Richmond 6, Binghamton 5

Despite turning their first triple-play since May 2007, the Binghamton Mets dropped the rubber match to the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 6-5 Wednesday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium. The Squirrels scored three runs without a base hit to break the tie in the sixth inning, as Binghamton walked seven hitters in the loss.

In the decisive sixth inning, Jim Fuller started the frame and could not find the strike zone. The lefty walked the first three batters he faced, and hit the pitcher’s spot to bring home a run to give Richmond a 4-3 lead. Fuller was then replaced by Adam Kolarek with the bases loaded and nobody out. Kolarek recorded consecutive fielder’s choice, but a run scored on each giving Richmond a 6-3 advantage.

The game started on the wrong foot for the B-Mets; Ryan Lollis led off with a solo home run against Noah Syndergaard. In the bottom half of the first, Binghamton began the teter-totter, and plated a run with an RBI single from Rhyne Hughes.

The Flying Squirrels came back with another single run against Syndergaard in the second inning. Pitcher Craig Westcott helped himself out with two outs with an RBI single into right field. The lead didn’t last for long, as Darrell Ceciliani scored Xorge Carrillo with an RBI single up the middle.

For the third straight inning, Syndergaard got into trouble in the third. After a double and an infield single, Mark Minicozzi looked to give Richmond another lead. The threat ended quickly however, as Minicozzi lined out to Wilfredo Tovar at shortstop. The two runners were stealing on the play, and it became a 6-4-4 triple play to end the frame. Binghamton rode the momentum from the historic play in the bottom half of the inning as Cesar Puello led off with an opposite-field solo home run to give the B-Mets a 3-2 lead.

Richmond came back with their second long ball of the day against Syndergaard in the fifth. With one out, Adam Duvall blasted a home run over the centerfield wall which tied the game. Syndergaard was removed from the game after he threw 98 pitches in five innings. He gave up three runs and seven hits, and left in a tied 3-3 game.

That all changed in the sixth, when Fuller couldn’t find his control. Binghamton made a vallient comeback effort with two runs in the seventh inning. A sacrifice fly from Puello and another RBI single from Hughes cut the deficit to one run, but the B-Mets stranded the tying run at second base. Richmond’s Cody Hall slammed the door with a six-out save, and struck out Puello and pinch-hitter Allan Dykstra consecutively in the ninth inning to finish the game.

Fuller (2-1) did not record an out in the sixth inning, and was handed his first loss at the Double-A level. Westcott (4-9) picked up his first win on the mound in his last nine starts. Hall recorded his third save as Binghamton lost their second series loss out of three series.

The B-Mets (59-36) hit the road on Thursday to begin a four-game series against the New Britain Rock Cats. First pitch on Thursday is set for 7:05 PM as Binghamton will send LHP Mark Cohoon to the hill to face RHP Nick Blackburn for New Britain.

Key Stats

Justin Turner: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 1 R

Cesar Puello: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB

Wilfredo Tovar: 2-for-4

Noah Syndergaard: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 HR, 3 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

Jim Fuller: 0.0 IP, 3 BB, 3 ER

Adam Kolarek: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Pedro Feliciano: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

 

(Team Report)