It was 1973 when Met reliever Tug McGraw coined the phrase ‘You Gotta Believe’ helping carry the Mets from last place in late August to the National League pennant and a trip to the World Series.  That phrase has been a part of the Met DNA and  required language in the lexicon of every New York Met fan.

‘You Gotta Believe’ has taken on new meaning this post- season in Binghamton, as the B-Mets have bested the Portland Sea Dogs to win the Eastern League’s Eastern Division Championship.

The B-Mets had chased the Sea Dogs all season long, closing to within one-half game of first place Portland with two weeks to play in the regular season before Portland won nine games and a row and Binghamton dropped their final six regular season contests.

A T.J. Rivera two out walk off home run in the first game of the Eastern Division play-offs had the B-Mets walking on air, but it seemed like the Binghamton bubble had burst when their offense fell into a deep slumber and team dropped games two and three, 7-0 and 6-3.

But, with their backs against the wall and playing in Portland, a venue where the Sea Dogs had dominated Binghamton in the regular season, the B-Mets awakened.  Trailing 2-1, in the fifth inning of game four, the B-Mets offense roared to life scoring three times in the top of the inning and then plated seven more runs in the sixth to set a franchise play-off scoring record in topping Portland, 11-4, to force a decisive game five.  Three B-Mets, Brandon Nimmo, Wilfredo Tovar and Rivera all went 3-5 in the slug-fest.  Darrell Ceciliani was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI’s for Binghamton.

Binghamton used the big inning once again, scoring six times in the visitors fourth to help secure the Division title.  Dustin Lawley’s line drive single to left field started the B-Met’s fourth inning assault.  After Xorge Carrillo’s sacrifice bunt moved Lawley to second, Wilfredo Tovar’s single to center plated the B-Met third baseman.  Tovar has been scorching hot in post season play.  The defensively gifted B-Met shortstop is hitting a team leading .444 for Binghamton.

Brandon Nimmo singled to right field, with Tovar racing home after Portland’s right fielder Jonathan Roof overthrew third base.  Rivera grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Binghamton was far from done.

Brian Burgamy worked a base-on-balls, and Jayce Boyd walked to load the bases.  Portland changed pitchers thinking one Diaz might be a better bet than another and replacing Dayan Diaz for Luis Diaz.  But Ceciliani greeted the new Diaz with a double to deep left-center field scoring all three runners.  The two-bagger was Ceciliani’s 6th of the series.  The B-Met center fielder is batting .389 in the post season with seven RBI’s in 5 games.

Travis Taijeron’s single to right field scored Ceciliani.  The six run surge left Binghamton with an 8-1 lead and positioned to take the Division crown.

But, a determined Sea Dog nine kept pecking away scoring lone runs in the fourth and fifth then plating two more tallies to narrow Binghamton’s advantage to 8-5.

That’s were things would stay as B-Met skipper Pedro Lopez called on Hansel Robles and Cody Satterwhite to stem the tide.  Since being moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Robles continued an impressive run of relief pitching, striking out four Sea Dogs without allowing a run in 2 1/3 innings of work.  The B-Met middle reliever, who can light up the radar guns at more than 95 mph, has a 1.83 ERA over his last 10 appearances.  Robles has struck out 27 batters and walked only five over 19 2/3 innings of that time span.

After a late season hiccup, B-Met fans are relieved to see closer Cody Satterwhite returning to form.  Satterwhite came on in the ninth to shut the door fanning two more Sea Dogs in Portland’s final at bat.

With Tovar leading the way, the hot Binghamton bats have helped several B-Mets amass impressive offensive statistics.  Brandon Nimmo is batting .364 with three doubles in the post season.  After his four hit opening game heroics, T.J. Rivera has continued to hit and is batting .348.  Travis Taijeron continues to make his presence felt in the line-up hitting at .300.

The B-Mets open the championship series Tuesday night in Richmond, playing two games in Virginia then returning to Binghamton for game three on Thursday night.  Games four and five, if needed, will also be played at Binghamton’s NYSEG Stadium.

‘You Gotta Believe.’