4/17/15

Binghamton 9 - Harrisburg 3



The Binghamton Mets set season-highs in hits and runs en route to a 9-3 victory over the Harrisburg Senators on Thursday night in their 2015 home opener. TJ Rivera went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs to highlight Binghamton’s 17-hit attack.

Harrisburg struck first with a run in the top of the first inning against Binghamton starter, Rainy Lara, but the lead was short lived. Following a one-out double by Brandon Nimmo, Rivera started his stellar night and tied the game with an RBI single into left. Dustin Lawley pushed Binghamton ahead by pulling a two-run double down the left-field line.

Rivera drove in another run in the second inning and the B-Mets led 4-1 after two. Harrisburg climbed back with two runs in the fourth inning off of Lara. The inning started with a Matt Skole walk and a Rick Hague double, as both scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies later in the frame.
Binghamton added to their 4-3 lead when Josh Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season off reliever Derek Self, to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning.

Lawley tacked on his third RBI of the night in the seventh and the flood gates opened in the eighth inning. Binghamton scored three times in the frame against reliever Gilberto Mendez. Eudy Pina started the rally with a pinch-hit single and scored when Jared King stroked a ground-rule double down the right field line and Pina was awarded home plate by the umpires on fan interference. Rivera capped his stellar night with another RBI single. A throwing error by Stephen Perez at short allowed Binghamton to score their ninth and final run.

After Lara pushed through five innings, the B-Mets bullpen slammed the door. Three relievers combined to hold Harrisburg to two hits over four shutout innings. Chase Huchingson pitched a scoreless sixth, while Paul Sewald threw two perfect frames, and Jon Velasquez closed things out with a blank ninth.

Lara (2-0) allowed three runs on six hits over five innings, to earn his second win in as many starts. Paolo Espino (0-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings for his first loss of the season.

The B-Mets (5-3) continue their four-game series with the Harrisburg Senators Friday night at 7:05 PM. Binghamton RHP Gabriel Ynoa gets the ball against RHP Tim Alderson. 

POSTGAME NOTES: TJ Rivera registered the first B-Met four hit game of the season…Paul Sewald has yet to allow a hit in his first four innings pitched …Binghamton went 8-for-18 when batting with runners in scoring position, after going a combined 1-for-12 in the previous two games…Josh Rodriguez hit his first home run since July 19, 2014 with New Orleans (Triple-A)

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