NEW BRITAIN, CT – Zack Wheeler allowed one
run over a career-high eight innings to lead the Binghamton Mets past the New
Britain Rock Cats by an 8-1 score Wednesday afternoon at New Britain Stadium.
The righty allowed just two hits and struck out seven in his fourth-straight
victory.
Wheeler’s perfect first
inning was a preview of the seven stellar innings that would follow. He struck
out the first two hitters of the game and fanned three of the first four he
faced. The Georgia native opened the game by retiring ten Rock Cats in a row
before issuing a walk in the fourth. He worked around the free pass by inducing
Deibinson Romero to bounce into a double play.
New Britain starter David
Bromberg struggled to match Wheeler in the opening innings. After failing to
score with the bases loaded in the first, the B-Mets cashed in with the bases
loaded in the second. A single, a hit batsman and a walk filled the bases and a
wild pitch allowed Juan Centeno to cross home with the first run.
Wheeler made the lead stand
until the fifth, when the Rock Cats finally collected their first hit. Aaron
Hicks walked and stole second to start the rally. He advanced to third on a
groundout and scored when Nate Hanson lined a single to right field. It was one
of only two hits allowed on the day by Wheeler.
Bromberg settled down after
his first two shaky innings and posted four scoreless frames to cap his day.
Reliever Blake Martin took over and posted a scoreless seventh before allowing a
leadoff single to Raul Reyes in the eighth.
Luis Perdomo was summoned
from the bullpen and promptly walked Eric Campbell to put two aboard. After
Reese Havens sacrificed both runners up, Juan Lagares shot a groundball to
second with the infield drawn in. Reyes, breaking home on initial contact, beat
the throw from Shawn Roof, giving the B-Mets a 2-1 lead. Campbell scored later
in the inning on a botched pickoff throw from catcher Danny Lehmann.
Given a two-run advantage,
Wheeler closed out his impressive day with a scoreless eighth. He allowed just
four base runners in eight innings, the longest start for any B-Met this
season.
Binghamton put the game out
of reach with five runs in the ninth against reliever Brett Jacobson. The righty
walked five, hit a batter and served up a three-run homer to Raul Reyes in the
frame.
Adrian Rosario replaced
Wheeler for the ninth and posted a perfect inning to close out Binghamton’s win.
Wheeler (4-2) earned his fourth win in as many starts, while Martin (1-2) was
saddled with the loss.
The B-Mets (22-22) look to secure the
series split tomorrow morning at 10:35 AM. RHP Jenrry Mejia makes his second
start of the season for the B-Mets against RHP B.J. Hermsen. The Horizons
Federal Credit Union pre-game show begins at 10:20 AM on ESPN 1360
WYOS.
Press release provided by the Binghamton Mets
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