Sea Dogs Fall to Mets

CMSB Photo Courtesy Pierre's of Exchange ST

The Binghamton Mets (13-12) scored six times off RHP Blake Maxwell (0-2) and beat the Portland Sea Dogs 9-7 on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium.The Sea Dogs (13-13) trailed 9-1 after seven innings but scored six times in the eighth inning off the Mets’ bullpen. In the ninth, Portland had two on with one out but RHP Julio De La Cruz escaped the jam to notch his second save of the year (both in the series). Portland split their 4-game series in Binghamton and finished the week long trip at 4-3.

LHP Mike Antonini (4-1) earned the win by tossing 6.2 innings on four hits, one run, two walks and six strikeouts. Maxwell was touched for six runs on eight hits in 5 IP to suffer his second loss of the roadtrip.

In the ninth inning 1B Lars Anderson and LF Aaron Bates singled. De La Cruz induced a fly out to 1B Jon Still and got C Juan Apodaca to hit into a game-ending fielder’s choice.The ‘Dogs had 4 run-scoring hits and sent 10 men to the plate during their rally in the eighth.

With one out, Anderson (1-for-5) reached on a dropped pop-up by LHP Edgar Alfonzo (.2 IP, 4 R, 3 ER), setting up Bates (4-for-5, 2 RBI) for an RBI single. Still (1-for-5, 2 RBI) smacked a two run double, cutting the deficit to 9-4.

Apodaca (2-for-5) followed with a single and RF Reid Engel (1-for-4, RBI) lined a run-scoring single to left field. SS Zach Borowiak walked to load the bases and chase RHP Nick Abel (2 H, 2 R) out of the game. 2B Ryan Khoury (2-for-4, 2 RBI) blooped a 2-run double down the left-field line, on the play, Borowiak was thrown out at home by 3B Shawn Bowman. Bates, who picked up his second 4-hit game of the season, gave the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead in the first with a double.

Binghamton scored the next nine runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the second inning on DH D.J. Wabick’s 2-run homer (first in Double-A). The B-Mets added three runs in the third inning on a 2-run double by DH Lucas Duda (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and a run-scoring single by Bowman (3-for-4, RBI). C Josh Thole (1-for-3) added an RBI single in Maxwell’s final inning. RHP Justin Hedrick yielded three runs in 1.2 IP on three hits and RHP Chad Rhoades gave up one run in 2 IP.

Apodaca, Bates and Khoury each had multiple-hit games for the Sea Dogs, who improved their league-leading average to .279.

Portland opens up a 3-game series at Hadlock Field on Friday night with the New Britain Rock Cats beginning at 7:00 PM. RHP Adam Mills (1-1, 6.20) will take the mound against RHP Jay Rainville (1-1, 2.74). Tickets for Sea Dogs Baseball can be purchased at www.seadogs.com or by calling (207) 874-9300.

Notes…The Sea Dogs finished 18-for-45 (.400) with runners-in-scoring position in the series, the B-Mets were 14-for-60 (.233)…16 of 18 starters reached base safely…Bates has reached base safely in 17 straight games, currently the longest streak in the Eastern League.

Recap here

Courtesy Portland Sea Dogs