The Result
Sea Dogs - 5 to 4

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
32 wins - 34 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing rightfield
Batting #3

At the end of the Game
2 hits from 4 at-bats - single, triple, 1 x RBI, 1 x runs scored, 1 x walk, 1 x strike out, 1 x hit by pitch

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at second base - one down
Ball - low
"And Brett lashes that for a base hit into rightfield"
Single
......1 x RBI
Went to second base on a hit
Out at third base on a double-play grounder by a following Sea Dogs batter
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ball - outside
Ball - down and in
Called strike - fast ball - on the outside corner
Ball - "and that is a foot outside"
"And that is hit well into centrefield ...... and the fielder is going back ...... and it is off the wall ...... and Roneberg is rounding second and makes third base easily ...... and that is his first triple of the year"
The commentator also said that "Brett put a charge in that and drove it to the deepest part of the field and he missed a home run by just three feet" (home plate to centrefield at NYSEG Stadium is 400 feet)
Triple
Left stranded at the end of the innings
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Ball - in the dirt
Ball - high and away
Ball - low
Ball - inside
Walk
Scored on a hit
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Led off the innings
"And Roneberg put a charge in that first pitch and it is driven deep into left-centrefield but caught by the fielder on the track ...... it is 380 feet in the alleys and Roneberg hit that 377!!!"
Out F7
Fifth at-bat
Runner at third base - two down - and the runner was the "go ahead" run in the top of the ninth inning in a 4-4 game!!!
Called strike - breaking ball
Called strike - breaking ball
Ball - breaking ball - low
Ball - fast ball - "maybe a little bit low but very close"
Foul ball - breaking ball
Called strike - breaking ball - on the inside corner - "and Roneberg didn't like the call and drops his helmet and bat"
Strike out
Sixth at-bat
Runners at first and third base - one down
Ball - up and in - "and it hit Roneberg"
Hit by pitch (first of the season)
Left stranded at the end of the innings

Heard during the game
(1) Before the game started, the commentator mentioned that "Brett leads the team with thirty-nine runs-driven-in"
He also said "he has been stuck on 39 RBI's for a while and has only one during the last nine games"

(2) He went on to say "that he hasn't really been struggling as he has six hits from his last fifteen at-bats plus six walks"

(3) After his run-driven-in with his single in his first at-bat, he said "that as Brett hadn't driven in a run for a while he had dropped out of the Eastern League Top 10 but that one puts him back in it"

(4) During the bottom of the first innings, the Mets had a runner at second base - the next batter hit a fly ball to medium depth rightfield - Brett made the catch and the runner tagged and was heading to third base - Brett made the throw, and the commentator said "what a throw by Roneberg ...... that was absolutely perfect ...... it was bad luck for Brett that the ball hit the runner on the shoulder ...... the runner would have been out by five feet" (SEE PHOTO AND GAME REPORT BELOW)

(5) After his walk in his third at-bat, the commentator said that "Brett is now eight from his last seventeen plus seven walks"

He also mentioned "Roneberg has now reached base in fifteen of his last twenty-four plate appearances"

Email from Brett
Not a bad game at all.
I wanted two homers - got none!
But a triple!
Not a bad night at all.
Have fun listening to two games tomorrow.
Bye.

Game Reports
Hurting Sea Dogs still pose a danger

On a night when most eyes were fixed on the latest injury rehab start of New York Mets second baseman Jose Reyes, the Portland Sea Dogs suffered a pair of injuries.

Knuckleballing right-hander Charlie Zink absorbed a line drive off his right knee in the third inning, and catcher Edgar Martinez left the game after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist in the second inning.

But the walking "MASH unit" that has become the Sea Dogs still managed a come-from-behind 5-4 victory in 11 innings against the first-place Binghamton Mets before 5,812 paying customers at NYSEG Stadium.

"I'm ecstatic because we've got so many guys beat up," Sea Dogs Manager Ron Johnson said.
"To have been able to maintain a .500 clip, it's pretty incredible."

