Eastern League Playoffs: Suddenly, The Binghamton Mets Are In Trouble

Thursday evening, the Binghamton Mets were two-hit by the Trenton Thunder.  Their lone run off Trenton starter Mikey O’Brien came in the fifth inning, when third baseman Josh Rodriguez‘ fly to left field barely cleared the wall.  Otherwise, Mike O’Brien tried helping Binghamton along, but they weren’t receptive to handouts.  In his first three innings pitched, Mikey walked four batters, hit one, and unleashed a wild pitch.  But as the Mets only mustered one hit, they couldn’t convert on O’Brien’s generosity.  They left six runners on base through the first three, and eight for the game.  Binghamton was also 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.  Mikey O’Brien left after six innings pitched, allowed the one run on just two hits, walked a total of five batters, and struck out four before leaving the game, and earning a no decision.  Wilfredo Tovar had Binghamton’s only other hit.  The Mets failed to do anything against Trenton’s bullpen over the final three innings, but strikeout four times.

May 31, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Rawlings baseballs before the MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Darin Gorski climbed the hill for Binghamton, and you might say he pitched well in a losing effort.  He lasted seven innings, allowed two earned runs on seven hits, walked no batters and struck out five.  Trenton broke a 1-1 deadlock in the bottom of the seventh off Gorski with a one out single by center fielder Mason Williams, and a two out double by shortstop Ali Castillo, which finished off the BMets by a 2-1 final.

The B’s now head back home to NYSEG Stadium down in this series two games to none, because in Game One of the Eastern League semi-finals played on Wednesday, a splendid effort by pitcher Noah Syndergaard went for not, as the Mets fell in extra innings.

The game was tied 3-3 after four innings of play.  Daniel Muno led-off the game for the visiting Mets with a double, and later came around to score, for a 1-0 Binghamton lead.  In the bottom of the first however, Trenton struck back for a pair.  Later in the top of the fourth, runs batted in by Wilfredo Tovar and Daniel Muno gave the BMets a 3-1 lead.  But they let Trenton tie again in the bottom of the frame.

Noah Syndergaard pitched six innings, allowed three earned runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out eight batters before departing the game.  He, like Trenton Thunder’s starter Bryan Mitchell, left to a no decision.

Binghamton seemingly had the game in hand when they took a 5-3 lead in the tenth on runs batted in by Wilfredo Tovar and Josh Rodriguez.  But things went awry in the bottom of the tenth inning against the Eastern League’s top closer, Jeff Walters, who led the circuit this season in saves.  On Wednesday night, he failed to convert.  With two outs, the Trenton Thunder strung together five hits and scored three times off Walters to win the game by a 6-5 score.

After a record setting regular season for the franchise, the Mets are in the unenviable position of having to win three straight.  All they can do at the moment to extend the series is win Game Three on Friday.  The circuit’s top winner, Logan Verrett will take the mound for Binghamton, opposed by Trenton’s Shane Greene.

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