B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

For the fifth time this season, the B-Mets were
shutout. This time it came at the hands of the New Britain
Rock Cats, who won 5-0 behind Yohan Pino and Jose Lugo. In
just his third start of the season, Pino gave the Rock Cats six,
scoreless innings allowing six hits with eight strikeouts to pick
up his fourth win. Lugo followed with a season-high three
innings of scoreless relief to pick up his third save of the year
in five chances. On the flip side, Eric Brown allowed five runs,
four earned in 5.2 innings to pick up the loss for the sixth
straight start, dropping his record to 4-10. The loss total is
tied for worst in the league with Harrisburg’s Justin Jones.
New Britain rallied for two runs in the first with two outs with
an RBI single from Erik Lis and an RBI double from Juan
Portes. After going 4-4 Friday, Lis output another big day with
a 3-4 showing, including two homers and four RBIs. The BMets
got three-hit days from both Lucas Duda and D.J.
Wabick, which accounted for all but one of Binghamton’s
seven hits in the shutout loss.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Jake Ruckle will look to
rebound from a poor first start with a second go-around this
afternoon. In Game 2 of the twin bill at Portland July 8, Ruckle
allowed six runs in 1.2 innings on six hits with a walk to take
the loss in Binghamton’s 6-2 loss. Prior to that start, Ruckle
had yet to be scored upon in three relief outings covering 10
innings. For the year, he is 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 11.2 innings.
Last season, he made six starts for Binghamton with a
7.36 ERA in 29.1 innings before missing the remainder of the
year with right shoulder surgery. He was drafted in the 41st
round of the 2004 draft out of Chandler-Gilbert JC.

RHP Frank Mata, like last night’s starter, Yohan Pino, started
2009 in New Britain’s bullpen, but is now starting with the
injury to RHP Jay Rainville and the promotion of RHP Jeff Manship.
His last start came July 7 against Connecticut when he
was a hard-luck loser after allowing just a run in five innings
on four hits. On the season, he has recorded a 1-2 mark,
including 2 saves, with a 4.41 ERA in 49 innings. Mata had
made just one start in his career prior to this season in which
he’s already made two starts. This is his third season spending
time with New Britain. Last year, after opening the 2008
campaign with Fort Myers, he went 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA in 23
relief appearances with the Rock Cats.

SEASON-LONG HITTING STREAK FOR DUDA:

With a 3-4 showing
at the plate with three singles, leftfielder Lucas Duda ran
his season-long hitting streak to 11 games. It ties Shawn
Bowman for the longest hitting streak of the season for a BMets’
player. During the 11-game stretch, Duda is hitting .341
(14-41) to raise his average from .265 June 30 to .276.