Photo courtesy @akfanch

G1: Senators 3, B-Mets 1
G2: B-Mets 9, Senators 3

(PR) Marshall Kelner / BINGHAMTON, NY – Taylor Jordan pitched four shutout innings in his Double-A debut and Anthony Rendon homered to lead the Senators to a 3-1 win over the Binghamton Mets in game one of a doubleheader, but the B-Mets raced ahead early and took game two 9-3. The teams split the four-game weekend series.

Game one was scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Senators scored all three of their runs. Ricky Hague tripled to lead off the frame and two batters later, Brian Goodwin drove him in with an RBI single. With two out in the inning, Binghamton pulled starter Mark Cohoon in favor of John Church. The first batter Church faced was Rendon, who took him deep for a two-run blast, his fourth home run of the season. Rendon was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the ballgame.

Jordan scattered four hits in his four shutout innings, walking one and striking out five. Pat McCoy picked up the win in relief, despite giving up the lone B-Mets run in the fifth. Aaron Barrett recorded his sixth save with a scoreless seventh inning.

In game two, Binghamton blitzed the Senators with a six run first inning and added three more in the second. Nathan Karns didn’t make it out of the first, pitching just one-third of an inning. The Senators defense didn’t help him out, committing two first inning errors behind the right-hander.

Josh Johnson hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his third of the season. Ricky Hague drove in a run with a sac-fly in the seventh. Neil Holland pitched three shutout innings in relief with five strikeouts. He also recorded his first hit of the season and came around to score on Johnson’s blast.

Player of Game 1: Anthony Rendon
Player of Game 2: Neil Holland

From the Windup

• After going 3-for-5 in the doubleheader, Anthony Rendon now leads the Eastern League in batting average (.354), on-base percentage (.500), and slugging percentage (.633).

• The Senators are now 0-14 when their opponent scores five runs or more.

• Aaron Barrett picked up his sixth save in as many opportunities when he worked a scoreless seventh inning in Game 1.

• Two days after Caleb Clay was chased after 1.2 innings with the shortest start of the season for the Senators, Nate Karns managed to record only one out before he was sent to an early shower.

• Taylor Jordan made his Double-A debut in Game 1 as he tossed four shutout innings scattering four hits and one walk while striking out three. Because he failed to go the required five innings, Jordan received a no decision. It’s a stupid rule in seven-inning games.

• Destin Hood left Game 1 after grounding out in the sixth inning and he did not play in the nightcap. PennLive’s Geoff Morrow reports that it is a hand injury and not believed to be serious. For Hood’s sake, I hope it isn’t related to the wrist issues that dogged him last season.

• Ricky Hague had his five-game hitting streak snapped when he went hitless in two at-bats during the second game of the doubleheader. In the last six games, Hague has raised his batting average from .198 to .220.