May 30, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of a baseball on the field before the MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Making his tenth start of the season, Harry Parker climbed the hill with a perfect 5-0 record.  But in support of their pitcher, all the Mets could muster was one run on four scattered hits against Phillies starter, Jim Lonborg, who pitched eight innings to gain his fourth victory of the season.  He walked two and struck out six along the way.

Philadelphia jumped out to a 4-0 lead off Parker in the fourth.  After the Mets hurler issued two walks and a single, he then surrendered a grand slam home run off the bat of Mike Schmidt – his second home run in two games.  Parker lasted five innings, while only giving up two hits.  He walked four and struck out three in suffering his first loss of the season.  Willie Montanez drove in two more runs in the seventh with a single off Phil Hennigan to give the Phils a 6-1 final victory, while also giving Philadelphia a four game win streak of their own.

Yogi Berra‘s crew is now 28-31 on the season, in fourth place, 7.5 games out of first.  Tomorrow, the Mets will send Jon Matlack to the mound to try and salvage at least one game of the series.  The Phillies will go with Wayne Twitchell.

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Zack Wheeler’s last appearance came in Las Vegas on June 13th, against the Tacoma Rainiers, in which he suffered his second loss of the season.  However, he pitched very well, lasting 5.1 innings while surrendering just one hit – a home run.  Otherwise, he walked two and struck out seven.

Feb 21, 2013; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (65) poses for a picture during photo day at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

He made thirteen starts for Las Vegas this season, posting a 4-2 record, with seven no-decisions.  But Wheeler’s was the tale of two pitchers.  He suffered through a very troublesome first five appearances, allowing fifteen hits and walking a lofty fifteen batters in 23.2 innings pitched for a 1.767 WHiP.  He also pitched to an inflated 5.81 ERA, but still struck out an impressive twenty-eight batters.  A blister on his pitching finger and being slow in adjusting to the dry climate and high altitude of several Pacific Coast League locations contributed to his early struggles.  In his last eight starts however, he pitched 45.1 innings, surrendering seventeen hits and walking twelve for an impressive 0.643 WHiP.  He pitched to a 3.19 ERA, and struck out forty-five batters.  So you have to agree, Zack Wheeler did well to finish his time in Vegas with a 1.282 WHiP, and similarly lowering his ERA to a 3.93 mark after 68.2 total innings pitched.  He additionally compiled seventy-three strikeouts for a 9.6 K/9 average.

He arrives in the majors with a considerably larger body of minor league work than Matt Harvey did.  In four minor league seasons, Zack totalled 391.1 innings pitched – 116 innings at AA, and 101.2 innings at the AAA level, with a 3.56 ERA, and a 1.275 WHiP.  He has 420 strikeouts for a career 9.7 K/9 average.  Matt Harvey meanwhile arrived in the bigs after only two seasons and 245.2 innings of work.  Moving forward, earlier this month Sandy Alderson intimated Zack Wheeler would be capped at 180 innings this season.  Averaged out, he has 110 innings left before getting shut down.  For the season he has averaged 5.1 innings per start.  Even if participating in a six man rotation, he can potentially max out at fifteen to seventeen starts.  Of course, the better he pitches, the sooner his season ends.

Tomorrow, he and Matt Harvey will take part in a rather unique day, even by old school standards – a double header featuring two of the top pitching prospects in baseball.  For Mets fans, Tuesday represents an incredible binocular baseball view into the future of the franchise.  The arrival of Zack Wheeler, for all intent and purpose, should be considered the second major step towards a better tomorrow – the first being Matt Harvey’s promotion.  Tuesday, for the first time, these two pitchers proceed forward together as Mets.

As the club continues to fall farther below the .500 mark, consider the growth of the organization from the ground, up.  We are in year three under the Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta, and J.P. Ricciardi triumvirate.  With a large collection of the 2012 Brooklyn Cyclones, the current Savannah Sand Gnats have recently captured their first half division flag.  Entering Monday evening, the Port St. Lucie Mets were tied for the second most victories in the Florida State League.  And with a 42-26 record, the Binghamton Mets are the Eastern League’s best team.  The farm is generally healthy again.  What they lack in top level positional players, they’ll have to address in the off-season.

Zack  Wheeler said it himself – he’s not a savior.  And he’s right.  He’s just another brick in the wall, albeit a very important brick in this rebuilding process.  But finally Mets fans, he is something we can point to and claim as tangible progress.

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May 31, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Rawlings baseballs before the MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Tomorrow, June 18th, the South Atlantic League will pit their top Northern Division talent versus the Southern Division’s blue chips, in the circuit’s annual All-Star game, being played this season in Lakewood, New Jersey, home of the Blue Claws – a Philadelphia affiliate.

Savannah’s catcher Kevin Plawecki and first baseman Jayce Boyd were named Southern Division starters for tomorrow evening’s game.  Outfielder Brandon Nimmo was selected as a back-up.  Starting pitcher Gabriel Ynoa and reliever Bret Mitchell will provide support out of the bullpen.  Sand Gnats manager Luis Rojas will lead the Southern team against the North as well.  Frank Viola will serve as pitching coach.

Jayce Boyd leads the team, as well as the South Atlantic League in batting with a .361 average, in hits with ninety-two, and is tops with a .441 OBP.  Kevin Plawecki is second on the team with a .314 mark, while Brandon Nimmo’s .302 average is third.  Kevin Plawecki is tied for the league lead with twenty-four doubles.

Starting pitcher Gabriel Ynoa leads the South Atlantic League with eight (8-2) wins.  He is additionally tied for the SAL lead with 74.2 innings pitched.  His 0.94 WHiP ranks second, and his 2.77 ERA rates eleventh in the league.  Reliever Bret Mitchell is tied for fifth in the circuit with ten saves.  Overall, Gabriel Ynoa leads the Sand Gnats with twelve starts.  He has limited opponents to sixty-one hits, walked nine, and struck out sixty-three batters.  Bret Mitchell is tied for the team lead with twenty-two appearances.  In 30.2 innings pitched, he has limited opponents to twenty-three hits, seven walks, and forty-one strikeouts.  His WHiP is a stellar 0.98, and owns a 2.35 earned run average.  As a staff, the Savannah Sand Gnats lead the league with a 2.90 team ERA, and a 1.11 team WHiP.  They’ve also issued the fewest walks in the league, and rank second with 609 strikeouts.

Good luck to all the Savannah Sand Gnats participating in Tuesday’s game.

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