BINGHAMTON, NY - The Binghamton Mets opened up their home schedule the same way they ended it last year, with a loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Yusmeiro Petit pitched four shutout innings but did not factor in the decision as Binghamton lost 6-2 and dropped to 4-4 on the young season.

It was a clear and chilly evening with temperatures in the low 50’s as the Mets 20 year-old pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit took the mound for the second time this season. The Mets wanted to keep his pitch count low early in the season, so Petit only recorded 53 pitches this evening, striking out five while giving up five singles. He struck out the side in the first inning, looking sharp and throwing strikes. A lot of the Fisher Cat hitters stood and watched strike after strike go by. Petit was often ahead in the count. He put himself into some trouble in the second and third after giving up back to back singles, but he would work out of it with no further problems. He finished strong with an eight pitch fourth inning before being removed.

The B-Mets troubles started in the fifth when Eric Junge came on in relief. Rightfielder Bobby Malek had an awful inning losing two balls in the setting sun. New Hampshire would erupt for four runs on five hits. Third baseman Jay Caligiuri also misplaced a popup that allowed the Fisher Cats to score a run.

Binghamton had its chances, but they made many bad decisions on the basepaths. Anderson Hernandez was doubled off first base easily in the fourth when he was rounding third on a ball hit to the right field wall by Mike Jacobs. Bobby Malek was picked off first base after driving in Binghamton’s first run in the fifth to make it a 4-1 game. New Hampshire starter Vince Perkins only allowed a run on four hits over the six innings that he pitched.

Junge settled down after the fifth inning, but still allowed a run in the sixth and a run in the eighth while striking out five. Tim Lavigne added a scoreless ninth inning in relief.

Notes: Binghamton got four of their seven hits from Jay Caligiuri and Aarom Baldiris. Bobby Malek also drove in the other run on an RBI groundout. Former B-Met Ron Acuna started for the Fisher Cats in left field. Shortstop Anderson Hernandez made a diving stop on an Erik Kratz ground ball in the fifth, but could not recover in time to throw him out. Hernandez also made a dive on a Carlo Cota single up the middle in the third but came up short.

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