Jimmy Alvarez slapped a one-out single to center that scored Jeff Bailey from second base against left-handed reliever Lance Caraccioli.

The Sea Dogs rallied from a 4-1 deficit with runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings to tie the game.

The Sea Dogs already have three starters - center fielder Sheldon Fulse (hip flexor), second baseman Jesus Medrano (shoulder) and third baseman John Hattig (back) - on the disabled list.
Zink and Martinez will be re-evaluated today.

Neither Zink nor Mets starter Jose Diaz exhibited much control early in the game.

The Sea Dogs seized a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Alvarez drew a leadoff walk and scored two batters later on a Brett Roneberg single.

But the Mets scored twice against Zink in the home first.
Reyes, making his fourth rehab start and his first at NYSEG Stadium, walked on four pitches, stole second and scored on Ron Acuna's double to left.
Acuna later scored on Josh Pressley's RBI single.

The Mets added a run in the second and another in the third.

Zink left with one out in the third inning when Justin Huber ripped a line drive back to the mound.

Bo Donaldson pitched 3-2/3 scoreless innings, allowing the Sea Dogs to creep within 4-2 in the fifth when Roneberg drew a two-out walk from Diaz and scored on George Lombard's double to left-center.

Lombard's one-out walk against Mets reliever Kole Strayhorn helped the Sea Dogs get within a run in the eighth.
Lombard stole second and scored on Sean McGowan's double to right-center, but Strayhorn got out of further trouble by getting Mike O'Keefe to ground out and fanning Kenny Perez.

The Sea Dogs tied it in the ninth against just-promoted right-hander Joey Cole.
Bailey drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a wild pitch.
Roneberg had a chance to drive in the go-ahead run but struck out and left Alvarez on third base.

Reyes, who hasn't played for the Mets this season after suffering a recurring right hamstring strain on March 14 and a lower back injury, went 1 for 3 and is 2 for 17 in four Double-A games.
The Mets were not certain if he would remain with Binghamton through the weekend or return to Shea Stadium to make his long-awaited season debut against the Detroit Tigers.

NOTES
Left-hander Kason Gabbard will be called up from Class A Sarasota to start the opening game of tonight's doubleheader.
He was 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 43-1/3 innings with Sarasota.
Gabbard is starting for right-hander Jerome Gamble, who will miss his third straight start with a sore right forearm.

B-Mets pitchers let Portland walk to extra-inning victory

Too often this season, facing the Binghamton Mets' pitchers has been a walk in the park.
Lots of walks, in lots of parks.

Entering Friday night's game against the Portland Sea Dogs, the Mets were leading the Eastern League with 251 walks.

They issued seven more, four of which scored, and turned a three-run lead into a 5-4 loss in 11 innings before 5,812 paying customers at NYSEG Stadium.

"Walks can come back to bite you, and they absolutely did (Friday night)," manager Ken Oberkfell said.
"At the higher levels, you can't walk guys and expect to win."

Struggling left-handed reliever Lance Caraccioli, who helped blow a three-run lead one game earlier in Akron, gave up the winning run when Jeff Bailey singled to open the 11th and scored on a one-out, two-strike RBI single up the middle by Jimmy Alvarez.

The Mets held a 4-1 lead after the third inning but left 10 men on base and were silenced by four Portland relievers.

Closer Joe Nelson retired them in order in the 11th.

Portland chipped away at the lead with runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth.
Each time, the Sea Dogs started the rally with a walk (Brett Roneberg drew a walk in the fifth, George Lombard in the eighth and Bailey in the ninth).

Right-hander Joey Cole, called up Friday from Single-A St. Lucie, promptly allowed the tying run in the ninth inning after a leadoff walk to Bailey, who went to second on a sacrifice, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

The Mets' bullpen had already been stretched thin, and Oberkfell had little choice but to use Cole even though he didn't arrive until about 30 minutes before the game, and Caraccioli, on back-to-back days.

New York Mets second baseman Jose Reyes, making his fourth and final injury rehab appearance with the B-Mets and his first at NYSEG Stadium, went 1-for-4 with a run, stolen base and RBI.

