Maybe the Bisons won't need the bullpen tonight with Jonathon Niese on the mound trying to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Charlotte Knights. We can only hope after last night's 12-run arson squad act over the final three innings.
Niese, on the other hand, has allowed just one run over his last three starts and is suddenly squarely back on the Mets' radar. You wonder if he's on other teams' radars too. What if the Mets get so desperate for a bat that they become willing to part with him? Interesting thought.
Still can't believe the Bisons lost last night with seven runs on 16 hits. That was a week's worth of offense in April but this team is third in the IL in June in batting at .271. Pretty big improvement after that .197 April. Here's tonight's lineup:
Cory Sullivan, dh
Jesus Feliciano, lf
Chip Ambres, cf
Emil Brown, rf
Michel Abreu, 1b
Javier Castillo, 3b
Rene Rivera, c
Wilson Valdez, ss
Luis Rivera, 2b
---Mike Harrington
New low for the Bisons Monday night. They had a 5-0 lead through seven innings against the Charlotte Knights and had given up three hits. They lost, 12-7, in 10 innings and gave up 19 hits. I kid you not. I was there.
The umpires were a disgrace -- again -- in the ninth inning, especially plate umpire Damian Beal. He squeezed the Bisons and then called every Charlotte low ball a strike. But come on. Even Herd manager Ken Oberkfell said you can't blame umpires when you give up 12 runs in three innings.
TIm McNab (2-2), who had a 1.24 ERA in 17 outings, saw his figure more than double to 2.70 by giving up five runs in the 10th. Eddie Kunz's went from 2.43 to 3.41 after a four-run ninth. Kunz was a terrific closer last year at Double-A Binghamton with a franchise-record 27 saves. He'll get more chances here with Elmer Dessens in New York. He has to get the job done.
Back to a season-high 22 games under .500 (26-48). A 2-7 rut after a 7-2 stretch. A 14-29 record at home, where it seems this team might actually lose 50 (they're 12-19 on the road).
This season just keeps getting weirder by the day. Thanks for nothing, Mets.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Oliver Perez rejoined the Bisons tonight after pitching on rehab last night at Class A Brooklyn. If form and weather hold, Perez would be on turn to make a rehab start here Friday night against Rochester in the annual Independence Eve bash featuring the postgame BPO concert. So that would add a little extra kick to a night that always has a lot anyway with a big crowd in the house.
And with this Buffalo team wallowing away the summer simply trying to avoid its first 90-loss season in 44 years, things could certainly use an extra kick downtown.
This just in from New York: There's fears Carlos Beltran may need microfracture surgery on his ailing knee, which would certainly end his season and force the Mets to overpay for an outfielder on the trade market. You wonder if Bisons reliever Eddie Kunz would be involved in a package for a big-league bat.
As for tonight, Tobi Stoner makes his third Triple-A start, and first at home, in game three against the Charlotte Knights. Stoner went 1-1, 7.27 on the team's road trip, giving up three runs in six innings at Charlotte but getting touched for four runs on four hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings at Gwinnett.
The Buffalo lineup tonight:
Cory Sullivan, cf
Jesus Feliciano, dh
Chip Ambres, lf
Emil Brown, rf
Mike Lamb, 1b
Javier Castillo, 3b
Robinson Cancel, c
Wilson Valdez, ss
Luis Rivera, 2b
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
The Mets slipped to .500 at 37-37 with Sunday's loss to the Yankees and the heat is rising in the clubhouse over GM Omar Minaya's inactivity on the trade market. The big problem here is how the Bisons and Double-A Binghamton both stink.
Daily News columnist John Harper is right on it this morning, pointing out there's no way to make a good deal if you have no chips to package. Post columnist Kevin Kernan bangs on Minaya too. Well deserved. And who on the Bisons is another team going to want? Jonathon Niese and Eddie Kunz for sure. Don't know who else.
Good friend and St. Bona grad Mike Vaccaro wonders what kind of shape the Mets' season will even be in when they return from this road trip to Milwaukee and Philly, with a makeup game thrown in Thursday at 12:30 in Pittsburgh. And when they get home, the Dodgers will be waiting. Yikes.
More Mets-Yankees coverage from today:
Fernando Martinez could be returning to Buffalo soon with his .169 average in New York.
Big night for Mariano Rivera, as his first career RBI (on a bases-loaded walk from K-Rod) and 500th career save capped the Yankees' sweep. Great Rivera appreciation shown here by the Post's Joel Sherman.
Look for $36 million man Oliver Perez to make another rehab start with the Bisons sometime this week after he looked strong Sunday night for Class A Brooklyn. How about Friday night on BPO night? That would add some sizzle for what should be the usual full house.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
AP Photo: K-Rod can't believe he walked Rivera.
