B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

For the second time this week, the B-Mets endured
a shutout. This time it came at the hands of the Trenton
Thunder, who notched their league-leading eighth shutout, 1-0
over Binghamton. Ivan Nova tied a season high with eight
innings of work and failed to allow a run in picking up his fifth
win of the year. Nova allowed just three and struck out a season-
high eight men. On the flip side, Mike Antonini tied a season-
best with seven innings for the second straight start, but
didn’t get any run support. He allowed a home run to Noah
Hall in the first and that was all that Trenton needed to take
down the B-Mets, who managed just three hits. A day after
blowing his second save of the season at Reading, Thunder
closer Amaury Sanit notched his seventh save in nine tries
with a scoreless ninth inning, capped with a strikeout of Lucas
Duda.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP (Game 1):

RHP Tobi Stoner
gets the call for the B-Mets in the early game of the doubleheader.
Stoner is coming off his longest outing of the year. He
went a season-high eight innings allowing four runs to Connecticut
June 7 at NYSEG Stadium and left with a 5-4 lead. He
would get a no-decision due to the Defenders’ six-run ninth
inning. For the year, Stoner is 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 40 innings
of work. He has gone 6.1 innings or better in all but one
of his six starts. Stoner made 15 starts with the B-Mets after
coming up June 9 from St. Lucie (High-A). He went 4-6 with a
4.33 ERA in 79 innings. Stoner was the Mets’ 16th-round
selection in 2006 out of Davis & Elkins College. Stoner is
considered the 19th-best prospect in the organization by
Baseball America.

RHP Ryan Pope will go for the Thunder in the second game of
the twinbill. Pope is coming off one of his better outings June
7 at Portland when he threw five innings allowing just one run
on four hits with three strikeouts to take a no-decision. He is 2
-4 with a 4.83 ERA in 50.1 innings this year. In 23.2 innings at
home, Pope carries a 3.42 ERA in contrast to the road where
he has tabulated a 6.08 ERA in 26.2 innings. Last season, he
made 20 starts for Tampa (High-A) recording a 7-7 mark in
104 innings with a 4.15 ERA and was named a Florida State
League All-Star. He was the Yankees third-round pick in 2007
out of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Pope was the
first player ever drafted out of the school

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP (Game 2):

LHP Eric Niesen will
make his AA debut tonight in the nightcap for Binghamton.
Niesen is coming off his shortest start of the season against
Dunedin June 8 at home where he gave up five runs on five
hits in 0.2 of an inning and took the loss. He was 3-4 with a
3.28 ERA in 57.2 innings with St. Lucie (High-A). Last season,
...Niesen appeared in 26 games for St. Lucie, including
24 starts, and totaled a 6-12 record with a 4.64 ERA in
118.1 innings. He was the Mets’ third-round choice in
2007 out of Wake Forest.

RHP Josh Schmidt will make a spot start in the doubleheader
for the Thunder. He last started June 1 against
Bowie and performed well, throwing five shutout innings
allowing only two hits to pick up the win. Schmidt is 4-1
with a 1.20 ERA in 30 innings this year, which includes
17 relief appearances and just one start. He split the
season between Tampa (High-A) and Trenton last season,
opening the season with the Thunder making eight
appearances with a 3.09 ERA. With Tampa, Schmidt
went 0-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 30 games with 16 saves.
He was taken in the 15th round of the 2005 draft out of
Pacific where he owns the single-season records for
appearances (36) and saves (11).

NEXT GAME:

In tomorrow’s series finale, Trenton will
throw LHP Wilkin De La Rosa, a converted outfielder. He
is 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 39.1 innings and will be making
his third start against Binghamton. The B-Mets have
yet to name their starter for tomorrow’s 1:05 game.