B-Mets: Game Notes - Holt Up

LAST GAME:

For the second straight night, the B-Mets chased
Erie’s starter early as they got to Pat Stanley for eight runs in
the first four innings. Despite a late two-run rally from the
SeaWolves, Binghamton held on to win 8-7 Friday night. Down
3-0 after half an inning, Lucas Duda came up with a grand
slam to extend his hitting streak to 15 games and give the BMets
the lead back at 4-3. Erie provided an answer in the
third inning with an opposite-field solo jack from Casper Wells
off starter Eric Niesen. The B-Mets would respond with a big
fourth inning in which they scored four runs thanks to five hits
including an Ike Davis two-run double, which put Binghamton
on top 8-4. Connor Robertson nailed down his third save despite
allowing two runs in the ninth. For the first time in seven
starts, Eric Niesen picked up a win with five innings of four-run
work. Duda went 2-3 in the game with a homer and four RBIs.


STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Brad Holt will make his
sixth start of the year tonight for the B-Mets. He is coming off
his best start of the year: seven, shutout innings at New Britain
July 13 in which he allowed just four hits and a walk with
seven strikeouts. With Binghamton, he is 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA
in 22 innings. 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. Holt was the Mets’
first-round supplemental pick in 2008, 33rd overall, out of
UNC-Wilmington.

RHP Jonah Nickerson, who ranks fourth in the Eastern League
in innings pitched with 102.1, will make his 18th start of the
year for Erie tonight. He has won three consecutive starts,
despite giving up an average of nine hits in each. His last start
was July 12 against Akron. Nickerson went a season-best 7.1
innings allowing two runs on five hits and tied a season-high
with six strikeouts. On the year, he is 7-6 with a 4.93 ERA. He
has allowed 140 hits in 102.1 innings equating to a .333
opponent average. Nickerson was drafted by the Tigers in the
seventh round of the 2006 draft out of Oregon State University
after being named the Most Outstanding Player at the
2006 College World Series for the CWS Champs Beavers.

BINGHAMTON SHRINE INDUCTION COINCIDENCE:

Former Binghamton Triplet Dale Long was inducted into the Binghamton
Baseball Shrine last night. He led the Eastern League in
HRs (27) and RBIs (130) in 1950. He owns a Major League
record with homers in eight consecutive games, which has
been equaled by two men, Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Mattingly.
Oddly enough, it was on this day in 1987 that Mattingly tied
Long’s record with a homer in the Yankees 7-2 loss vs. Texas