BINGHAMTON PONIES GAME NOTES

Tuesday, June 6, 2017 • 6:35 PM NYSEG Stadium • Binghamton, NY RHP Donovan Hand (3-1, 3.02) vs. RHP Sam Coonrod (1-6, 5.06) NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF LUGO HIGHLIGHTS DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT: RHP Seth Lugotossed a seven-inning complete game in the first of two games on Saturday, striking out 8 Sea Dogs on just six hits. The Binghamton bats provided four runs of padding in the first inning. In game two, Jeremy Barfield’s two-run home run proved to be the game’s only runs, sending Portland to their first win in five games. P.J. Conlon lasted 5.1 innings for the Ponies and suffered his second straight loss.   BINGHAMTON STARTER: RHP Donovan Hand makes his eighth Rumble Ponies start and his 11th of the season. In Hand’s most recent appearance on May 30 at Trenton, he hurled 7.2 innings and gave up just one run. Binghamton lost that game 4-3. The 31-year-old has benefitted from the Binghamton bats, garnering 5.6 runs/game, the most of any Rumble Ponies starter. Hand faced the Squirrels  on May 24 and tossed a rain-shortened six-inning shutout. RICHMOND STARTER: RHP Sam Coonrod makes his 10th start of the 2017 season, in search of his second win. The 24-year old St. Louis native has been hit with the loss in four straight starts and in six of his last seven outings. One of those losses, suffered on May 24, came against the Rumble Ponies. Binghamton managed only one run over Coonrod’s five innings, but won 1-0 in seven innings. The fourth-year pro is in his second Double-A season, having posted a 4-3 mark with a 3.03 ERA in 13 starts with Richmond last year. BREATHING EASY: Binghamton’s 5-1 game one win on Saturday was the first time in ten games that a game was decided by more than three runs. The Rumble Ponies 12-4 record in such games is second best in the Eastern League only to Trenton’s 15-2 record. GOOSE EGGS: Saturday’s 2-0 game two loss was the tenth time the Rumble Ponies have been involved in a shutout and the third time they've been on the losing end. Only Portland (8-6) and Trenton (10-2) have won more shutouts that Binghamton. Richmond remains the only E.L. team without a shutout victory (0-7). SCOUTING THE SQUIRRELS: After posting a 9-12 mark in April, Richmond’s 10-20 May record proved to be the league’s worst. The Flying Squirrels dropped 10 of their last 12 May contests, including a four game sweep at the hands of the Rumble Ponies at The Diamond. Richmond, however, has won three of its first four games in June, which includes taking two of three from Trenton. Miguel Gomez leads the team in batting (.319) and ranks fifth in the Eastern League. RAIN RAIN GO AWAY: Binghamton’s series finale against Portland was postponed on Sunday afternoon due to inclement weather. The rainout marks the Rumble Ponies tenth postponement and sixth at NYSEG Stadium. UP NEXT: Binghamton and Richmond resume their three-game series on Wednesday evening. RHP Chris Flexen goes against Flying Squirrels RHP Cory Taylor at 6:35 at NYSEG Stadium.