B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

Harrisburg continued its stranglehold over the BMets in 2009 with a convincing 8-1 win Wednesday night at Metro Bank Park. The Senators have now taken four of the teams’ five meetings so far in 2009. Harrisburg jumped on top in the second inning on an RBI fielder’s choice of the bat
of Luke Montz to take a 1-0 lead. Binghamton was quick to tie
in the contest in the fourth on an RBI single from Jose Coronado,
which plated Shawn Bowman. The Senators answered the bell in the bottom of the frame, taking the lead for good on
an RBI double from Ricardo Nanita, who came around to score on a Josh Thole error, giving Harrisburg a 3-1 cushion.

They would tack five runs onto their lead in the sixth against
reliever Edgar Ramirez, who allowed five straight to reach
culminating in an Ian Desmond grand slam, which placed
Harrisburg in command with an 8-1 lead. Jenrry Mejia struck
out a Binghamton-best eight men in five innings, but gave up
three runs to take the loss. Carlos Martinez notched his third
straight win going 6.1 innings allowing just a run while scattering
nine hits.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

LHP Mike Antonini will try to
right the ship for the B-Mets in his start tonight. He has gone
seven innings in each of his last two starts including his last
start at Trenton June 12 when he allowed one run in seven
frames to take the loss in the Thunder’s 1-0 win. For the year,
Antonini is 4-2 with a 4.95 ERA in 56.1 innings. Last season,
Antonini made eight starts for the B-Mets with a 1-3 record
and 3.74 ERA in 45.2 innings, allowing 10 home runs. He was
the Mets’ 18th-round selection in 2007 out of Georgia College
& State University.

LHP Cory VanAllen will make his tenth start of the season for
the Senators tonight. His last start, June 13, was his best as
he fired six innings of one-run ball at Reading in a no-decision.
For the year, he is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 45.2 innings. Oddly
enough, left-handed hitters have handled him well, batting
.409 (18-44) against the lefty. Last season, Van Allen was
plagued by injuries and threw just 76.2 innings, 47.1 with
Harrisburg with a 5.13 ERA. He was originally drafted in the
third round by the Dodgers in 2003 out of high school, but
elected to attend Baylor University (TX) where he was drafted
in the fifth round by the Nationals as a junior in 2006.
RETURN OF 2008 EVANS: The Nick Evans of old has returned.
Last night he went 2-5 with another double and has now
knocked five doubles in his last four games. He has recorded
hits in 10 of his last 12 games, hitting .367 (18-49) during the
current stretch to raise his average from .173 on June 3
to .267 entering play today. He is hitting .311 (19-61) in the
month of June including seven doubles and six RBIs.