Winker Hits Homer at Hartford, Binghamton Becomes First Double-A Team to 50 Wins

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (5-3, 50-25) split Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Hartford Yard Goats (6-2, 42-35) at Dunkin’ Park. The series is split 1-1.

With the win in the second game, Binghamton became the first Double-A team to reach the 50-win mark this season.

Game One: Yard Goats 5, Rumble Ponies 3 (Final/7)

New York Mets left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea made a rehab start for Binghamton. Manaea went 3.0+ innings and allowed three runs (two earned runs) on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Manaea threw 60 pitches and 39 strikes in his fifth rehab appearance across three levels.

With Binghamton down 2-0 in the fourth inning, center fielder Nick Morabito (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R) mashed a go-ahead three-run home run that put the Ponies up 3-2. It marked Morabito’s fourth home run of the season and first home run since May 17 at Hartford.

Second baseman William Lugo (1-for-3, R) singled and left fielder Carson Benge (1-for-2, R, BB) hit a two-out single and both scored on Morabito’s two-out home run off left-hander Sean Sullivan (6-3).

Hartford grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning on second baseman Nic Kent’s two-run home run off right-hander Hunter Parsons (3-1). Kent’s home run put Hartford up 5-3.

Mets left-hander Brooks Raley made his second rehab appearance with Binghamton this season and recorded two strikeouts in one hitless and scoreless inning, while hitting one batter. Raley threw 14 pitches and 10 strikes.

Hartford grabbed the lead against Manaea with a run in each of the first three innings. Third baseman Kyle Karros hit an RBI single in the first inning, Kent hit an RBI single in the second inning, and first baseman Charlie Condon hit an RBI single in the third.

Game Two: Rumble Ponies 6, Yard Goats 0 (Final/7)

New York Mets outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker played in his first game with Binghamton during his rehab assignment. He batted second and took four plate appearances as the designated hitter. Winker hit a three-run home run to the second deck in right field in the sixth inning and finished the game 1-for-4 with a home run, three runs batted in, one run scored, and one strikeout.

Right-handed pitcher Joander Suarez (4-2) earned the win and was dominant in his start. Suarez spun six shutout innings with four strikeouts and allowed just two hits and no walks. It marked Saurez’s second-straight start earning a victory and tossing six innings of two-hit ball. Over the last two starts, Saurez is 2-0 and has allowed one run on four hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks over 12 innings.

Right-hander Anthony Nunez finished the shutout and recorded two strikeouts in a perfect seventh inning. Nunez has not allowed a run over his last seven appearances, and he has recorded 14 strikeouts over 8.2 innings in that span. It marked Binghamton’s eighth shutout win of the season.

Binghamton got on the board in the first inning against right-hander Victory Juarez (5-2). Center fielder Carson Benge (1-for-4, HR, RBI, R) blasted an opposite-field solo home run to left field, which marked the first home run of his Double-A career.

Binghamton added two runs in the fifth inning and took a 3-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from first baseman JT Schwartz (0-for-2, RBI, R) and an RBI single from second baseman Wyatt Young (2-for-3, RBI, R).

Winker crushed a three-run home run to extend Binghamton’s lead to 6-0 in the sixth inning.

The Rumble Ponies continue their six-game split series against the Yard Goats (Double-A, Colorado Rockies) on Thursday at Dunkin’ Park. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM and MiLB.TV.

Postgame Notes: Benge extended his hit streak to five games and he has reached base in each of his first seven games at the Double-A level…Morabito recorded his team-leading 22^nd multi-hit game and 11^th multi-RBI game in the first game…Third baseman Jacob Reimer went 2-for-5 with a double, a run, and a walk across the two games…Young recorded his eighth multi-hit game in the second game and extended his hit streak to three games.