Binghamton Mets (44-39) at Altoona Curve (52-30)

from press release


Binghamton Mets (44-39) at Altoona Curve (52-30)

AA Affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates

LHP Mike Antonini (5-6, 4.05) vs. LHP Zach Duke (0-0, 0.00)

Game #84 • Monday, July 5, 2010

Blair County Ballpark • Altoona, PA • 7:00 p.m.

 Upcoming Games and Probable Starters


Tuesday, July 6 at Altoona 7:00 PM LHP Mark Cohoon (1-0, 5.06) vs. RHP Tim Alderson (7-4, 4.63)


Wednesday, July 7 at Altoona 7:00 PM RHP Chris Schwinden (4-5, 4.53) vs. LHP Rudy Owens (8-3, 2.66)


Thursday, July 8 at Altoona 7:00 PM RHP Josh Stinson (5-1, 3.18) vs. RHP Bryan Morris (4-3, 3.66)


Friday, July 9 New Hampshire 7:05 PM LHP Eric Niesen (5-1, 3.61) vs. TBA




LAST GAME: The B-Mets rebounded from an 8-5 deficit with a


five-run onslaught in the seventh inning to beat Portland 10-8


in the rubber match of the teams’ five-game set. Kirk Nieuwenhuis


provided the game-winning hit with a two-run double


to center off reliever Mitch Herold. Nieuwenhuis managed


three hits in five trips to the plate, including a pair of doubles.


Mike Nickeas and Sean Ratliff also clocked three-hit performances.


Roy Merritt notched the win in relief with 1.2 innings of


scoreless work. B-Mets starter Eric Niesen was knocked out of


the game in the second innings, after issuing four walks and


allowing four runs. Sea Dogs starter Stephen Fife fared better.


Fife hurled 5.2 innings and allowed five runs, one earned, on


nine hits and left with the lead. However, Binghamton struck


for five runs in the seventh off Herold, who was hung with his


third loss of the year. Edgar Ramirez picked up his first save


by inducing a game-ending double play with the tying runs on


base.



STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP: LHP Mike Antonini will take


the ball for Binghamton in the opener of the four-game set at


Altoona. It is the lefty’s second consecutive start against the


Curve. He fired seven innings, allowed three runs on five hits


and struck out seven men against Altoona June 30 at NYSEG


Stadium, but drew the loss. Antonini is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA


over a team-high 93.1 innings. He leads the league in fewest


walks per nine innings with a 1.54 ratio. Antonini went 7-5


with a 5.32 ERA over 25 appearances spanning 115 innings


last year with Binghamton. He was the Mets’ 18th-round


choice in the June 2007 draft out of Georgia College & State


University.



LHP Zach Duke will make a Major League rehab start with the


Curve tonight. The Clifton, TX native is on the 15-day Disabled


List with a left elbow flexor pronator strain. He was 3-8 with a


5.49 ERA over 14 starts (80.1 IP) with Pittsburgh (NL) prior to


going on the DL. Duke was a National League All-Star in 2009


when he went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA over a career-high 32


starts and 213 innings. The Pirates drafted the southpaw in


the 20th round of the June 2001 draft out of Midway HS (TX).