Rubber Ducks Beats Up on B-Mets Bullpen in the Opener

Nimmo picked up a SF, but it wasn't enough for Bingo on this night

Binghamton Mets @ Akron Rubberducks

April 9, 2015

Matt Koch @ Will Roberts

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Binghamton	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	1	0		5	10	3
Akron	0	0	1	0	3	5	1	4	X		14	17	3

W: Martin (1-0, 0.00 ERA); L: Tapia (0-1, 54.00 ERA)

MiLB.com Boxscore

The Highlights:

Pitchers

Matt Koch (5.79 ERA) – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 SO, 86 Pitches (57 Strikes), 6 GO: 2 FO

Domingo Tapia – 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), HBP, 3 GO, 1 IR – 1 S

Chase Huchingson (5.40 ERA) – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, SO, 3 SO: 1 FO, 3 IR – 3 S

Batters

T.J. Rivera – 2-5, R, 2B (1), 2 RBI (2), SO

Dustin Lawley – 2-4, R, 2B (1), HR (1), RBI (1), E

Xorge Carrillo – 2-3, R

Eudy Pina – 1-4, SB (1), SO

Recap:

            Things were going great for the B-Mets in their opener, until the bullpen came in, and then the Rubber Ducks took over. Including an inherited runner from Koch, which Tapia allowed to score, the bullpen was on the mound for 12 of the 14 Rubber Ducks runs in just 3.1 IP – this should end up being a good pen, but some new guys might need to get their feet wet in AA for a little before they get rolling. One experienced arm in the pen is Adam Kolarek, who was hit around for four runs in the 8^th, and looked the same as he did in his disappointing 2014. For Koch, this had to be a very disappointing outcome, as he was one out away from a great opening day start, but would have to leave after giving up back-to-back doubles due to his 85-pitch limit. Still, he was more effective than I expected given pedestrian numbers in St. Lucie and multiple seasons without seeing him – I liked his 92-94 MPH fastball, and it seemed like he was throwing an effective slider. As I mentioned at the top, before this got out of hand, things were looking pretty good for the B-Mets, so let’s review how they ended up 4-1 heading to the bottom of the 5^th and pretend the game ended there. Fresh slate of games tomorrow anyway! Rainy Lara starts for Bingo in game 2 of the series, Friday night at 6:35 pm.

            The B-Mets would only get two hits through the first four innings, as Akron starter Will Roberts looked very sharp early. Dustin Lawley picked up the first hit of the game in the top of the 2^nd, when he lined a double into the LF corner.

            Koch would pick up two strikeouts while working around two singles in the bottom of the 2^nd, his only two strikeouts of the game. Eudy Pina hit a one-out single in the top of the 3^rd and stole 2B, but the B-Mets would strand a runner on 2B for the second straight inning.

            Koch ran into trouble in the 3^rd when Akron’s Todd Hankins singled and stole 2B off of him with one-out. Jordan Smith would promptly drive him in from 2B, although Smith would get thrown out on the play trying to advance to 2B – this was the source of Boyd’s OF assist, and the Rubber Ducks were clearly trying to test Boyd’s arm considering his injury history. Lawley would get that run back with a solo blast leading off the 5^th.

            Carrillo followed with his first hit of the night.

            After Cecchini walk and Pina pop out, Jared King would pick up his first hit in AA to load the bases.

            Nimmo would drive in a run with a sac fly to CF, but T.J. Rivera provided the 2^nd big hit of the inning, when he lined a double to the right-field gap to score two.

            Then the game ended, the end. Tapia came into the 5^th inning in the middle of 4 straight double from Akron batters. He struggled in the 6^th too, and was not helped out by an error from Dustin Lawley to lead off the inning. Chase came in with the bases loaded and threw a wild pitched, re-loaded the bases with a walk, and then gave up a bases clearing double. He got the first two batters out in the 7^th, but then walked the third. He should’ve ended the inning when the next batter hit the ball back to him, but he threw the ball into RF for a throwing error that allowed the runner to score from 1B. Rivera got the 8^th inning rally started for the B-Mets with a single up the middle.

            Boyd followed with a single on a liner to RF – the runners would end up on 2B and 3B.

