Connecticut Defenders Shove Binghamton Mets, Win 7-4 - AAA, Pacific Coast League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - The Connecticut Defenders used three home runs and a four-run fifth to beat the Binghamton Mets 7-4 at Dodd Stadium Thursday. The loss is Binghamton’s third in their last 14 games.

Connecticut (21-23) got to B-Mets starter Jose Sanchez in the first, as the first two hitters reached base, with Kyle Haines scoring on Travis Ishikawa’s sacrifice fly. However, Sanchez (4-3) was able to retire 10 in a row thereafter.

Binghamton (22-23) rallied to tie in the third. Eric Reed began the frame with a bunt single off Adam Cowart before Sanchez bunted him to second. Two batters later, Daniel Murphy ripped a double down the rightfield line, scoring Reed.

The B-Mets took the lead the very next inning. Salomon Manriquez reached Cowart (3-2) for a two-out double before the righthander walked Jose Coronado. Reed followed with a bloop single to center, bringing in Manriquez, for a 2-1 B-Mets lead.

After the Defenders tied the score on Simon Klink’s RBI double in the fourth, the B-Mets reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Emmanuel Garcia began the rally with a bunt single before Murphy bunted him to second. Once Cowart (3-2) intentionally walked Mike Carp with two outs, Ambiorix Concepcion followed with a base hit up the middle, scoring Garcia, for a 3-2 Binghamton advantage.

However, five of the six batters Sanchez faced in the fifth picked up hits, including Jake Wald, who led off with a game-tying homer, and Ben Copeland, whose three-run shot gave Connecticut the lead for good. Sanchez was pulled after 4 1/3 innings.

Connecticut’s Adam Witter homered off Tim Lavigne in the eighth, accounting for the game’s final run. Defenders reliever Steve Palazzolo tossed two shutout innings to earn his first save in two chances.

Friday, the Binghamton Mets begin a four-game series at home against the Reading Phillies. Eric Brown (4-3, 6.75) will start for the B-Mets against lefty Antonio Bastardo (2-1, 2.66) of Reading. The first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. at NYSEG Stadium with the radio broadcast starting at 6:50 on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

Notes: Binghamton scored all six of their runs in the last two games with two outs…today’s game was the first in the series in which CON had the lead…Sanchez is just the second B-Mets starter in the last 14 games not to last at least five innings (Jonathon Niese, 5/15 vs. NB)…Binghamton’s bullpen was scored upon for just the second time in 11 games…Reed had been 0 for 10 as a B-Met prior to today.

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