back from major injuries, some of which required off-season surgery.  The walking wounded included Jacob de Grom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steve Matz, David Wright, Neil Walker, Wilmer Flores and Lucas Duda.  Zack Wheeler had just missed his second full season after Tommy John surgery.   In addition, the end of the year saw DL stints by  Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes.  Throw in the DL time for a getting older Jose Reyes as well. Then, of course, you had the annual injuries by Travis d’Arnaud and Juan Lagares.  By my count that’s 14 out of 25 roster spots that should have been major health concerns – more than half.

So what did the smartest guy in the room do?

Well, he did make a $17.2 million qualifying offer to a guy coming off back surgery which represented a 72% salary increase.  That didn’t seem to be a good use of scarce resources but at the time, to be fair, he didn’t know if Yoenis Cespedes was returning or not.

In a similar hedged bet he picked up the $13 million option on Jay Bruce.  Granted, he didn’t do a whole lot upon his arrival until the final two weeks of the year, but he was a proven hitter and run producer who was necessary and came at a relatively bargain price tag.

He then inked Mr. Cespedes to a middle-of-the-order type of contract which was music to the fans’ ears.  He was clearly the best offensive player the Mets have had since Mike Piazza and Darryl Strawberry.

Now let’s look at what he didn’t do.

He let big Bartolo Colon waddle his way to Atlanta.  At $12 million per year for his services it was an understandable maneuver.  He was insurance and would not have been guaranteed a starting spot in the rotation.  He probably didn’t want to be the long man out of the pen and the Mets surely didn’t want to pay him that much money to do so.

Once he secured Yoenis Cespedes he had to deal with the traffic jam in the outfield.  In addition to his returning left fielder, he had just re-upped Jay Bruce in right and still had Curtis Granderson in center.  He had Michael Conforto who tattooed AAA pitching, glove man extraordinaire Juan Lagares and the somewhat surprising Brandon Nimmo.  Surely he would make a deal to clear up the logjam out there, right?

Wrong!

Not only didn’t he execute a trade, he actually did what almost no GM in the history of the game did from one season to the next – he didn’t add a single new player to the major league roster.  Now I’ve said in the past I could perhaps give him a pass on that strategy if he’d won the World Series in 4 straight.  In case you hadn’t noticed, the team didn’t advance beyond the one-and-done wildcard game.  Hmmn…that would have suggested there was certainly room for improvement.

What did he do to prepare for the walking wounded’s inevitable time away from the playing field?  Well, again he leaned on what didn’t work last year.  Jose Reyes was brought back as a failsafe for David Wright.  Michael Conforto would be in the minors to make room for Lagares and Nimmo as backups, 36 year old Curtis Granderson would man CF and the duo of Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman would be available should one of the starters hit the DL.

Well, the best laid plans oft go awry.  David Wright is already on the 60-day DL.  Lugo is down for the count.  Ditto Matz.  Lagares and Nimmo started the year on the DL.

So what did these developments do to the team?  Surely Michael Conforto would be available to play the outfield  Yes, but the guy Alderson hired to make the on-the-field decisions has decided it is more important to get Curtis Granderson going than to play the guy who is in the top 10 in the NL in batting.  The only reason he has enough ABs to qualify is the spate of injuries that opened up playing time out of not merit but necessity.

Jose Reyes’ struggles are well documented.  The blame partially goes to the Skipper who has decided he would get more productivity out of the combination of Reyes and Cabrera than he might get from Flores (when healthy) or T.J. Rivera and Cabrera.

However, there is a guy inside the Mets organization hitting over .400 in AAA by the name of Amed Rosario.  Here the blame completely goes to Sandy Alderson.  Why would you go with the .100 hitting Reyes rather than the .400 hitting Rosario?  The answer seems to be a combination of both money and stubbornness.  The plan was for Rosario to take over in 2018 and it’s not in his DNA to change course.  Furthermore, the plan was to have him start logging service time 2 weeks after the beginning of the 2018 season.  Bringing him up now would remove the extra year of control that had been budgeted.

So again I must ask the question – are the Mets really “all-in” to win or is the “plan” more important to execute blindly without revision?  They’re in free fall and once again the front office is doing nothing to stop the bleeding.  Wait, wait…they did deliver Matt Reynolds from AAA.  Isn’t it ironic nowadays that the better you are the less likely it is you will be promoted and given a starting assignment.  Ask Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario about that.  If your future is likely that of utility or borderline player who won’t cost a lot of money (Matt Reynolds, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki, etc.) then the majors are beckoning for your arrival  It’s kind of like Superman’s Bizarro World where everything is the exact opposite of how it should be.

If the Mets remained mired in a battle for the basement, does the plan change then?  Do they start trying to sell off pieces who likely won’t be here next year (Bruce, Duda, Granderson) or do they double down on the reluctance to promote or start younger players for fear of what it might cost them down the road?  Some assert that actual lineup decisions are dictated from the front office.  If so, I may owe Terry Collins an apology.

Nah, he still needs to go, too.

In a private email exchange prompted by our own Tom Brennan I asked the following question:  What do these players have in common:

  • Daniel Murphy
  • Justin Turner
  • Chris Young (outfielder)
  • Angel Pagan

They all did markedly better after escaping from the clutches of the Great Motivator.

Now on the flip side, who's done better with the bat since arriving in Queens?  I'll give you Yoenis Cespedes...anyone else...Bueller???

How is it that people improve upon leaving but diminish upon arriving?

