B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

For the first time in nine chances, Roy Merritt
blew a save and it cost the B-Mets, who lost 9-8 in the ninth
inning. Heading into the bottom of the ninth, Binghamton led
8-6, but Merritt loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a
single and two walks before Aaron Bates tied the game with a
two-run single to right-center. Following Bates, Bubba Bell hit
a broken-bat walk-off single through the left side to score Lars
Anderson from third and end the game. The blown save
spoiled Dylan Owen’s first chance to win this season. Owen
tied a season high with 5.2 innings pitching giving up four
runs in windy conditions. D.J. Wabick had his best ball game
of the year, going 3-4 with 4 RBI and Lucas Duda also contributed
three hits with 2 RBI.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Jose Sanchez makes his
fourth start of the year tonight against a Portland team that
roughed him up for nine runs in three innings April 18. The
nine runs given up by Sanchez were the most he had given up
in a start since he gave up 11 runs in 3.1 innings 5/15/06 for
St. Lucie (High-A) against Dunedin. Sanchez is 1-2 in 2009
with an inflated 9.88 ERA. He opened the season with a quality
start against Trenton, but since has not made it through
five innings. In 2008, he lead Binghamton with 13 wins and
tallied a 3.83 ERA in 152.2 innings.

RHP Jared Plummer gets the call for Portland for his third
start. Plummer has gone four innings in each of his starts with
the Sea Dogs including four against the B-Mets 4/16 at
NYSEG Stadium giving up two runs. His last time out came
against Connecticut last Thursday giving up six runs in four
innings. Plummer is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in the two starts. He
was called up to start against Binghamton in a pinch with RHP
Travis Beazley going on the disabled list. Plummer was originally
drafted in the 26th round in 2002 out of South Garland
(TX) High School. He has spent time in the Dodgers and Royals
organization before landing with Boston as a minor league
free agent last winter.

WABICK WAKES:

D.J. Wabick has been slow out of the gates
in 2009, hitting just .139 through 11 games entering last
night’s game, including 1-10 in his last four games. However,
Wabick came through with a 3-4 game yesterday with a double
and now leads the team in RBI with 11, thanks to a season-
high 4 RBI yesterday.

THE DUDE ABIDES:

Lucas Duda continued his torrid on base
pace last night with a 3-4 day at the plate including a walk
and two RBI. He leads the Eastern League in on-base percentage
(.483) entering tonight’s game.