EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

B-Mets Game Notes: at Reading Phillies

Published on May 31, 2012 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


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 Gaileyearned 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'srehab 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.

TWO MORE TWIN KILLINGS: The B-Mets matched a season-high by bouncing into three double plays last night. All three ended their respective innings. Juan Centeno rolled into a pair of twin killings. It was the first time a B-Met hit into two double plays since Raul Reyes did the feat against the Harrisburg Senators on May 5 this season. Centeno leads the Eastern League by grounding into 14 double plays.

PEPPERING THE LEADER BOARD: B-Mets starter Zack Wheeler has allowed a .175 opponents' batting average, the lowest in the league for any qualifying pitcher. He sits fourth in the league with a 1.05 WHIP. The righty has also struck out 52 over 45.2 (10.25 K/9 IP), the best average for any starting pitcher.

STAYING MATCHED UP: Matt den Dekker ripped his team-leading seventh home run of the season last night and the R-Phils Jiwan James hammered his fourth home run of the year. Both the B-Mets and R-Phils have hit 30 home runs on the year, tied for seventh in the league.

TALE OF TWO TEAMS: Justin Friend tossed a scoreless ninth inning to collect his 11th save. The R-Phils are tied for the league lead with the Senators with 19 saves. The B-Mets are last with just six.

WRAPPING UP THE STRETCH: Tonight's game completes a seven series stretch against Eastern Division foes. The B-Mets have gone 10-11 through the first 22 games of the stretch. They started the run sitting in fourth place in the division, trailing by five games.

MAKING IT UP: The B-Mets and R-Phils will makeup their rainout from Tuesday night by playing a doubleheader on August 4 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The first game will start at 5:35 PM.

NEXT GAME PREVIEW: The B-Mets return home for a four-game series against the Akron Aeros starting tomorrow night at 7:05 PM.

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Eastern League Stories from May 31, 2012


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