Advertisement
Here's a clip from ESPNNY.com showing Lucas Duda's meeting with reporters Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta following Tuesday's callup from the Bisons. Patience with the commercial that will play first.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
The Bisons' last-gasp bid for the IL wildcard kicks off tonight at 5:30 with a doubleheader against North Division champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre here at sultry Coca-Cola Field. Buffalo is four games out with seven to play. Good luck with that, especially now that heart-of-the-order man Lucas Duda has been called up to the Mets. Duda is batting seventh in left field for the Mets tonight in Atlanta.
But give the Amazins credit yet again for keeping the Bisons fully stocked. Replacing Duda on the roster is 24-year-old infielder Zach Lutz, the Mets' fifth-round pick in 2007. He was batting .289 with 17 homers and 42 RBIs in 61 games at Double-A Binghamton. Lutz, who has been battling foot problems all year as this ESPNNY.com story details, was tied with current Buffalo first baseman Nick Evans for the B-Mets' home run lead.
Jesus Feliciano continues his run for the IL batting title and is 28 plate appearances shy of qualifying. He is currently batting .339 and the qualified leader, Gwinnett's Barbaro Canizares is at .338. Feliciano is batting .384 at home.
The Yankees, meanwhile, called up closer Jonathan Albaladejo (IL-record 43 saves), IF Greg Golson and C Chad Moeller from Scranton. Top prospect Jesus Montero (.284-18-66) remains in Triple-A and is the DH in tonight's opener.
Here's the Buffalo lineup for Game One:
Jesus Feliciano, rf
Justin Turner, ss
Russ Adams, 2b
Nick Evans, 1b
Val Pascucci, dh
Mike Cervenak, lf
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, cf
Zach Lutz, 3b
J.R. House, c
---
Raul Valdes, p
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman, who beat the Bisons here in May, got his promotion from Louisville to Cincinnati and electrified the crowd in Great American Ballpark Tuesday night. Quite a late-inning weapon for the Reds come October.
Check out the MLB.com report and be sure to watch the accompanying video of the 102 and 103-mph fastballs!
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
The Buffalo Bisons have fallen 3.5 games back in the International League Wild Card race after last night's loss to Syracuse. The Herd has just eight games left, Columbus seven games, and while mathematically still alive, the possibilities for postseason keep slipping away.
They will try to make up some ground tonight (7:05 p.m., Radio 1520) finishing their series with the Syracuse Chiefs in Coca-Cola Field. Fernando Nieve (2-0, 5.40) gets the start for the Herd.
Tonight's starting lineup:
Jesus Feliciano -- RF
Justin Turner -- SS
Lucas Duda -- LF
Nick Evans -- 1B
Russ Adams -- 2B
Mike Cervenak -- 3B
Kirk Nieuwenhuis -- CF
Mike Nickeas -- C
Fernando Nieve -- P
--- Amy Moritz
The Durham Bulls have the International League's best record and took three of four main awards today as the IL announced its end-of-season all-star team. Durham took most valuable player (3B Dan Johnson, left), most valuable pitcher (Jeremy Hellickson) and manager of the year (Charlie Montoyo). The Bulls are the first team since the 1995 Norfolk Tides to win at least three of the honors. The fourth one, rookie of the year, went to Gwinnett first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is getting called up to the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.
Johnson, a former regular for the Oakland Athletics, has been with the Tampa Bay Rays since early August but still leads the IL in home runs (30), RBIs (95) and slugging (.624). He hit a walkoff home run for Tampa Saturday night to beat the Red Sox. Hellickson won 12 games for Durham and posted a league-leading 2.45 ERA. He then won three games for Tampa before getting reassigned to Class A to prep for a relief role akin to what David Price did in 2008.
The Bisons were shut out of the awards. Jesus Feliciano missed too much time in New York, Mike Hessman and Lucas Duda were only here for a half-season apiece and modern-era strikeout king Dillon Gee has an ERA approaching 5.00 even though he leads the league in Ks and has 13 wins. You probably could have made a case for Justin Turner at second base too even though he split time with Norfolk and Buffalo, but Louisville's Chris Valaika has been outstanding for a likely division winner.
