Binghamton Mets (8-7) at New Hampshire Fisher Cats (8-8) (Double-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays)
RHP Rafael Montero (2-0, 3.48) vs. RHP Marcus Walden (0-2, 5.27)
Saturday, April 20, 2013 • Game #17 • Away Game #10
Northeast Delta Dental Stadium • Manchester, NH • 1:35 PM
LAST GAME: The B-Mets were kept in check by three New Hampshire pitchers in a 5-2 loss of Friday night. The teams traded runs early. With two outs in the first, Ryan Schimpf laced a 1-1 pitch from Erik Goeddel over the right field wall, to put the Fisher Cats up 1-0. Binghamton answered back in the top of the second on an RBI groundout from Blake Forsythe knotting the game at one. New Hampshire broke the tie with a pair of run in the second. After the first two reached against Goeddel, Adam Loewen stroked an RBI single up the middle and John Tolisano produced a sac fly to center. An inside-the-park home run by Kevin Pillar stretched the lead to three in the third. After a second inning single by Richard Lucas, RHPAustin Bibens-Dirkx retired 12 of the next 13 B-Mets he faced, including five strikeouts. They finally broke through in the seventh when Cory Vaughn smashed his second home run of the year. That was their last big offensive moment however, as Chad Beck finished the game with a scoreless ninth.
BINGHAMTON STARTING PITCHER: RHP Rafael Montero makes his fourth start of the season for Binghamton. He has been stellar on the mound so far, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.16 ERA. He beat New Hampshire in his last start, and gave up two runs on three hits in five innings. He struck out six, which brought his season total to 21. His other victory came on Opening Day against the Akron Aeros. He went the first 5.2 innings and only surrendered two base hits.
NEW HAMPSHIRE STARTING PITCHER: RHP Marcus Walden also makes his fourth start of the season. In his first season in Double-A, Walden is 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA. He got knocked around for five runs and 11 hits in five innings in a loss against New Britain. He has not gone more than 5.0 innings in any of his first three starts, as he lasted 4.1 in both of his first two outings. Opponents are hitting .406 against him, and he has given up at least seven base hits in every start. In 2012, he split time between Lansing and Dunedin. With Dunedin, he went 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 games. In nearly 140 innings, he only struck out 82.
SLOW STARTS: Blake Forsythe’s RBI groundout in the top of the second was the first time Binghamton has scored in the first three innings of a game since the series finale with the Fisher Cats on 4/14. Opposing starting pitchers have given up five runs to the B-Mets in their last 19.1 innings on the mound.
EAST DIVISION: Although there are still 127 games to be played in the 2013 regular season, the league standings are currently very tight. Four teams are tied for the East Division lead, and the other two teams are just 0.5 games behind. Every team has at least a .500 record.
RHP PROBLEMS: So far this season, the B-Mets have had much more success against left-handed pitching than righties. Against right-handers, they are hitting .208 as a team, and against lefties they are hitting .304. Rhyne Hughes (.214 v RHP/ .143 v LHP) and Francisco Pena (.300 v RHP/ .250 v LHP) are the only players on the team with a higher batting average against right-handed pitching.
BULLPEN SUCCESS: In last night’s 5-2 loss, the B-Met bullpen threw 3.2 scoreless, and hitless innings of relief. That was the third consecutive game that the bullpen has not allowed a run.
ALTERNATING RESULTS: Since losing two consecutive games from 4/9 - 4/11, the B-Mets have alternated wins and losses. Binghamton is 4-5 during that stretch, including last night’s 5-2 loss to the Fisher Cats.
NEXT GAME PREVIEW: This four-game series with New Hampshire wraps up Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM. RHP Logan Verrett takes the ball for Binghamton, against RHP Deck McGuire. After the game, the B-Mets will travel to Portland to take on the Sea Dogs for the final three games of this road trip.
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