Reading 6, Binghamton 5

The Binghamton Mets came out on the losing end of a game that saw four lead changes, falling to the Reading Phillies by a 6-5 score tonight at NYSEG Stadium.







Matt Spidale started the attack against B-Mets starter Brandon Moore early. He lined the second pitch of the game off the top of the left field fence for a triple. He came home two pitches later when Ozzie Chavez grounded out to short.






The B-Mets had a quick rebuttal in their first turn at-bat. Juan Lagares shot an offering from starter Joe Esposito into the right field corner. Brent Clevlen botched the flyball and Lagares advanced to third on the error. Reese Havens drove him home with a double down the first base line and scored two batters later on Allan Dykstra’s RBI single.






The lead did not last long. Matt Rizzotti led-off the second with a double and Moore hit the next two batters to load the bases. Esposito helped his own cause with a two-run single to center field to give Reading a 3-2 lead. The R-Phils added to their lead when Tuffy Gosewisch scored on a wild pitch by Moore later in the frame.






Moore was pulled after three innings. In his final start of the year, the right-hander allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five. Holt took over in the fourth and struck out the side in order.






Trailing by two, Binghamton compiled a rally in the fourth. Dykstra, Mike Fisher, and Kai Gronauer all singled to load the bases. Niuman Romero tied the game with a two-run double to left-centerfield. The hit chased Esposito from the game. Chris Kissock entered from the pen and allowed a run to come home on Matt den Dekker’s RBI ground out to second.






After posting a scoreless fifth, Holt gave way in the sixth. He allowed a lead-off double to Gosewisch and plunked Troy Hanzawa. Kissock’s sac bunt moved the runners up and Michael Spidale’s single to left brought home two to give Reading a 6-5 lead.






Meanwhile, the B-Mets offense struggled against Kissock. The righty racked up six strike outs and allowed just three hits over four shutout innings of relief.






Les Walrond took over in the eighth and worked a scoreless inning before heading back out for the ninth. After the first two hitters struck out, Havens shot a single to left to keep Binghamton alive. Brahiam Maldonado put a charge into a 1-0 pitch, but Derrick Mitchell made the catch with his back at the left-centerfield wall to end the game.