The complete IL list:
1B: Freddie Freeman, Gwinnett
2B: Chris Valaika, Louisville
3B: Dan Johnson, Durham
SS: Eduardo Nunez, Scranton-WB
C: Jesus Montero, Scranton-WB
OF: Wladimir Balentien, Louisville; Jeff Frazier, Toledo; Jose Costanza, Columbus
DH: Barbaro Canizares, Gwinnett
Utility: Elliott Johnson, Durham
Starting pitcher: Jeremy Hellickson, Durham
Relief pitcher: Jonathan Albaledejo, Scranton-WB
---
MVP: Johnson
Pitcher of the Year: Hellickson
Rookie of the Year: Freeman
Manager of the Year: Charlie Montoyo, Durham
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
AP Photo: Johnson watches his walkoff shot Saturday night for the Rays.
The Bisons are just about toast in the IL wild-card race after Monday night's 4-1, 10-inning loss to Syracuse in Coca-Cola Field. They're 3 1/2 games out with eight to play, meaning they're likely going to have to go at least 6-2 and maybe 7-1 -- and get help in the form of a Columbus slide -- to sneak in.
Too bad really. We haven't seen too many 17-3 runs like the one this team put together to get back in the race. But not getting a doubleheader in on Aug. 21 against a tired Pawtucket team really semed to hurt. The Herd won the opener, the nightcap was rained out and the PawSox bounced back to win two the next day as Jesus Feliciano was called up early in the morning and Justin Turner hurt his knee on the game's first play.
Turner returned last night but the loss dropped Buffalo to 3-8 in its last 11, likely a fatal slide.
---Most of the attention last night properly went to the Triple-A debut of Jenrry Mejia, the 20-year-old who is the Mets' top prospect. He was sharp, retiring the first 13 men and still hitting 96-97 mph in the seventh inning. Solid bet he starts Saturday in Wrigley Field. But lost in the Mejia talk was the great escape Syracuse pulled in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 1-1 tie.
Not only did the Chiefs use a five-man infield with one out and runners at the corners, but right fielder Leonard Davis hung in at second base to turn the relay on a game-saving double play. Mike Cervenak's comebacker to the mound was foolishly thrown to second by pitcher Colin Balester as Lucas Duda broke for home. Davis made the out at second and Chase Lambin made a great scoop at first for the miraculous third out that prevented a Buffalo win.
---As for Mejia, manager Ken Oberkfell called him "electric." Totally agree. Wicked fastball, great change. The Chiefs couldn't touch him for the first four innings. He lost some location in the later innings but not any velocity. He's given up just one run in his last three minor-league starts over 22 innings. He's ready.
---Tomorrow is Sept. 1. What do the Mets do? Probably call up a pitcher (Raul Valdes?). What about Lucas Duda? The New York outfield is crowded and Duda, Buffalo's second-half MVP, is not on the 40-man roster. He likely stays here until the season ends and then we see next Monday about his first trip to New York. Hopefully the Mets leave the Bisons alone until the playoff race is decided.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Righty Jenrry Mejia, the top-rated prospect in the New York Mets organization, will make his Buffalo Bisons debut tonight when the team hosts Syracuse.
The 20-year-old Mejia made the Mets' Opening Day roster as a reliever, going 0-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 30 appearances. The Mets sent him to the minor leagues to get him time as a starter. He was out for a month with a strained pitching shoulder and returned to make six starts with Double-A Binghamton, going 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA.
Check back for updates throughout the game.
Tonight's starting lineup for the Herd:
Jesus Feliciano -- RF
Justin Turner -- SS
Lucas Duda -- LF
Nick Evans -- 1B
Russ Adams -- 2B
Mike Cervenak -- 3B
Kirk Nieuwenhuis -- CF
MIke Nickeas -- C
Jenrry Mejia -- P
First inning: Mejia strikes out two batters to retire the side in order to kick off the game. He threw 14 pitches, nine for strikes.
Second inning: Mejia caught Pete Orr looking on a 97-mile per hour fastball for a called third strike. And with that Mejia struck out the side. He has five total Ks, 24 pitches, 18 for strikes.
Third inning: Three up, three down for Mejia with two more strikeouts. The two balls that have been put in play? They've been soft grounders back to Mejia for the easy 1-3 out. A homer by Mike Cervenak in the second inning has given the Herd a 1-0 lead.
Fourth inning: Another three batters bite the dust, one by strikeout, one by line out to third and one by a ground out to third. Mejia has thrown 46 pitches, 34 for strikes.
