Stefan Welch Gets His Revenge

Former New York Mets farmhand Stefan Welch collected four hits, includinga pair of two-run home runs, to lead the Altoona Curve past the Binghamton Metsby a 7-4 score Sunday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium. The defeat pushedBinghamton’s losing streak to six games, their longest of the season.

B-Metsstarter Cory Mazzoni was tagged for six runs on nine hits over four innings inhis second straight loss. After Ramon Cabrera singled home a run in the secondinning, Welch blasted his first homer to give Altoona a three-run lead. Welchhit his second dinger in the fourth, part of a three-run inning.

Forcedthe play catch-up, Binghamton plated three runs in the fourth against starterMatt McSwain. Eric Campbell and Allan Dykstra started the frame with a pair ofsingles and Travis Ozga got Binghamton on the board on fielder’s choice. WilfredoTovar plated a run with a double and pinch-hitter Dustin Martin capped theinning with an RBI ground out.

ErikTurgeon took over for Mazzoni in the fourth and posted a scoreless inningbefore allowing a run in the fifth. Jeff Stevens took the wheel and kept thedeficit at four with a shutout seventh.

TheB-Mets struck closer with a run in the seventh against reliever Jeff Inman.Juan Lagares led off with a single, moved to third on a single and double play,and scored on a wild pitch, cutting the deficit to three.

Binghamtonthreatened in the eighth and ninth, but got no closer. Juan Lagares struck out againstVic Black while representing the tying run in the eighth and Travis Ozga linedinto a game-ending double play with the bases loaded to cap Binghamton’seight-straight home loss.

McSwain(3-2) allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings for the win. Mazzoni(1-2) was saddled with his second loss of the homestand while Black collectedhis fifth save.

TheB-Mets (36-44) look to snap their home losing streak Monday night at 6:35 PM.RHP Gonzalez Germen takes the ball against RHP Gerrit Cole. The HorizonsFederal Credit Union pre-game show begins at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.