51s notebook: Herrera misses fourth straight game

Second baseman Dilson Herrera was out of the 51s lineup for the fourth straight game Sunday.

Herrera was originally supposed to lead off Sunday, but Matt Reynolds replaced him at second shortly before the game.

He has been dealing with a sore lower back since Tuesday’s game when manager Wally Backman said it flared up on him.

“Dilson was starting and we put him through the activities,” Backman said. “We do our stretching and running program and all that, and I guess his back was just a little bit sore still, so the trainer advised me he shouldn’t play.”

Backman said he expects Herrera to play in Monday’s game as the 51s head to El Paso for the first of an eight-game road trip.

Herrera, considered an important part of the Mets’ future, is hitting .258 in 17 games with the 51s this year.

Earlier in the season, he battled with a sore shoulder that kept him in a designated hitter/pinch hitter role and out of the field for the first two series.

Muno leaves Sunday’s game

Danny Muno left Sunday’s game during the ninth inning after making an error on a ball hit toward him at third base.

“It was a routine ground ball and he twisted his knee,” Backman said. “That’s what I’m being told.”

Backman likes chemistry

The 51s rattled off a five-game winning streak to end April, and after Saturday’s win, Backman said he liked how the team had come together.

The process was a little bit slow in part because a lot of guys on the team stayed up in big league camp for an extended period of time and the 51s didn’t have a chance to play together in March.

“I think they legitimately have gotten to know each other better, the new guys, and they’ve blended well together,” Backman said. “I think that the chemistry of the team is starting together, and chemistry to me is huge.”

Cecchini adjusts to Triple-A

Shortstop Gavin Cecchini entered the series hitting .207 in his first season in Triple-A.

Cecchini, a 2012 first-round draft pick, now has hits in his past four games after going 1-for-3 Sunday and is up to .261 on the year.

Cecchini hit .317 in 109 games last year at Double-A Binghamton, and so far, he’s seen a big difference in pitchers between levels.

“Guys have better control over their stuff, and what I mean by that is they can throw certain pitches, not only the fastball, but off-speed pitches, too, in hitters’ counts so like 2-0, 3-2, and I’ve seen that a lot,” Cecchini said Friday. “In Double-A, you’ll see that a little bit if there’s a veteran that’s been in the game for a long time and he has good control, you’ll see that a little bit, but in Triple-A, there’s a lot of guys that can control their off-speed pitches in any count. And that’s the biggest adjustment that I’ve had to make is 2-0 count, in lower levels, they’re coming with a fastball, but here, it’s not always going to be a fastball.”

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand