Binghamton Mets 2014 Game Notes

Binghamton Mets (63-44) vs.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (50-57)

(Double-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays)

LHP Steven Matz (4-1, 2.75) vs. RHP Kendall Graveman (0-0. --)

Monday, July 28, 2014 • Game #108 • Home Game #54

NYSEG Stadium•  Binghamton, NY • 6:35 PM

LAST GAME: The Binghamton Mets gave up four runs in the sixth inning en route to a 7-3 loss to the Trenton Thunder at Arm & Hammer Park on Sunday afternoon. Rainy Lara gave up a season-high seven runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings.Jayce Boyd went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Jake Cave went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI for the Thunder. Chase Huchingson and Adam Kolarek worked a scoreless in 2.1 frames to end the game. The Double-A Mets and Double-A Yankees split their eight matchups this season.

BINGHAMTON STARTER: LHP Steven Matz makes his seventh start of the year and first against New Hampshire. The south paw has one eachof his last three appearances. That includes allowing just two runs in seven innings in a 4-2 Binghamton win over Portland on Wednesday, July 23. In 36 innings this season the 23-year-old has eight walks and 33 strikeouts. He’s allowed just two home runs with the B-Mets. Matz was taken by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Ward Melville Senior High School in East Setauket, NY.

NEW HAMPSHIRE STARTER: RHP Kendall Graveman toes  the rubber for the first time with New Hampshire this season. He made his previous 16 starts with Dunedin (High-A). The righty went 8-4 with a 2.23 ERA in the Florida State League. In 96.2 inning he walked just 18 and struck out 64. The Alexander City, Alabama native gave up a total of four earned runs in his previous six starts. He tossed at least six frames in each of his last eight outings. He made his first four starts of the year with Lansing (Low-A) of the Midwest League. Graveman was taken by Toronto in the eighth round of the 2013 draft out of Mississippi State.

REUNION TOUR: After Binghamton and New Hampshire met 16 times in the first two months of the season, they haven’t seen each other since. The B-Mets hold an 11-5 advantage over the Fisher Cats this season. That includes a 4-2 mark at NYSEG Stadium. Binghamton has won six of the last seven meetings between the two squads. They’ve scored at least seven runs in each of those games. This series is there final three meetings of the 2014 regular season.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY:  B-Mets INF Jayce Boyd went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the series finale against Trenton on Sunday. The first baseman is now batting .338 in the month of July. He has 16 RBI this month after having only 16 in the previous two months combined. He’s slugging .500 in July with two home runs and three doubles. This comes after he slugged just .277 in June. He has a .298 average against lefty pitching this season.

OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM: Binghamton and New Hampshire’s offenses are at the opposite ends of  the leaderboard. The B-Mets lead the league in runs, home runs and slugging. They are also third in batting average. On the other side, the Fisher Cats, are last in batting average and second to last in runs scored.

BACK WHERE THEY BELONG: After a 3-4 road trip, the B-Mets return to NYSEG Stadium where they are 35-18 this season. That compares to just 28-26 on the road. They’re 20-10 against the Eastern Division at home.

CHOMPING AT THE BIT:  Binghamton INF Brian Burgamy is 19-for-52 (.365) against New Hampshire this season. He has five home runs and three doubles in 13 games against them this season. He also has walked ten times. As a team, the B-Mets are hitting .284 against the Fisher Cats in 2014.