B-Mets, R-Phils Split Lengthy Twin Bill Saturday Night
The B-Mets split a doubleheader with Reading Saturday night at First Energy Stadium, winning Game 1 by a 4-3 score, before falling in walk-off fashion, 5-4 in nine innings in Game 2. Edgar Ramirez tied a career-high with five, shutout innings as the spot starter in the nightcap and struck out a career-best seven, but did not factor in the decision.
Binghamton (63-69) and the R-Phils battled to a scoreless deadlock through four innings in the lidlifter as Eddie Kunz and Yohan Flande threw up matching zeroes. However, the B-Mets would crack the scoreboard in the fifth. Brahiam Maldonado and Luke Montz led off the inning with singles off Flande. Kunz followed and dropped down a sacrifice bunt in front of the mound. The southpaw picked up the bunt and fired errantly down the right-field line, allowing Maldonado to score and Kunz and Montz to reach scoring position. Jose Coronado brought both men home with a double to the wall in right-center, upping the B-Mets advantage to 3-0.
Reading (65-67) answered the bell in the fifth to keep the game close. Kunz, who had faced one over the minimum until the fifth, gave up a leadoff, infield single to Kevin Mahar. Cody Overbeck followed and centered a first-pitch fastball from the Binghamton starter, sending it over the wall in left for his 12th homer of the season to trim the B-Mets lead to one, 3-2.
Luke Montz provided a run of insurance in the next half inning, which proved to be the difference. Eric Campbell sliced a single through the right side of the infield off Flande with one out. After Maldonado was called out on strikes, Montz lined a double into the left-field corner, chasing Campbell home all the way from first to increase the lead to two, 4-2.
Manuel Alvarez entered for Kunz to start the last of the sixth. Alvarez got off to a shaky start, though, as Harold Garcia lofted a home run to left to lead off the frame. However, Alvarez righted the ship and retired the next six batters in succession to nail down his sixth save.
Kunz was credited with his seventh win of the season. The starter limited the R-Phils to a pair of runs on four hits and struck out two, while failing to walk a hitter.
Binghamton was back at it in the fourth. Sean Ratliff and Marshall Hubbard ripped singles to start the inning, putting runners at the corners. Brummett exited the game due to injury after throwing one pitch to Maldonado. Chris Kissock entered and promptly gave up a sacrifice fly to right, plating Ratliff, upping the B-Mets advantage to 2-0.
Ramirez exited on the winning end after five innings, but the bullpen could not hold it. Roy Merritt replaced the starter. Timo Perez led off the sixth and reached on a fielding error by Hubbard at first, which allowed Perez to reach second. That proved to be omen for events to follow. Michael Spidale drove home Perez with a triple to right, getting the Phillies onto the board, 2-1.
Tagg Bozied was next to hit and gave Reading its first lead of the night with a towering two-run home run to left off a hanging breaking ball from Merritt, pushing the R-Phils ahead 3-2. The lefty, who failed to get an out, exited after walking John Suomi on four pitches. Erik Turgeon entered and allowed the next two to reach before giving up a sacrifice fly to Kevin Nelson, upping the Reading advantage to 4-2.
Salomon Manriquez kept the B-Mets hopes to win alive in the seventh. Jason DeFratus entered in search of his sixth save, but was disappointed by Binghamton. Raul Reyes singled to right to start the rally. Manriquez followed a smashed his first home run of the year to center, tying the game at four.
The two teams traded scoreless frames until the ninth when the Philies would win it. Righty Elvin Ramirez, who was making his Double-A debut, walked a pair of hitters in the frame to put runners at first and second with two outs. Garcia struck the decisive blow with an RBI single to left-center, scoring Overbeck with the winnings run.
Sergio Escalona earned the win with two, scoreless innings of relief for the R-Phils in the nightcap, including five strikeouts.
Coronado went a combined 3-for-7 for the B-Mets with a pair of doubles and three RBI to lead the way.
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