B-Mets Game Notes

LAST GAME:

In their second extra-inning game of the season,
the B-Mets came out on top, 4-2, in 13 innings. Five different
pitchers combined to shut down the New Hampshire bats in
the proceeding seven innings after starter Ryan Coultas left
after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh. Nick Abel got
the win out of the pen with a scoreless 12th and closer Roy
Merritt notched his seventh save in as many chances with a
scoreless 13th frame. Binghamton rallied for two runs in the
top of the 13th when Carl Loadenthal and Josh Thole led off
the inning with singles off Edgar Estanga. It was then that
Zach Dials entered for the Fisher Cats. Dials faced a pinchhitter
Josh Petersen who reached on throwing error by shortstop
Luis Sanchez, which allowed Loadenthal to score the goahead
run. Lucas Duda brought the fourth run in, walking in a
run with the bases loaded in a pinch-hit role.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Eric Brown will make his
first start of the season this afternoon for the B-Mets. Brown
has made four relief appearances this season, including an
outing of 4.2 innings 4/18 vs. Portland. He carries a 1-0 record
and a 3.12 ERA into today’s game. He was to open the
season in a piggybacking role with fellow RHP Fernando
Nieve, but weather prevented that from happeneing on multiple
occasions. Last season, Brown saw in action in 30 games
for Binghamton, with 17 starts tallying a 5.46 ERA as a
starter. He was the Mets’ 18th round selection in 2005 out of
Wingate University.

LHP Fabio Castro gets the call for the Fisher Cats today in his
fourth start of the year. Castro has been tremendous in 2009,
holding opponents scoreless in three starts thus far spanning
16.2 innings. He has given up just 11 hits and has worked at
least five innings in each of his starts, striking out 17. Castro
spent 2008 in Philadelphia’s organization between Reading
(AA) and Lehigh Valley (AAA). He made 16 starts for Reading
last year with a 7-2 record and 4.13 ERA including a complete
-game loss in his last start 8/3/08 at Erie. He was signed as
an international free agent as a 16-year old by the White Sox
out of the Dominican 12/26/01.

DEFENSIVE STREAK ENDS:

Mark Kiger’s third inning error
ended a streak of 39 consecutive innings without error for the
Binghamton defense, their longest errorless streak.

RELENTLESS RELIEF:

In Binghamton’s last three games, the
bullpen has been stingy, stringing 13.2 innings of scoreless
baseball together to contribute in two wins. Through 13
games this season, the pen has allowed just 11 earned runs
in 59.2 innings, equating to a 1.66 ERA.