7:05pm - Zack Wheeler is Pitching

Binghamton Mets (24-26) at
Reading Phillies (29-21)
Double-A Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies

RHP Zack Wheeler (4-2, 1.97) vs. RHP Jonathan Pettibone (4-4, 3.26)
Game #51 • Thursday, May 31, 2012
FirstEnergy Stadium • Reading, PA • 7:05 PM

LAST GAME: B-Mets starter Miguel Batisa fired seven innings in a rehab start, but allowed a run in each of his final two frames as the Reading Phillies defeated the Binghamton Mets 5-3 last night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Sebastian Valle’s sac fly in the sixth broke a tie in a game that saw three lead changes. Matt den Dekker drove the offense with a double, home run and two RBI. Jefry Marte drove in a run with a single in the third inning. Batista, rehabbing from lower back stiffness, allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and struck out three over seven innings of work. Reading starter Julio Rodriguez tossed five innings in a no-decision. The R-Phils bullpen combined for four shutout innings of relief. Frank Gailey earned the win and Justin Friend collected his league-leading 11th save. Jordan Whatcott retired all six he faced in two innings of work.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Zack Wheeler (4-2, 1.97) makes his ninth start of the season and first against the Reading Phillies. Wheeler has not pitched in a week due to Binghamton’s six-man rotation, Miguel Batista’s rehab start and Tuesday’s rainout. He has won four consecutive starts, including his previous against the New Britain Rock Cats on May 23. He struck out seven and allowed one run on two hits over a career-long eight innings. Wheeler has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his previous eight starts. His 1.97 ERA is the fourth-best in the Eastern League.

RHP Jonathan Pettibone (4-4, 3.26) makes his eleventh start of the season and first against the B-Mets. Pettibone allowed one run and scattered eight hits over eight innings in a win in his previous start against the Harrisburg Senators on May 25. The righty has thrown seven innings or more three times, tossing a season-high 8.2 innings against Trenton on May 9. After going 1-3 with a 4.33 ERA in April, Pettibone is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in the month of May. Selected in the third round as a supplemental pick in the 2008 draft out of Esperanza HS (Yorba Linda, CA), Pettibone is in his fifth pro season. He went 10-11 with a 2.96 ERA with the Clearwater Threshers (High-A) last year. He tied for the team lead with 27 starts.

from team press release