Binghamton 7, Richmond 3
Logan Verrett fired eight strong innings and earned his league-leading ninth win of the season as the Binghamton Mets defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 7-3 Monday night at NYSEG Stadium. The win was Binghamton’s fourth straight victory, and they are now a season-best 25 games over .500.
The righthander struck out nine batters, and earned his first win in exactly a month. For the sixth straight game, the B-Met offense gave the team a lead in the bottom of the first inning. Against Richmond starter Taylor Rogers, Allan Dykstra blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall to put Binghamton up, 2-0. It was Dykstra’s 16th home run of the season, and he now leads the team in that category.
Richmond responded with a long ball of their own in the top of the second against Verrett. With two outs, Jarrett Parker hit a towering fly ball over the right-centerfield wall to cut the lead in half. That score did not last long however, as Binghamton came back with four runs in the bottom of the second.
Alonzo Harris started the offense with an infield single. Darrell Ceciliani followed with a single to right field, and Major League rehabber Justin Turner poked a groundball into right field to make it 3-1. The next batter was Josh Rodriguez, and he smoked the first pitch into the gap for a two-run double. Before the inning ended, Richmond’s Mike Minicozzi booted a routine ground ball at second base allowing Rodriguez to score for Binghamton’s sixth run of the game.
Both offenses became quiet after the combined seven runs through the first two frames. After a leadoff single by Parker in the fifth inning, Verrett retired 11 straight batters in a stretch that lasted into the eighth inning.
Rogers also solved the Binghamton bats. After Binghamton took a 6-1 lead in the second inning, the righty retired 13 of the next 14 batters. That ended in the seventh inning when he gave up back-to-back singles to Ceciliani and Turner. Lefty Ryan Bradley was then brought into the game, and he began his outing by walking Dykstra to load the bases. After a lengthy at bat to Travis Taijeron, he worked a bases loaded walk to drive in a run and give Binghamton a 7-1 lead.
In the eighth Verrett retired the first two batters, but then gave up a single, walk, and a two run double to Joe Panik to make it a 7-3 game. Logan retired the next batter to get through eight full innings, and gave the ball to Chasen Bradford in the ninth. The righty induced three straight ground balls to end the game.
The B-Mets (59-34) and Flying Squirrels (42-53) continue their three-game series on Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium. Richmond will send LHP Chris Gloor against a pitcher to be determined for the B-Mets.
Key Stats
Darrell Ceciliani: 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB
Justin Turner: 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI
Allan Dykstra: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R
Logan Verrett: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 9 K
Chasen Bradford: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER