B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

In a spot start, RHP Eric Brown carried a no-hitter
through seven innings allowing a run after a leadoff walk in
the first inning and exited in a tie game, 1-1. Binghamton put
up a run in support in the eighth to give him a chance to win
on an RBI single by Nick Evans with two outs off of Portland
closer T.J. Large. However, Julio De La Cruz entered in the
eighth inning and proceeded to two of the first three he faced
in the frame before giving up the game’s first hit, a Mark Wagner
double off the wall in the left to score both walks and give
the Sea Dogs a 3-2 lead. Large came out in the ninth innings
and picked up his second win with a scoreless frame. Emmanuel
Garcia ripped his third homer of the season in the
sixth inning to tie the score at one. It was the third straight
loss for the B-Mets, all of which came by one run to Portland.
Brown was hitless in seven innings in the start and struck out
a season-high six men.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Brad Holt will make his
much-anticipated AA debut tonight for the B-Mets. Holt is
considered the fourth-best prospect in the Mets’ organization
by Baseball America and is considered the top starting pitching
prospect among right-handers. He opened the season with
St. Lucie (High-A) and went 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 41.1 innings
in eight starts. After giving up nine runs on Opening Day,
April 9, Holt allowed two runs or fewer in each subsequent
start and has won three of this last four starts overall. His last
start came May 31 against Clearwater, a six-inning win in
which he allowed just three hits with six strikeouts. Last season,
he starred with Brooklyn (SS-A) going 5-3 with a 1.87 ERA
in 14 starts covering 72 innings with 96 strikeouts. He led the
New York-Penn League in ERA (1.87), strikeouts (96) and
opponent average (.171). He was the Mets’ first-round supplemental
pick in 2008, 33rd overall, out of UNC-Wilmington.

LHP Jesse English will make his seventh start of the season
for the Defenders tonight. He has been used out of the bullpen
five times as well. His last start came May 30 against
Portland when he fired five innings of one-run ball with five
strikeouts to win his third game. He is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in
31.1 innings this season. He was added to the Giants 40-man
roster at the start of the year and participated in his first Big-
League camp this spring. Last season he made 26 starts for
San Jose (High-A) and recorded a career-best 13-7 record with
a 3.19 ERA in 135.1 innings. He was drafted in the sixth
round in 2002 out of Rancho Buena Vista High School (CA).

NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN:

With Dylan Owen’s demotion to St.
Lucie and Jose Sanchez’ DL trip, Binghamton has inherited
two of the strongest pitching prospects in the organization in
RHP Brad Holt and RHP Jenrry Mejia , who will start tomorrow