That being said, allow me to clear my throat and praise the old dog for learning a new trick.  Just last night Jeurys Familia once again had lost it and it was clear to everyone.  This time Collins finally yanked his closer despite his stubborn reluctance to do so in the past.  How did that work out?  Josh Edgin induced a 1-2-3 double play off the bat of Bryce Harper.  What happened?  Who whispered into his ear to do something DIFFERENT that he's never done before?   Whomever it was, thank you for the win.


4/28/17

Fireflies Game Notes: April 28 @ Hickory (Game 23)



Columbia Fireflies (12-10) at Hickory Crawdads (7-14)

LHP Blake Taylor (0-3, 5.06) vs. RHP Edgar Arredondo (0-2, 6.97)

Friday, April 28, 2017 — L.P. Frans Stadium (Hickory, NC) — First Pitch 7:00 p.m. — Game 23

LISTEN: ESPN Columbia 94.9 FM & 1230 AM / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn Radio App

ABOUT LAST GAME: Mother nature halted Columbia’s comeback attempt on Thursday night. The Fireflies nearly erased a seven-run deficit but eventually fell to the Crawdads, 8-7, in eight innings. Two fog delays - the latter leading to the eventual calling of the game - interrupted play. The Fireflies scored three runs in the sixth and then three in the eighth to slash the deficit to one. Columbia did not have a chance in the top of the ninth after the game was called because of the weather.  

LINDSAY’S BLAST: Desmond Lindsay’s three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning is what pulled Columbia within a run of the Crawdads. It was his first longball of the year and his first since August 24 of last year.   

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Lindsay drove in five runs on Thursday, a Fireflies’ season high. That’s not a personal high, though. Last August 12, the outfielder knocked in seven runs in a game for the Brooklyn Cyclones. That included a three-run home run, a three-run double and an RBI single.

CHOMPING THE COMPETITION, Pt. II: Tim Tebow is hitting .435 since Friday, April 21. That’s the fourth-best batting average in the South Atlantic League during that span.

IN THE MIDLANDS: The Fireflies once again partnered with Dutch Fork Middle School this week to fight bullying. A number of Fireflies players teamed with groups of kids from the Dutch Fork Middle School Action Club to write skits that advocate against all forms of bullying.

THE OTHER GUYS: The following Crawdads are Texas Rangers prospects:
1. OF, Leody Taveras                     8. INF, Anderson Tejeda
15. OF, Yanio Perez                        17. INF, Yeyson Yrizarri
18. RHP, Jonathan Hernandez     29. OF, Jose Almonte.

RUMBLE PONIES GAME NOTES: Game #18 - Rumble Ponies (9-8) vs. Fisher Cats (7-12) - 7:05 PM



BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES
(9-8), 4th Eastern, 2.0 GB
(New York Mets)











New HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS
(7-12), 6th Eastern, 5.0 GB
(Toronto Blue Jays)


Friday, April 28, 2017  7:05 PM
NYSEG Stadium  Binghamton, NY
RHP Casey Delgado (0-3, 9.69) vs. LHP Shane Dawson (0-2, 5.82)
WNBF 1290 AM


BINGHAMTON TAKES RUBBER GAME FROM RUBBERDUCKS: Prior toThursday’s league-wide off day, the Rumble Ponies beat Akron, 4-1, in the series finale. Despite collecting a season-low five hits, Binghamton swiped five bases and added aDavid Thompson home run. Corey Oswalt received the win for the second straight start, while Rumble Ponies pitching held the RubberDucks to five hits.

BINGHAMTON  STARTER: RHP Casey Delgado looks for his first win of the 2017 season Friday against New Hampshire. After facing Portland in his first start, Delgado made back-to-back appearances against Erie. The 26-year-old Miami native has allowed 14 earned runs in 13 innings in his three starts. In his lone start against the Fisher Cats last season, Delgado lasted seven innings, giving up just three earned runs in a 4-2 Binghamton loss at NYSEG Stadium.

NEW HAMPSHIRE STARTER: LHP Shane Dawson searches for his first victory of the season on Friday. A 17th round pick in 2012, Dawson has tossed consecutive quality starts without much offensive support. The southpaw held Trenton scoreless through six innings in a 1-0 New Hampshire loss on April 17, before being hit with the loss in a 3-2 defeat against Hartford on April 22. Against the Yard Goats. Dawson allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings. The six-year pro made two starts against Binghamton in 2016, allowing two earned runs in ten total innings.

DAVID BOMB-SON: David Thompson launched his first home run of the season inWednesday’s 4-1 win at Akron. Thompson’s solo shot marked the first time he’s hit a long ball since 9/2/16, when he hit two with St. Lucie. The 2015 fourth-round pick holds the Florida State high school record for home runs in a season (55), a record previously held byPrince Fielder.

TRIPLE CROWN: Champ Stuart had three stolen bases on Wednesday, giving him an Eastern-League best nine thieves in 2017. The speedster has collected 110 stolen bases and has been caught just 15 times in his Minor League career.

NEED FOR SPEED: Binghamton stole five bases on Wednesday for the first time since August 5, 2015. Champ Suart, Luis Guillorme and Patrick Biondi swiped all five bases in the first three innings. The Rumble Ponies and Fisher Cats are tied for second in the Eastern League with 22 stolen bases, trailing only Hartford (23).

SIX STRAIGHT SCORELESS: Rumble Ponies RHP Tim Peterson has not allowed an earned run this season in eight innings (six appearances). It is the longest such streak to start a season in Peterson’s six-year professional career. The 26-year-old picked up his first save of the season in Wednesday’s win, the eighth of his Minor League career.

UP NEXT: The Rumble Ponies continue their three-game set with the Fisher Cats on Saturday, when Binghamton RHP Mickey Jannis faces New Hampshire’s RHP Sean Reid-Foley. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.