B-METS WIN 3-1

B-Mets “Cruz” to Skid-Snapping 3-1 Win

ALTOONA, PA – Maikis De La Cruz launched a solo home run and Victor Cruzado delivered a tiebreaking two-run triple to lead the Binghamton Mets past the Altoona Curve, 3-1, on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The B-Mets coupled the outfielders’ offensive output with six strong innings from Tyler Pill to snap a four-game losing streak.
Cruzado delivered his pivotal hit after Dominic Smith started a two-out rally in the sixth with a single. Matt Oberste followed with a walk. Immediately after pitching coach Justin Meccage visited the mound, Cruzado ripped Brandon Waddell’s first pitch into the right-field alley. The B-Met outfielder dove into third base with his first triple of the season.
The game-swinging three-bagger gave Pill all he needed. The righty shook off a bumpy first inning and closed his night with five scoreless innings. After Jin-De Jhang dumped an RBI single in the first, Pill retired 16 of the final 19 batters he faced. No Curve runner advanced past first base in Pill’s final five innings.
Pill received some help from his defense. With two aboard in the first, Smith made an over-the-shoulder basket catch on a foul ball down the right-field line to end the inning. In the fourth, Champ Stuart crashed into the fence in right-center after a long pursuit to rob Eric Wood of an extra-base hit.
De La Cruz snapped a lengthy drought and put the B-Mets on the board by blasting a solo homer to left-center. It was the B-Mets first team home run since August 23 and De La Cruz’s first long ball since July 1.
With a two-run lead, Tim Peterson worked around a one-out walk in a scoreless seventh before firing a perfect eighth. David Roseboom side-stepped a leadoff single in the ninth and registered a pair of strikeouts to earn his 14^th save.
In his first start with Binghamton following a four-game stint in Triple-A, Pill (9-10) allowed one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Waddell (7-9) was touched for three runs on seven hits over six innings in his seventh straight winless start.
The B-Mets (62-72) continue their four-game visit to Altoona on Wednesday at 6:00 PM. RHP Mickey Jannis gets the ball against RHP Tyler Eppler. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 5:45 PM on News Radio 1290, WNBF and the Binghamton Mets channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: Tyler Pill earned his 25^th career win as a B-Met, extending the franchise record…Pill is 6-1 in his last seven starts with the B-Mets…Binghamton pinch-hitters went 2-for-2 in the contest (Stefan Sabol & Jayce Boyd)
Season tickets and mini packs are on sale now and may be purchased in person at NYSEG Stadium or by visiting www.bmets.com or calling (607) 723-METS.
Be sure to follow the B-Mets on Facebook, Twitter and at the team’s official website (www.bmets.com) for more team information. Fans can also stay up to date with all the action on the field by visiting “B-Mets Buzz with Tim Heiman” at bmets.mlblogs.com