For game two of their series against Charlotte today in Coca-Cola Field, the Bisons will be facing Knights right-hander Carlos Torres (6-4), who is fifth in the IL in ERA (2.28) and fourth in strikeouts (82). Two starts ago, Torres pitched a five-inning perfect game at Pawtucket, posting a 5-0 win in a game called by rain.
It was the first rain-shortened no-no or perfecto in the IL since 1995, when a then-unknown Yankee farmhand blanked Rochester. His name? Mariano Rivera.
Buffalo's Lance Broadway threw the first pitch today at 1:41 p.m. after a 36-minute rain delay. Here's the Bisons lineup today:
Cory Sullivan, cf
Jesus Feliciano, lf
Chip Ambres, dh
Emil Brown, rf
Mike Lamb, 1b
Javier Castillo, 3b
Rene Rivera, c
Wilson Valdez, ss
Luis Rivera, 2b
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Pretty incredible Little League home run posted Saturday night by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar in the sixth inning at Arizona. Classic play that shows why the D-Backs are better than no one in the NL other than the Nationals. Click here to see the incredible video.
As for other items on my mind today, tonight's Yankees-Mets game (8, ESPN) is going to be a defining moment for Chien-Ming Wang. At 0-6, if he can't be the Bison-filled Mets lineup, you wonder what the next step with him will be. As for the Mets, they've got one run in their last three games against the Yankees. If they can't score on Wang, you wonder what happens to them.
Looks like the selloff has opened in Cleveland. Mark DeRosa traded late Saturday night to St. Louis for Chris Perez and a player to be named. Mets could have used DeRosa for sure. Wonder if the Tribe might have been tempted with an offer of, say, Bisons flamethrower Eddie Kunz?
(Bisons-Charlotte first pitch, by the way, scheduled for 1:40 but it's still pretty dark here in Coca-Cola Field).
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Bad omen as the Bisons and Charlotte Knights open a four-game series in Coca-Cola Field: Singer heads near the mound for the national anthem -- and the batteries in the wireless microphone are dead. Can't sing a note and team has to proceed on with a recorded organ version. Some poor marketing intern is probably paying the piper for that one.
Here's hoping the Buffalo offense isn't as silent after a 4-4 road trip. The Bisons have not played a home game in nearly two weeks, since their June 14 win over Durham. Their last 11 have been on the road and they went 6-5 in that stretch. Both home games scheduled in that time, June 17-18 against Syracuse, were rained out.
Here's the Buffalo lineup tonight:
Cory Sullivan, cf
Jesus Feliciano, lf
Chip Ambres, rf
Emil Brown, dh
Mike Lamb, 3b
Michel Abreu, 1b
Javier Castillo, ss
Robinson Cancel, c
Wilson Valdez, 2b
Brandon Knight, p
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Lou Piniella is a fiery guy in his own right but when he's sick of temper tantrums, you know there's a problem. Longtime powderkeg Miltron Bradley is quickly wearing out his welcome in Chicago, as he was sent home during yesterday's game at U.S. Cellular Field for a dugout meltdown that included quite the shouting match in the runway with Piniella.
Bradley, who accused umpires of conspiring against him earlier this season, will never get it. He needs professional help to channel his anger. At this point, baseball should be secondary with him. Even his teammates get sick of him.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Derek Jeter turns 35 today as the Yankees and Mets open Subway Series II in Citi Field (loud cheers expected for any popups caught by Luis Castillo). Bet that makes you feel old!
Here's the schedule and probable pitchers:
Tonight at 7 (SNY and TWC 13): CC Sabathia vs. Mike Pelfrey
Saturday at 7 (SNY and YES): A.J. Burnett vs. Tim Redding
Sunday at 8 (ESPN): Chien-Ming Wang vs. Livan Hernandez.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
Go here for a funny video piece from SNY on the Bisons' experience in Coca-Cola Field. Matt Cerrone of the always entertaining MetsBlog and Ted Berg of SNY talk to the K-Man and the Conehead, as well as Buster Bison (women and children alert: Buster does the interview without his head on, which is a big no-no in Bisonland). They even make the requisite trip to the Anchor Bar. Not the best wings, Matt? Where then, I ask?
Seriously though, nice cross marketing. Think SportsTime Ohio ever came to Buffalo for a piece like this when the Indians were here? Nope.
The Tribe was a much better and more organized parent club on the field but really flubbed marketing in this town. Love watching Mets games on SNY and we still can't see the Tribe home or away. Boo.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
