EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Wabick whacks grand slam to beat Altoona, 10-6, in 10 innings

Published on July 27, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


After dropping a pop fly that led to three runs in the sixth inning, D.J. Wabick dealt the decisive blow in the 10th inning with a grand slam home run providing a 10-6 win for Binghamton at Altoona's Blair County Ballpark Monday night. Wabick went 3-6 with a season-high six RBIs to lead the B-Mets offensively.

Binghamton (39-61) led 6-5 heading into the home half of the ninth thanks to a two-out RBI single from Jose Coronado off reliever Sean Smith that scored Mark Kiger from second. After getting the final out in the eighth, righty Connor Robertson looked to get the final three outs in the Curve ninth. However, Altoona loaded the bases and tied the game on a sacrifice fly from Gorkys Hernandez to send the game to extra innings.

Jean Machi came out of the pen to throw the 10th for the Curve. With one out, the B-Mets rally began with a single from Josh Thole, his fourth hit. Ike Davis followed with a double to left that moved Thole to third. Machi elected to intentionally pass Lucas Duda to get to Wabick. Wabick smashed an inside fastball over the right-field wall for just his second homer of the year, making it 10-6. It was just the second grand slam of the year for Binghamton.

Starters Dylan Owen and Mike Crotta threw the first five innings scoreless. The B-Mets broke the scoreless tie when Josh Thole scored on a botched run-down in between third and home after a Wabick comebacker to the mound.

The 1-0 lead was short-lived, however, as Altoona (40-63) struck for five unearned runs in the sixth inning aided by four walks and two errors committed behind Jose De La Torre and Edgar Alfonzo.

Down 5-1, Binghamton rallied to tie the score with a massive two-out rally. Duda started the run-scoring with a two-run double and was followed up with RBI singles from Wabick and Coronado to even the score at five.

Owen went five scoreless innings, but took a no-decision as he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth inning.

Robertson notched the win with 2.1 innings of one-run work to run his record to 2-0. He has now picked up a win or a save in each of his last seven outings.

Machi was hung with the loss dropping him to 2-3 on the year. Wabick's grand slam was just the second homer allowed by the hard-throwing Venezuelan righty.

The B-Mets are now 9-2 in extra-inning affairs, the best mark in the Eastern League.

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Eastern League Stories from July 27, 2009


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