AKRON, OH – Rainy Lara, Dario Alvarez and Jon Velasquez held the Akron RubberDucks to two singles and pushed the Binghamton Mets to a 1-0 victory on Friday night at Canal Park. Akron failed to get a runner past first base as the B-Mets tossed their 23rd two-hitter in franchise history.


Lara started his strong night with a perfect first inning, using nine pitches to breeze through the top of Akron’s batting order. The righty worked around a one-out walk in a scoreless second and used three groundouts in 1-2-3 third inning.


Jordan Smith led off the fourth win a single to left, but was gunned down by Xorge Carrillo while trying to steal second. Lara erased nine of the next ten batters he faced before walking Anthony Gallas with two outs in the seventh. With the tying run on base, Pedro Lopez called upon Dario Alvarez who needed just one pitch to turn the RubberDucks aside.


Alvarez returned for the eighth and registered two quick outs before hitting Bryson Myles with an 0-2 pitch. The B-Mets lefty made amends by picking off Myles who was eventually nabbed at second to end the frame. Jon Velasquez worked a perfect ninth to lock down Binghamton’s first win of the season.


The B-Mets scratched out the only run of the game after being kept in check by Akron starter Cody Anderson. The righty had faced the minimum through five before Carrillo reached on a hit batter to start the sixth. With Gavin Cecchini at the plate, Carrillo swiped second, his first career stolen base. Eudy Pina followed by dumping a single into shallow left-center.


With runners at the corners and one out, Jared King sent a high chopper along the first-base line. Jake Lowery leaped to snatch the bouncer and stepped on first, but his throw to first was late and allowed Carrillo to cross the plate with the game’s first run.


Lara (1-0) struck out five while walking two over 6-2/3 scoreless innings to earn his seventh regular season win as a B-Met. Velasquez notched his second career Double-A save.


Anderson (0-1) suffered the hard-luck loss, allowing just one run over 6-1/3 innings. Grant Sides and Louis Head closed Akron’s pitching tab.


The B-Mets (1-0) continue their four-game set in Akron on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 PM. RHP Gabriel Ynoa takes the mound against LHP Shawn Morimando. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 1:50 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Mets channel on TuneIn.


POSTGAME NOTES: Friday’s game marked the debut of Minor League Baseball’s new pitch clocks…Binghamton had one 1-0 win last year (7/9 v Portland)…Binghamton’s last combined two-hitter came on July 28, 2013 in the second game of a doubleheader against tHe Trenton Thunder (Noah Syndergaard (6.0 IP) + Ryan Fraser (1.0 IP))


The B-Mets home opener on April 16, highlighted by a championship DVD giveaway, is just six days away. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting BMETS.COM, going to the NYSEG Stadium box office or by calling 723-METS.


Be sure to follow the B-Mets on their official website (www.bmets.com) or on Facebook, Twitter (@bmets) and Snapchat (binghamtonmets). Fans can also stay up to date with all the action on the field by visiting “B-Mets Buzz” at bmets.mlblogs.com or following Tim Heiman (@TimHeiman) on Twitter.


(Courtesy: Binghamton Mets Baseball)