Fifth inning: Syracuse finally got a baserunner when Chase Lambin was hit by a Mejia inside pitch. Pete Orr then hit into fielder's choice and was safe at first, but followed that up caught stealing second base. Mejia still has not allowed a hit and has faced the minimum. He has thrown 55 pitches, 37 for strikes.
Sixth inning: The Chiefs tied the game with a solo homer by Michael Martinez -- a shot to centerfield on a 2-1 pitch from Mejia. Whiting's then singled to short for the second hit of the game off Mejia, who has thrown 70 pitches, 46 for strikes.
Seventh inning: Mejia gave up two more hits, but no more runs, in what appears to be his final inning. He has thrown 89 pitches, 59 for strikes.
Eighth inning: I stand corrected, Mejia had another inning. He picked up a strike out, gave up a walk and got Whiting to ground into a double play to end the inning. The game is still tied, 1-1.
Ninth inning: Sean Green replaces Mejia on the mound. Mejia finishes giving up fie hits, one run with one walk, nine strikeouts and on hit batter. He 103 pitches, 66 for strikes.
Final: Syracuse scored three runs in the 10th inning to earn a 4-1 win.
--- Amy Moritz
The season is over for Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg. And so too may be the 2011 season. In a stunning announcement that was their worst fears realized, the Nats announced today that Strasburg has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his golden right arm. He needs surgery and the most optimistic view has him returning to the mound by next August (see you on rehab in Syracuse again). But as cautious as the franchise has been with The Franchise, you wonder if it means see you in spring training, 2012.
It's a devastating diagnosis for the Nats, who did everything they could to baby Strasburg in his climb through the minors and on to the majors. Tight pitch counts and tight innings limits couldn't prevent him from going on the disabled list twice. I guess that kind of torque on an arm simply is too much to maintain for a full major-league season.
Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA, collecting 92 strikeouts and walking just 17 in 68 innings. His strikeout rate per nine innings of 12.2 is tops among starters in the majors. But now everything about his career is in doubt.
Will this crazy year -- capped by his final minor-league start in Buffalo and that electrifying 14-strikeout debut against the Pirates -- be simply a flash in the pan of one summer? Or will modern medicine bring him back, like it has with other Tommy John pitchers such as Chris Carpenter, A.J. Burnett and John Smoltz?
A major, major setback for the Nationals in their climb to respectability. On top of that, you wonder who the next team will be that will dare spend this kind of money on a high pick for a pitcher. Such a huge injury risk.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Photo: Strasburg works June 3 against the Bisons (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News)
---Who's the first person the Cubs have interviewed on the road to finding a replacement for Lou Piniella? According to ESPNChicago.com, it's none other than former Bisons/Indians manager Eric Wedge. Cubs GM Jim Hendry was a coach at Creighton University when Wedge was an All-American catcher at fellow Missouri Valley Conference school Wichita State in the late 1980s, so there's a lot of history there. I know this is one job Wedge has had his eye on this summer if it appeared Ryne Sandberg was not a slam-dunk choice.
---Talked to International League president Randy Mobley today and he points out the league often uses fill-in umpires at first base and home plate and there's no rule limiting them to just third base. Mobley himself makes the call whether a substitute stays locked at third or can move, as Buffalo's Wally Bissett did Wednesday night. Bissett landed at first base and twice drew the Bisons' ire in the 8-3 loss to Pawtucket.
Said Mobley: "We have a few umpires that we have labeled in each city that have agreed to be available to us Within that group, there is varying degrees of experience. Based on that degree, I'll make a judgment whether they go into the rotation [to work the plate and other bases] with the other umpires."
I think the fill-ins should be kept at third during August pennant race games but Mobley countered he views it no different than a game in April. He wouldn't put a sub ump at first or behind the plate in August if he wouldn't do it in April. Fair enough. We can disagree on that point.
---Mobley points out the IL has had just 24 postponements this year, compared to 57 by Aug. 26 of 2009. The Bisons, in fact, just played their first doubleheader of the season on Sunday. Been a great weather year for the league.
---Memo to the Phillies: It's the end of August. You've been to the World Series two straight years but you're not going back if you lose four straight at home to the Astros. What's up with that?
---Memo to the Yankees: You're 5-7 against the Blue Jays. Might want to figure that one out before your seven meetings in September.
