Altoona 5, Binghamton 4
Despite two home runs from Wilfredo Tovar, the Binghamton Mets had three costly throwing errors as they fell to the Altoona Curve, 5-4 on Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium. The loss snapped their five-game winning streak.
After a scoreless first inning, Binghamton struck the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Tovar blasted a solo shot over the left field wall against Casey Sadler. It was Wilfredo’s third home run of the season, and it gave Binghamton a 1-0 lead.
In the third, poor defense allowed Altoona to respond. After each of the first two batters reached base, Sadler pushed a bunt back to the mound. Erik Goeddel tried to force the lead runner out at third base, but the throw went wild and allowed both runners to score. Alen Hanson followed with another bunt, and Goeddel’s throw went awry down the right field and put Altoona up, 3-1.
Cory Vaughn brought the B-Mets within one with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. It was his second home run in as many days since re-joining the B-Mets, and his seventh RBI in three games.
Goeddel left the game after six innings with the B-Mets trailing, 3-2. The righty allowed the three unearned runs in the third inning and scattered three hits in the loss. Armando Rodriguez entered in the seventh, and allowed two runs in the frame.
After a Carlos Paulino single, Rodriguez sent an errant pickoff attempt past first base that allowed the runner to move all the way to third base. The next pitch was hit off the right field wall by Mel Rojas Jr. for an RBI triple. Andy Vasquez was then called upon as a pinch hitter, and he placed a suicide squeeze down the third base line to score the final Altoona run.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Tovar led Binghamton’s comeback effort. With a runner on first base and one out, he lifted a two-run shot over the left field wall to bring the B-Mets within a run. Richard Lucas singled later in the inning, but he was left stranded on the bases. Ryan Beckman and Luis Sanz each threw scoreless innings of relief for the Curve to seal the win, as Binghamton’s five-game winning streak came to an end.
The B-Mets (72-44) conclude their four-game series with the Curve (54-61) on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM as LHP Darin Gorski throws for the B-Mets against RHP David Bromberg for Altoona.
Key Stats
Cory Vaughn: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
Wilfredo Tovar: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Travis d’Arnaud: 1-for-3, 1 3B, 1 BB
Erik Goeddel: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 R, 0 ER, 5 K
Armando Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER
Chase Huchingson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
(Team Report)