Binghamton Mets (83-55) vs.
Richmond Flying Squirrels (75-63)
(Double-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)
LHP Steven Matz (6-4. 2.17) vs. LHP Adalberto Mejia (6-9, 4.85)
Friday, August 29, 2014 • Game #139 • Road Game #67
The Diamond • Richmond, VA • 7:05 PM
LAST GAME: The Binghamton Mets blew their second straight ninth-inning lead in a 5-3 loss to the New Britain Rock Cats, on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. Cody Satterwhite surrendered three runs in then ninth inning and was tagged with his second straight blown save after having just one all season. T.J. Rivera went 2-for-4 and gave the B-Mets the lead in the eighth on a two-run single. He extended his hitting streak to nine games in the process. Greg Peavey tossed eight frames and allowed just two runs, but didn’t factor into the decision. Dilson Herrera put up a 3-for-4 performance with a home run and two runs scored. Binghamton finishes it’s regular season home slate with a 45-26 mark. The team remains two games back of Portland for first place in the Eastern Division.
BINGHAMTON STARTER: LHP Steven Matz takes the hill for the 12th time this season and his first against Richmond. The southpaw is coming off a win in his last outing. He tossed five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits in a 5-2 Binghamton win over Akron on Sunday, August 24. Matz has given up just one earned run in his last four outings. That spans a period of 25 innings. He has 22 strikeouts and just five walks in that time. The Stony Brook New York native was picked by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Ward Melville Senior High School in East Setauket, New York.
RICHMOND STARTER: LHP Adalberto Mejia is on the hill for the 22nd time this season and his 21st start. The lefty took the hard-luck loss in his last outing. He went seven innings and surrendered just one run as Richmond fell to Bowie, 1-0, on Sunday, August 24. Mejia took the loss in his only other matchup with Binghamton. He allowed two runs on five hits in 4.2 innings in a 9-6 B-Met victory on August 5. The Bonao, Dominican Republic native was signed by San Francisco as an international free agent on February 1, 2011.
BULLPEN BUMP: Binghamton’s bullpen has been roughed up over the last three games. The unit has given up 13 runs (12 earned) over 10.1 innings. That includes five runs allowed and two blown saves by Cody Satterwhite. The B-Mets closer had surrendered five total runs in his previous 26 appearances dating back to May 31.
THERE’S STILL A CHANCE: Binghamton enters Friday having already clinched a playoff spot and is two games back of Portland for first place in the Eastern Division with four to play. The Sea Dogs magic number to clinch the division is down to two games. That means they could clinch on Friday. The B-Mets lost the season series 12-9 , thus don’t hold the tiebreaker should the teams finish the season tied.
THREE MORE: If Binghamton goes 3-1 over their final four games, they will tie a franchise record for wins at 86. That mark was set last season with the team won the Eastern Division title. The B-Mets are 51-25 sinceJune 10 and are in the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history.
T.J. ON A TEAR: B-Mets INF T.J. Rivera is riding a nine-game hitting streak. The 25-year-old is hitting .576 (19-for-33). That includes seven multi-hit performances and three games with three base knocks. Rivera leads the team with a .370 average in 50 games this season.
STYMYING THE SQUIRRELS: Binghamton has owned Richmond in their season series thus far. The team is 6-0 and is hitting .294 against the Flying Squirrels. That includes sixteen doubles and five home runs. The pitching staff has a 1.50 ERA through the first six matchups with 12 walks and 49 strikeouts in 54 frames.
I'd imagine TJ slides over to 2nd to replace herrera there?
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