---Memo to everyone in the NL wild card race: Here come the Rockies again. Think 2007. Just sayin'.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
I've been covering Bisons game off and on for 23 years and on a full-time basis since 1992. From time to time, an umpire has a family situation, an illness, some time off coming or gets the call to the major leagues and the crew needs a substitute so there's still three men are working the game. You don't see guys promoted from Double-A. You usually get a top local amateur working for a night or two. They work third base and largely stay out of the way.
I've never seen one in the middle of things as poor Wally Bissett was Wednesday night in Coca-Cola Field.
Bissett is a highly respected, veteran umpire from Buffalo who does college ball as well as local amateur contests. But he blew two calls at first base on the tail end of double plays, one that cost the Herd a first-inning run in a game it would eventually lose in 10 innings to Pawtucket, 8-3.
Bissett got impatient with Herd manager Ken Oberkfell in the ninth and quickly tossed the Buffalo skipper after calling Pawtucket's Jeremy Hermida safe at first. He had called Herd OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis out in the first, denying the game's first run. Replays showed he blew both calls. Unless Oberkfell said the magic word, Bissett ran him way too quickly.
Oberkfell was diplomatic after the game. He was more upset with reliever Sean Green's pair of 10th-inning walks. I was always under the impression fill-ins were never supposed to work first or the plate. So was Oberkfell. So too was Buffalo General Manager Mike Buczkowski. IL president Randy Mobley can expect some phone calls from them today (he might get one from me too).
"I always thought they were just supposed to be at third but it's one of those things I guess," Oberkfell said. "I can promise I'll find out why he was at first base in a crucial game. Nothing against Wally but we're battling for a playoff spot. For me to have a substitute umpire at first base or home plate is something I don't feel should happen."
Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo, the ex-Bison player and skipper, agreed with Oberkfell.
"You should call Randy and if you do, you have my support," Lovullo said. "We had episodes when we went into Columbus where we were embarrassed by the umpiring behind home plate that cost us in a couple of key situations. I'm not really commenting on what went on out here but I think there's a place and time for an umpire to be out at a base but they really shouldn't be at first or behind the plate."
This kind of stuff should not happen. It's Triple-A baseball. If you use fill-in umpires -- a practice I hate in the first place -- they should never be anywhere but third base.
(It should be noted that the umpires room is off-limits to reporters so I could not speak to Bissett after the game).
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
It's Fernando Martinez Bobbehead Night and it's only appropriate given his struggles the last two years that FMart, the Mets' alleged top prospect, was put on the disabled list today. And no, all you jokesters out there, he doesn't have a sore neck.
Martinez is out with knee soreness that flared up during Sunday's doubleheader. The news was better, meanwhile, on second baseman Justin Turner, who continues to work out with the team and passed his MRI in New York. He could be back by the weekend.
Catcher Mike Nickeas has been called up from Binghamton, where he was batting .283 overall and .329 with runners in scoring position. He has been right into the lineup for tonight's series finale against Pawtucket. The Bisons have lost three of the first five games of this series, a disappointment for sure against the fourth-place team in the IL North. Raul Valdes will look to give the Herd a series split.
Boston reliever Hideki Okajima is again scheduled to pitch a rehab inning of relief tonight. Let's see if the Herd can do anything against Sox outfielder Josh Reddick, who has eight hits the last two days and made for an interesting story in today's paper. Here's the Bisons' lineup:
Luis Hernandez, ss
Andy Green, 2b
Lucas Duda, lf
Nick Evans, 1b
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, cf
Valentino Pascucci, dh
Russ Adams, rf
Mike Cervenak, 3b
Mike Nickeas, c
--------
Raul Valdes, p
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Tonight's series finale between the Bisons and Pawtucket is Fernando Martinez Bobblehead Night, with the first 4,000 fans through the Swan Street gate getting a likeness of the again-injured Mets outfielder, whose status as a prospect shrinks by the day.
Reviewing the rules: The dolls are available at the Swan Street gate only (the one by third base). It's one per person only. The gate opens at 6 but the line will be there probably an hour before that.
Don't expect to see F-Mart in tonight's series finale. He's in New York to have his injured knee looked at. Whatever. He's been mostly a bust in his two years here, routinely getting outplayed by six-year free agents and other fringe prospects.
---Mike Harrington|
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