Back problem slows Reyes' recovery
Infielder called back to New York after game

A few weeks ago, on a typically gorgeous South Florida day, Jose Reyes limped through Guy Conti's door in the New York Mets' spring-training complex and started crying.

"He literally came into my office bawling," Conti, the Mets' minor league field coordinator, recalled.
"He said, 'I'm strong. I'm 21 years old. Why can't I get better?"

Hordes of impatient fans have wondered the same thing since Reyes strained his right hamstring in a spring-training game March 14.
At least two hamstring setbacks and a lower back strain later, he hasn't played in a major-league game this season.

He'll have a chance to cure that tonight.

Reyes went 1-for-4 with a run, a stolen base and an RBI Friday night in his fourth and final rehab start for the Binghamton Mets and learned after the game that he will make his long-awaited Shea Stadium return tonight against the Detroit Tigers.

"I'm really excited," Reyes said.
"I can't wait to be there at Shea Stadium again. I feel so happy right now."

It's been a while since Reyes has felt like this.

During his protracted rehab, Reyes was aware of innuendo that he was soft.
Others suggested he may not be interested in playing for the Mets after being moved to second base when they signed 28-year-old Japanese shortstop Kazuo Matsui to a three-year, $20 million contract in December.

But on Friday, before Reyes made his first appearance at NYSEG Stadium since playing Double-A ball here regularly in 2002, Conti revealed Reyes has a pre-existing back condition that has caused many of the physical problems.

"People who have bad backs will understand," Conti said.
"We sent him to New York (last month) for a bone scan and an MRI, and they found that he's probably had a bad back for a while.
The poor kid couldn't sleep because it hurt so much."

Reyes worked daily with recently hired strength and conditioning coordinator Vern Gambetta and hamstring specialist Mark Lindsay.
He took cortisone shots and whirlpool baths and spent hours with Conti on Field 3 at the Port St. Lucie complex.
He even learned a new running style in which he altered his first step to put less pressure on his hamstring.
The adjustment only aggravated his back.

But now, the familiar smile has at last returned to Reyes' face.

"When I walk, when I sleep, everything I do, it was hurting," Reyes said of his back.
"It was hard for me to stay in Florida. A couple of times a day I cried because I wanted to play so bad.
"But I know they don't want me to go up to New York at 50 percent. They want me to go at 100 percent."

His hamstring and back having apparently reached that status, Reyes came here to nurse his swing back to health.
He went 2-for-18 with three strikeouts in four Double-A games, and Conti warned his timing at the plate would return slowly.

Leading off and playing second base, Reyes got no help in the first inning from Portland Sea Dogs starter Charlie Zink, who floated four knuckleballs out of the strike zone.

But he proved his injuries are behind him by stealing second, then racing to third on a medium-depth fly ball and barely beating right fielder Brett Roneberg's throw.

"It's like old times," said Reyes, Binghamton's shortstop for 69 games and the Mets' Minor League Player of the Year in 2002.

Ironically, the Mets knew Reyes was ready for the majors in the eighth inning when he got picked off first base.
Conti and assistant minor league director John Fantauzzi were encouraged by Reyes' deft lateral movements in trying to get back to the bag.

Reyes also looked comfortable during two rounds of batting practice, left- and right-handed, spraying the ball across the outfield and pulling a home run to right field.

He went through a pre-game stretching program that has become his standard procedure and tested the hamstring and back in a backward running drill with B-Mets trainer Mike LoPriore.

Now that he's finally returning to New York, the question will be how long he can stay there.
Conti warned that Reyes' bad back could be a lingering malady.
"There are no guarantees he won't get hurt again," he said, "but at least the Mets believe they've identified the problem."

SEA DOGS WIN IN 11 INNINGS, 5-4 AT BINGHAMTON
Portland Scores in 9th, 11th to Stun B-Mets

Jimmy Alvarez rapped a go-ahead RBI single in the 11th inning and the Sea Dogs bullpen tossed 8-2/3 scoreless innings as Portland scored a 5-4 win in 11 frames over the Binghamton Mets Friday night.

