Binghamton Mets 4, Altoona Curve 1
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This pitching duel lasted only 2 hours and 4 minutes, as the Curve posted just 6 hits and the Mets only 5. Jared Hughes took his second loss of the season. He gave up 3 runs in the first two innings, then pitched 4 scoreless innings. A walk and a solo home run gave Binghamton 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. Another walk and two singled brought in their third run in the 2nd inning. Hughes retired all but one of the next 13 batters he faced over the next four innings — the batter he hit with a pitch was the same one who had hit the home run off him.
Curve reliever Tim Alderson took over for Hughes in the 7th inning, and he allowed 2 hits in 2 innings. The first hit was a solo homer to the first batter he faced in the 7th. The second hit was a two-out single in the 8th.
The Curve scored their only run in the 4th inning. With one out, SS Jordy Mercer was hit by a pitch and 3B Jeremy Farrell lined a single into center field. C Tony Sanchez walked to load the bases. After a strikeout by 1B Miles Durham, RF Brad Chalk also worked a walk, forcing in Mercer with the Curve’s lone run.
The Curve scattered 5 more hits over the rest of the game, but did not have more than one base runner on in any inning other than the 4th: LF Quincy Latimore singled and stole second in the 1st; 2B Brock Holt singled with two outs in the 3rd; CF Starling Marte singled in the 5th and went to third on a throwing error on a pick-off attempt; Mercer singled with two outs in the 8th; and Durham led off the 9th with a single.
Daytona Cubs 6, Bradenton Marauders 4
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Two runs in the bottom of the 8th broke a 4-4 tie to give Daytona the win. The Marauders got onto the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the 1st. 2B Jarek Cunningham singled with one out, then stole second and went on to third base on a throwing error. 1B Aaron Baker walked, then DH Calvin Anderson brought in Cunningham with a sacrifice fly.
Daytona tied the score in the bottom of the 1st. Brett Lorin gave up a single, a stolen base, and an RBI single to give the Cubs their first run. The Cubs scored again in the 2nd, with a double, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single. Then in the 3rd inning, Lorin struggled again. A lead-off single and a triple scored one run. Another single plated the runner from third, for a 4-1 lead.
The Marauders put one runner on in each of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings (single by C Carlos Paulino, single by RF Robbie Grossman, and CF Evan Chambers hit by a pitch). They scored again in the 5th inning, when SS Kelson Brown led off with a triple, then kept running as the ball came in from left field. The Cubs’ shortstop threw the relay wild, allowing Brown to score on the error. The Cubs still had a 4-2 lead.
Donnie Veal made another rehab appearance, pitching two scoreless innings. He threw a wild pitch on strike three, giving him a base runner in the 6th, then made a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, but got two more strikeouts. The second strikeout came on a missed bunt on a squeeze play, and the runner from third was out at the plate. Veal gave up a single in the 7th, but left that runner on base too, with two more strikeouts, for a total of 5.
Another triple, this one by Baker, started the Marauders’ rally in the top of the 8th. Baker scored on Anderson’s ground out. A walk by Chambers and a single by LF David Rubinstein (in his first appearance in a week) put two Marauders on base, then another single by Paulino drove in Chambers with the tying run.
The 4-4 tie lasted just a few minutes. Brian Leach took over for Veal in the bottom of the 8th. A walk and a wild pitch put a runner on second base with one out. A grounder off the glove of Baker at first let that runner score from second base to give Daytona the lead. A wild pitch and a ground out moved the runner to third, and he scored from there on another RBI single, for an insurance run. Brett Sinkbeil took over for Leach to get the final out of the inning. The Marauders could not answer, going down in order in the top of the 9th, and Daytona had the win.
