Ironically, 2004 also marked the last time Double-A Trenton failed to reach the postseason.

The B- Mets scored five unanswered runs and grabbed their first lead on run-scoring singles by Emmanuel Garcia and Ruben Tejada in the top of the ninth inning against reliever Michael Dunn (0-1).

Thunder left fielder Colin Curtis began the fourth inning with a double off the wall before Marcos Vechionacci snapped the 25 1/3-inning scoreless drought in season openers with a line drive single to right field.

Three straight singles by Seth Fortenberry, Chris Malec and No. 9 hitter Kevin Smith push the Thunder lead to three runs against left-hander Mike Antonini, the No. 15 prospect in the New York Mets' organization, according to Baseball America.

Trenton starter Eric Hacker settled in quickly after giving up a single and a walk in the first inning.

Hacker, who did not allow more than three runs in any of his 17 Double-A appearances last season and was the Game 1 winner of both the Northern Division and Eastern League championship series' last season, retired the next 10 Binghamton hitters.

Double plays, including one started by Hacker in the fifth, erased singles in the fourth and fifth innings.

The B- Mets broke through against Hacker in the top of the sixth, when former Rider University standout Carl Loadenthal doubled and scored on a Tejada single. Loadenthal later contributed a single to his team's two-run ninth.

Hacker then balked Tejada to second and Josh Thole delivered a one-out single to signal the end of his night.

Thunder manager Tony Franklin called on Kevin Whelan, who has yet to hit his stride since being acquired as part of the Gary Sheffield trade.

Since saving 27 games with Double-A Lakeland in 2006, Whelan has struggled with his control, while injury limited the right-hander to just 24 appearances last season between Trenton and Class-A Tampa.

Since his final season with the Tigers, Whelan has only six saves and has been used as both a starter and reliever.

"I'm sure he's frustrated. Who wouldn't be?" Franklin said. "You see a very good arm with very good stuff. What you don't see is consistency in the strike zone and that's largely because of his mechanics because everything else is there."

Whelan dusted off his good fastball to strike out Binghamton cleanup man Shawn Bowman for the second out in relief of Hacker in the sixth before walking Lucas Duda to load the bases.

With the potential tying runs in scoring position, Whelan reached back to fan Matt Bouchard on three pitches to end the threat.

But Whelan took a step back in the seventh when he allowed a walk, two singles and was charged with the two earned runs that tied the game at 3-3.

* Notes: To get down to the 24-man roster limit, the Thunder removed right-hander Ivan Nova and placed utility infielder Carlos Mendoza on the disabled list.

Nova, a Rule 5 selection by the San Diego Padres in December, only to be returned to the Yankees before the start of spring training, has been held back in Tampa, Fla., to build arm strength due to his limited work in Padres camp.

Trenton likely will not need a Nova until April 17 at Connecticut.

Ryan Pope has been announced as Saturday's starter against the B- Mets .

Loadenthal, originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 2003, played right field and batted ninth.

The Mets grabbed Loadenthal in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December ... Former Thunder reliever Dan Giese was claimed on waivers yesterday by the Oakland Athletics.

Giese spent all of spring training with the Yankees.

Contact John Nalbone at jnalbone@njtimes.com