Alvarez and Jarvis Lead Ponies in Victory Over Harrisburg

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (25-21), led by New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and Rumble Ponies right-hander Justin Jarvis (3-1), defeated the Harrisburg Senators, 8-2, on Thursday night at Mirabito Stadium.

Alvarez began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton and shined. The 22-year-old hit a three-run opposite-field home run in the second inning, which made it 6-0, after drawing a walk and scoring in the first. He went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer, a walk, and two runs scored. Alvarez caught five innings with Jarvis dealing on the mound.

Jarvis allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He tossed a season-high 73 pitches. He has combined to throw 11.1 scoreless frames over his last two appearances, while allowing just three hits and no walks with 15 strikeouts in that span.

In the first inning, Alvarez walked, Kevin Parada doubled, and Ryan Clifford followed with a two-run double to put Binghamton up 2-0. Rowdey Jordan then hit into an error and Clifford scored to make it 3-0.

With the Ponies up 6-0 in the sixth, Brandon McIlwain hit a one-out single and got to third base on a passed ball and wild pitch, before Wyatt Young followed with a walk. Matt Rudick drove in McIlwain with a sacrifice fly, which made it 7-0.

Harrisburg (28-20) got on the board, against Luis Moreno, with a solo homer from Dylan Crews in the seventh and Andrew Pinckney added a solo homer in the eighth.

JT Schwartz led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and later scored on an RBI double from Young, which gave Binghamton an 8-2 lead.

Luis Moreno struck out three batters in the ninth to close out the game and earned his first save of the season, spinning three innings with six strikeouts.

The Rumble Ponies will continue their six-game series with the Harrisburg Senators (Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals) at Mirabito Stadium on Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on MiLB.TV and WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM.

Postgame Notes: The Ponies hit six doubles as a team, which is one shy of their season high…McIlwain hit a double and a single and recorded his eighth multi-hit game…Young went 2-for-3 and recorded his eighth multi-hit game…Clifford recorded his second multi-RBI game…The Ponies lead the series, 2-1.