Posted By NYFS Staff
May 9, 2008 -
Fernando Martinez hit two of the Binghamton Mets’ four homers in a 6-1 win over the Reading Phillies at FirstEnergy Stadium Thursday. The win is Binghamton’s third straight, as they took three of four in the series.

Binghamton (14-20) went ahead in the third when Martinez singled, was balked to second by Antonio Bastardo, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Daniel Murphy’s grounder was thrown away by Bastardo (1-1) for an error. The B-Mets took a 3-0 lead in the fourth when Jonathan Malo singled and scored on Salomon Manriquez’s two-run homer to right-center.

Binghamton got to Bastardo again in the fifth. Martinez led off the frame with a homer to right and, three batters later, Nick Evans hit a solo blast of his own for a 5-0 B-Mets advantage.

B-Mets starter Salvador Aguilar (2-0) tossed five shutout innings, striking out three, before giving way to Joe Hietpas, who gave up Reading’s (15-18) only run on a Greg Golson RBI groundout in the sixth. Martinez’s second homer of the night – another solo shot to right in the seventh – closed out the scoring.

Friday, the B-Mets continue a seven-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the Connecticut Defenders. Eric Brown (0-3, 6.90) will start for Binghamton against Joey Martinez (1-3, 2.76) of Connecticut. The first pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. at Dodd Stadium with the radio broadcast beginning at 6:20 on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

Notes: Martinez is the first B-Mets player with two homers since Brett Harper last 8/7 vs. TRE…B-Mets starters have allowed three runs over the last three games (15 1/3 IP) after being charged with 24 runs over the previous three contests (10 2/3 IP)…the four homers are a season high…Aguilar was making his first start of the season.