B-Mets Pre-Game Notes

LAST GAME: The B-Mets stroked a season-high four home runs, but fell to the Portland Sea Dogs 10-9 yesterday on Mitch Dening’s walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Together, Portland and Binghamton compiled 19 runs, 29 hits, and five errors. There was at least one run scored in all but four half-innings. Trailing 2-0 in the third, Allan Dykstra gave the B-Mets a lead with a three-run homer. Robert Carson al-lowed four runs on seven hits and gave way to Rhiner Cruz who allowed four runs of his own. Binghamton held a two-run lead until Portland put together a four-run sixth inning. The Sea Dogs collected three hits off Cruz, capped by Will Middlebrooks’ three-run homer. Matt den Dekker hit his second solo home run of the day in the seventh to cut the deficit to one. Portland added a run in the seventh before the B-Mets tied it with a pair of runs in the eighth. After Binghamton left the bases loaded in the ninth, Portland won it in with one swing. Mitch Dening smashed his fourth dinger of the year against John Lujan with one out to give the Sea Dogs the victory.



STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Collin McHugh makes his ninth start of the season and first against the R-Phils. McHugh won his most recent start against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on July 16. He struck out a season-high nine and allowed one run on five hits in Binghamton’s 2-1 win.


RHP Joseph Esposito will make his sixth start with Reading. He has won three straight games, defeating the Trenton Thunder in his most recent game on July 16. He allowed two runs on six hits and struck out six over six innings. The Long Island native started the season with the Clearwater Threshers (PHI: High-A). He went 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 games (two starts) in the Florida State League before his promotion in late June. He was signed by the Phillies as a free agent in July 2010.


GOING DEEP TWICE: Matt den Dekker launched two solo home runs yesterday. It was his first multiple-home run game of his professional career. It was the fourth time this season a B-Met has had a multi-home run game.


RACKING UP THE K’s: Since July 5, McHugh has collected the second-most strike outs in the Eastern League (21 in 15.0 innings). He trails only Shairon Martis of the Harrisburg Sena-tors who has fanned 22 over 18.2 innings in the same time span.


IT’S ABOUT TIME: With tonight’s meeting, Binghamton has finally played every team in the Eastern League at least once. The B-Mets did not play Reading for the first time last year until August 13.