Stellar pitching lifted the Binghamton Mets over Richmond last night, which completed a three-game sweep at Diamond Park. With the win, the B-Mets record improves to 70-47 and keeps them hot on the heels of first place Portland. Binghamton trails Portland by three games and just two in the all important loss column.
Thursday’s series finale turned into a classic pitching duel with Binghamton’s Matt Bowman and Richmond’s Ty Blach trading scoreless pitching frames. Bowman worked six scoreless innings, scattering five hits, walking one and striking out six. Blach lasted one inning longer than his counterpart leaving the contest in a scoreless tie in the middle of the seventh after allowing five hits while walking four and fanning five.
Jayce Boyd continued a mid-season offensive explosion, with his two-run eighth inning double which was a game changer. Brian Burgamy, who had three hits in the contest, started the rally with a one out double. Richmond asked Jose Casilla to walk Darrell Ceciliani intentionally to set up a double play possibility with Boyd coming to the plate. But, Boyd turned the tables lining a gaper to left-center field scoring both runners.
After struggling to adjust to Binghamton’s cold early season temperatures, in recent weeks Boyd has been red hot. Boyd carried a .182 batting average into the second month of the season but has really turned things around. His eighth inning double lifted his batting average to .278. In his last 10 games he is hitting .375. The B-Mets first baseman/DH has a .475 on-base-percentage and a .531 slugging percentage over that time.
The B-Mets added a final tally in the ninth when Wilfredo Tovar laced a two-out double to left field and then raced home in front of left fielder Devin Harris’ throw after T.J. Rivera singled. Rivera, who played second base, is hitting a whopping .346 since his arrival in Binghamton from St. Lucie.
Hansel Robles was impressive in relief picking up his seventh win for Binghamton. Robles threw two scoreless innings, striking out four. Cory Satterwhite earned his 12th save throwing a scoreless ninth. Satterwhite, who continues to make a case for some serious consideration in the Mets future bullpen planning, lowered his earned run average to a team best 1.47. In 49 innings of relief, Satterwhite has only allowed 31 hits with just one home run, with 18 walks and 55 strikeouts. That gives the big right-handed closer an impressive 1.00 WHIP.
Binghamton travels to Harrisburg to open a three game set against the Senators.