Stellar start, troubling stat for LI's Steven Matz

Here's an overview of the Mets minor league affiliates on Sunday (we also have a playoff update at the bottom):

TRIPLE-A – Las Vegas 51s

The skinny: Las Vegas took a six-run lead at the end of the sixth inning, but Round Rock cut its deficit to one run with a five-run eighth inning. The 51s held on for a slim 6-5 win.

The standouts:

Bobby Abreu, DH: 2-for-3 with a double and a walk

Cory Vaughn, CF: 2-for-3 with a home run

DOUBLE-A – Binghamton Mets

The skinny: Binghamton beat Akron, 5-2.

The standouts:

Steven Matz, LHP: Allowed three hits in five scoreless innings, striking out six

Brandon Nimmo, LF: 1-for-4 with a double

Brian Burgamy, 1B: 2-for-3 with a double and a walk

T.J. Rivera, 3B: 3-for-4

NOTES: All three hits against Matz were singles. The Long Island native threw 71 pitches, 53 for strikes. In his last four starts, Matz has allowed one earned run, 19 hits and five walks in 25 innings. The one troubling stat on Matz is that his groundout per flyout ratio has significantly decreased while at Double-A. He had a sterling 2.14 GO/AO in Class-A Advanced St. Lucie, but that figure has been cut to 1.20 with Binghamton. He is now pitching in a league more conducive to hitting, so some regression was to be expected, however, it’s a figure that bears watching as Matz progresses.

SINGLE-A ADVANCED – St. Lucie Mets

The skinny: Jupiter scored a run in the ninth to cut its deficit to a run, but St. Lucie stopped the rally just in time during a 3-2 win.

The standouts:

Gavin Cecchini, SS: 2-for-4 with a double

Phillip Evans, 2B: 2-for-3 with a walk

NOTES: Since July 27, Cecchini is batting .285 (26-for-91) with 19 walks and only nine strikeouts…Hicksville’s Cam Maron had his 31-game streak of reaching base via a hit or walk snapped with an 0-for-3 on Aug. 22. He went 1-for-4 with a walk the next day. He’s walked 60 times and struck out 67 times this season, showcasing a very impressive selectiveness at the plate.

SINGLE-A – Savannah Sand Gnats

The skinny: Savannah fell to Greenville, 8-5.

The standouts:

Champ Stuart, CF: 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk

Stefan Sabol, LF: 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base

SINGLE-A SHORT-SEASON – Brooklyn Cyclones

The skinny: Brooklyn pounded out 13 hits, clobbering Tri-City, 10-1.

The standouts:

Marcos Molina, RHP: Allowed one hit, five walks and one run (earned) in 6.2 innings, striking out eight

John Mora, DH: 3-for-4 with a walk

Adrian Abreu, C: 1-for-1 with three walks

Michael Conforto, LF: 2-for-5

Tyler Moore, 2B-C: 2-for-4 with a double and a walk

Michael Bernal, RF: 2-for-5 with a triple

PLAYOFF PICTURE:

Las Vegas - clinched division

Binghamton - 2.5 games out of first, but have clinched a playoff spot

St. Lucie - 6.5 games back in division, tragic number is 1

Savannah - 6 games back in division, tragic number is 2; but, Savannah will reach the playoffs as the first half division winner

Brooklyn Cyclones - 6 games back in division, tragic number is 3