On The Farm

As our beloved Mets struggle to play .500 ball and the starting lineup becomes more and more unfamiliar, I thought I would share some uplifting news from the farm.

The Buffalo Bisons swept a doubleheader from the Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta AAA affiliate) on Sunday. The two'fer was the second in as many days due to some recent uncooperative weather. The Bisons took 3 of 4 for the weekend and continue to show positive signs.

Two names that may be familiar with Mets fans, Lucas Duda (OF) and Mike Nickeas (C) had pedestrian games. Duda homered in game 2, giving the Bisons the go-ahead in a 2-1 win. While Nickeas knocked and double in game 1, going 1-2 with a walk. Something worth noting was Nickeas picked off a runner on 3rd base...not something you see every day. It's good to know that there is some talent behind the plate in the Mets system while the the position of catcher is not necessarily secure in Queens.

Other good news is that Bobby Parnell appears to be working hard on the farm. Parnell closed out the first game with a 6-out save, including 3 K's.

The 5-3 win was provided courtesy of a 5th inning grand-slam by Valentino Pascucci (1B), a minor-league lifer drafted by the Montreal Expos back in 1999. He has made no major-league appearances, but reminded me of Carlos Delgado-big guy with a smooth swing.

Game 2 was much less exciting on the offensive side, but frequent flyers Ryota Igarashi and Manny Acosta put together 2.1 scoreless innings in relief to secure the win. Mike Fisher (3B) also homered, making his contribution to the win.

Fernando (F-Mart) Martinez, the valued prospect, went 1-3 between the two games including a RBI in game 1.

All in all, the Bisons (23-28) don't look much different from their major-league counterparts-making basic errors in the field and battling mediocrity. But, they do have some players that can hit the longball and they continue to further develop some familiar talent in the bullpen.