Richmond 3, Binghamton 2
The frustration mounted early for the B-Mets in the opener. Richmond starter Carlos Torres walked five batters in his only two innings, but the B-Mets could not find a hit to crack the scoreboard.
The Flying Squirrels broke through in the second. Binghamton starter Erik Goeddel hit Mark Minicozzi to start the inning and surrendered an RBI single later in the frame to Jarrett Parker.
Binghamton quickly responded against the Richmond bullpen. Omar Javier took over for Torres in the third and was greeted by Cesar Puello. The B-Mets right-fielder, playing in his first game in more than a week, stroked a leadoff double to left. Allan Dykstra followed by launching a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall, giving Binghamton a 2-1 lead.
Goeddel preserved the one-run advantage over his final three innings. The righty retired nine straight Squirrels before surrendering consecutive two-out singles in the fifth. He shut door and wrapped up his night by fanning Joe Panik, stranding the tying run on second base.
While Richmond threatened in the fifth, they finally busted through in the sixth against reliever John Church. Adam Duvall and Mark Minicozzi started the inning with back-to-back singles. Duvall moved to third on a fly out and came home to tie the game on a sac fly by Andrew Susac.
After the teams traded zeroes in the seventh, the B-Mets loaded the bases in the eighth against Tom Vessella on two walks and a single. Danny Muno could not end Binghamton’s frustration and struck out looking to end the frame.
Chase Huchingson took the mound for the eighth and fell into trouble by walking Panik to start the inning. A sac bunt and an intentional walk set the table for Susac. With two outs, the catcher punched the first pitch he saw into right field. Panik got the green light while rounding third and beat the throw home to secure Richmond’s walk-off win.
Huchingson (3-2) suffered the loss, while Vessella (3-2) collected the victory.
Binghamton 8, Richmond 1
After mustering just four hits in the opener, the B-Mets opened up the nightcap with a vengeance. The first five batters to face Richmond starter Taylor Rogers all reached safely. Cesar Puello put Binghamton on the board with an RBI single and Richard Lucas capped the stretch with a two-run single to center. Xorge Carrillo wrapped up the four-run first inning, and collected his first RBI as a B-Met, by bouncing a run-scoring single off Rogers’ leg.
The four-run cushion was enough for B-Mets starter Darin Gorski. The left-hander allowed a runner to reach in each of his five innings, but surrendered just one run. He struck out seven and walked three in his first win of the season with Binghamton. His only blemish was an RBI single by Joe Panik in the fifth.
Offensively, Binghamton refused to ease off the throttle. Puello added an RBI single in the second and Dykstra hammered an RBI double off the centerfield wall in the fourth. The B-Mets first baseman struck again in the sixth with a two-run homer off reliever Ryan Bradley.
Ryan Fraser worked around a walk and a single to post a shutout sixth and Adam Kolarek struck out two and closed the door in the seventh
Gorski (1-0) allowed one run on three hits to pick up his first win. Rogers (4-4) was tagged for six runs on eight hits over 3-2/3 innings in the losing effort.
Key Stats
Cesar Puello: 4-for-7, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R
Allan Dykstra: 3-for-7, 2 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 5 RBI, 3 R
Darin Gorski: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 7 K
Ryan Fraser: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Adam Kolarek: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Erik Goeddel: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 6 K
Pedro Feliciano: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB
(Team Report)