Bo Donaldson, Colin Young, Juan Perez and Joe Nelson shared the Allied Big Dog of the Game with their bullpen efforts.
Donaldson tossed 3-2/3 scoreless frames, Young fired three innings, Juan Perez (2-0) tossed a scoreless inning and Joe Nelson breezed through a 1-2-3 11th inning for his 12th save.

Jose Reyes completed a minor league rehab assignment with Binghamton, going 1-for-4 with a single, RBI, run scored and stolen base.
He will report to the Mets Saturday.

Portland has now won four of five games - all with comebacks from multiple-run deficits.

The Sea Dogs trailed 4-1 through four innings Friday night.

Sea Dog starter Charlie Zink allowed four runs in 2.1 innings before leaving in the third inning after being struck below the right knee with a line drive.

Donaldson pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the frame.

Portland started the comeback with a run in the fifth inning on George Lombard's RBI double.
Lombard was 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.

The Sea Dogs scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra frames.
Sean McGowan drilled an RBI double off reliever Kole Strayhorn in the eighth inning.
A walk, sacrifice, single and wild pitch scored the tying run in the ninth.

Jeff Bailey singled to begin the 11th frame off Lance Carraccioli (2-3).
After Raul Nieves sacrificed him to second base, Alvarez lined a 1-1 pitch to center field to score the eventual winning run.

Juan Perez got the win by facing the minimum three batters in the 10th inning.
Perez has tossed 5.2 consecutive scoreless innings and has allowed only one earned run in his last 15 innings.

Joe Nelson pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save and extended his streaks of scoreless innings to 11 and consecutive innings without an earned run to 17.

Brett Roneberg went 2-for-4 with a triple, single, two walks, RBI and run scored. (should be 1 x walk and 1 x HPB)

Eastern League Game Summary - Portland at Binghamton

Jimmy Alvarez had two hits, including the game-winning single in the top of the 11th inning, as the Portland Sea Dogs outlasted the Binghamton Mets, 5-4, in an Eastern League tilt.

Portland (32-34) has won three straight, while the Northern Division leading Mets (39-27) have lost two in a row.

Binghamton led this game 4-1 after three innings, but the Sea Dogs clawed back with single runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth inning to force extra innings.

In the 11th, Jeff Bailey led off with a single and moved to second on a bunt by Raul Nieves.
Alvarez followed with a single to center field that scored Bailey with the game-winner.

Ron Acuna had two hits, drove in a run and scored another for the Mets.

Wayne Lydon and Justin Huber each had two of Binghamton's 12 hits.

Juan Perez (2-0) worked an inning of shutout relief for the victory.

Joe Nelson worked the 11th for his 12th save.

Lance Caraccioli (2-3) gave up two hits and a run over an inning of work to absorb the loss.

Mets Lose Game, Reyes

For the second straight game, the Mets wasted a three-run lead and lost, suffering a 5-4 defeat to Portland in 11 innings Friday night.

The game was also the fourth and last on the injury rehabilitation assignment of 2B Jose Reyes.
Reyes, who went 2-for-18 with three stolen bases in four games with the Mets, will return to New York Saturday.

The Mets scored twice in the first inning as Reyes walked and scored on Ron Acuna's double.
Acuna came in on a single by Josh Pressley.

They added runs in the third and fourth going up 4-1.

Portland scored twice against Mets starter Jose Diaz but did most of its damage against the Mets bullpen.

Joey Cole, a 2003 B-Met making his first appearance with the club this season, allowed a leadoff walk and the game-tying run on a wild pitch in the ninth inning.

Lance Caraccioli (2-3) gave up a leadoff single to Jeff Bailey and a one-out, run-scoring hit to Jimmy Alvarez in the top of the 11th to take the loss.

The Mets were retired in order in the bottom of the 11th.

They did not score in 8-2/3 innings against the Portland bullpen.

The Mets (39-27) play a doubleheader Saturday against Portland.
Lefty Neal Musser is scheduled to pitch the first game with Ken Chenard in the nightcap.