Wheeler strikes out 11 in B-Mets win

7/31/2012 (Updated 11:02:31 PM)

BINGHAMTON -- Four Binghamton Mets pitchers racked up a season-high 17 strikeouts, including eleven from Zack Wheeler, in a 3-2 win over the Harrisburg Senators on Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium. The win was Binghamtons sixth in the last eight games.

Entering the game after two difficult performances on the road, Wheeler delivered a solid bounce-back performance against the Senators. The righty allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out eleven, a season-high. The total was one shy of a career-high, set last year with the San Jose Giants.

The B-Mets cracked the scoreboard in the first against starter Danny Rosenbaum (7-8) on a lucky bounce. With Wilmer Flores at first, Jefry Marte zipped a groundball down the third base line that bounced off the tarp and ricocheted back into left field, allowing Flores to score the games first run.

Harrisburg answered back with two straight runs, getting on the board in the second. Zach Walters led off with a double, took third on a single and came home on Sean Nicols sac fly. Tim Pahuta gave Harrisburg a brief lead by squeezing a solo homer over the left field wall in the fourth. It was just the second home run allowed by Wheeler this season.

Binghamton responded with a run in the fourth. The B-Mets cracked three hits to start the inning, but a baserunning mistake by Jefry Marte forced Wilmer Flores to get thrown out at home. Francisco Pena made up for the miscue with a game-tying, RBI groundout to third.

The B-Mets took the lead for good in the sixth. Wilmer Flores started with a walk and took second on a groundout. After Dustin Martin bounced out to the mound for the second out, Pena sent a high chopper to second. Jose Lozada attempted to field the in-between hop, but the ball squirted under his glove. The error allowed Flores to score from second.

Given the lead, Wheeler (10-6) capped his night with two more strikeouts in the seventh. The righty fanned the final four batters he faced before giving way to C.J. Nitkowski.

Pinch-hitter Jonathan Tucker greeted the lefty by launching a long fly ball to left, but was robbed of a hit by Pedro Zapata who made a running catch on the warning track to end the inning. Frank Francisco took over in the eighth and breezed through the top of the order, needing just eleven pitches to strike out the side.

After the B-Mets failed to score in two innings against reliever Brian Broderick, Adam Kolarek entered in the ninth. The lefty struck out the first two batters before surrendering consecutive singles. With the tying run on second, Kolarek locked down his first Double-A save by striking out Lozada.

The 17 strikeouts are the most collected by the B-Mets since they struck out 19 in a 14-inning game against the Harrisburg Senators on July 28, 2011. The total was one shy of a franchise record for a nine-inning game set against the New Haven Ravens on April 10, 1995.

The B-Mets (52-56) continue their series against the Senators Wednesday night at 6:35 PM. RHP Gonzalez Germen takes the ball for Binghamton against RHP Kevin Pucetas.

(Courtesy: B-Mets)

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