            Rodriguez would drive Rivera in with a sac fly to make it 10-5. After a Lawley groundout and Carrillo HBP, Cecchini picked up his first hit of the season to load the bases for Eudy Pina, who would ground out to end the threat.

            Kolarek allowed the first two base runners of the 8^th to reach before getting a called strikeout against Gallas. The next four Akron batters would reach against him though, culminating in an RBI double from Myles. He recovered to finish striking out the side, but serious damage had already been done.

Koch Coverage

1^st inning

            After getting ahead with a heater to the first batter, Koch missed with a breaking ball in and a high heater before evening it up at 2 with the fastball. He’d get the leadoff batter to lineout to Lawley. Koch got ahead of the lefty hitting #2 batter 0-2 with a breaker, inside at the knees, and a fastball, outside at the knees. After wasting a pitch, Koch just missed to even the count at 2-2 before getting a groundout to Rivera. The third batter lined the first pitch to Nimmo. His fastball was sitting at 93 MPH in the 1^st.

Total: 12 Pitches, 8 Strikes

2^nd inning

            After falling behind 1-0 against the leadoff batter, Koch got a breaker over to even it, and something inside to get ahead 1-2. Koch would then get a weak grounder towards the SS that Lawley cut off, but Dustin couldn’t make a throw to 1B after an awkward spin – infield single. Koch would get ahead of the next batter 0-1, and then 1-2, before striking him out swinging on the 6^th pitch of the AB on a 93 MPH heater. After Koch got a breaking ball over to get ahead 0-1, Diaz would hit a slow grounder to Rivera for a force out. The speed upgrade would play a role, as Koch fell behind the next batter 1-0 before giving up a single down the LF line – Diaz didn’t hesitate to try for 3B. Koch would fall behind Myles 1-0, but then got him to swing through one 93 MPH heater at the knees and foul off another. After wasting two pitches in the dirt, Koch threw a nasty 3-2 slider to get him swinging.

Total: 2 H, 2 SO, 2 LOBsters, 20 Pitches, 13 Strikes

3^rd inning

            Koch got ahead of the leadoff batter 0-2, but didn’t waste any pitches just because he was ahead, instead he attacked the corners of the zone with his heater, missing by a small enough amount that even the other teams broadcasters commented on the slight – he’d get a groundout on the next pitch. Koch fell behind Hankins 2-0 on some close calls near the knees. After fouling off a pitch, Hankins would hit a grounder up the middle – the ball went to where the SS is normally playing, so it must have been some weird shift. Hankins successfully stole 2B on the first pitch of the AB, and then came home after the next pitch was slapped into LF. Koch was fortunate that Boyd’s throw was cut off and the batter was trying to go for 2B, as he would’ve otherwise had a runner on 1B with only one out. Koch got ahead of Erik Gonzalez 0-2, but it still took 6 pitches before Gonzalez hit a groundout to Rivera – again, even the other team’s broadcaster was mentioning how close the pitches not going for strikes were.

Total: R, 2 H, 17 Pitches, 11 Strikes

4^th inning

            The leadoff batter would hit a 1-0 fly out to Boyd in the 4^th, but the 2^nd batter would not go down so quickly. After getting a swinging strike from Lowery to get ahead, Koch missed high with a couple of 94 MPH heaters to fall behind 2-1. The battle would go to 3-2 and last 10 pitches, but Koch would win when Lowery popped out to Rivera in shallow RF. He’d fall behind Diaz 1-0 and 2-1 before eventually giving up a 3-2 infield single near the 2B bag. Then, after taking the first two pitches for strikes, Wolters would sky out to Nimmo.

Total: H, LOBster, 20 Pitches, 14 Strikes

5^th inning

            Koch got a weak groundout on a 1-0 pitch from the leadoff batter to start the 5^th off the right way. The next pitch was a sharp one-hopper to the right of Rivera that T.J. made a nice play on for the second out. Unfortunately, Hankins would drill a 1-2 fastball into the left-center field gap. Koch fell behind the final batter he’d face Thursday night 2-1 before having his next 4 pitches fouled off. Smith would win the 9-pitch battle when he brought home Hankins with an RBI double to left.

Total: 2 R, 2 2B, 16 Pitches, 11 Strikes

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