Big Fifth Inning Dooms Fife as Binghamton Wins 6-3

Stephen Fife sets down 10 in a row. (Photo Jason Gendron/MESN)

Portland starter Stephen Fife set down 10 Binghamton batters in a row at one point. Then came the 5th inning, when the Mets pushed across 3 runs, ending Fife's day. The Mets would score 2 more runs in the 8th inning to win 6-3 in the opening game of a 4-game series.

Fife came into the game with a 2-0 record, looking to make it 3-0. He had a tough time getting through the 1st inning, however, as he gave up 2 hits, a walk, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly. He then forced Jean Luc Blaquiere into a groundout to end the inning. he then would proceed

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to throw straight 1-2-3 innings. it was the 5th inning that ultimately did him in. The first 3 batters got hits before he struck out Eastern League Player of the Week Josh Satin. he then hit Eric Campbell with a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing home Allan Dykstra. Manager Kevin Boles then lifted him from the game and Tommy Hottovy came on in relief. Hottovy gave up a wall-ball double to Michael Fisher that brought 2 more runs home before retiring the next 2 batters.

Portland would score runs in the 4th and 5th innings. In the 4th, the bottom of the order collected 3 hits in a row after Jorge Padron grounded out and Will Middlebrooks popped out. Oscar Tejeda, Mitch Dening, and Ryan Dent each singled off Binghamton starter Brandon Moore. Dent's hit drove home Tejeda, but Che-Hsuan Lin flew out to right to end the inning.

In the 5th inning Tim Federowicz hit a 1-out double off the bottom of the Maine Monster, as the Sea Dogs tried to match what the Mets had just done. Ryan Lavarnway popped out to short to make it 2 outs. Jorge Padron then picked up his second hit of the night to bring Federowicz, making it 4-2 Binghamton. Middlebrooks then struck out to end the inning.

The Sea Dogs had a prime chance to cut into the deficit in the 7th inning, as Lavarnway and Padron had back-to-back 2-out singles. However, Middlebrooks lined out to Campbell to end the inning, as Portland couldn't find a way to get that next hit to score runs.

Binghamton added some breathing room in the top of the 8th inning. Brahiam Maldonado led off with a home run over the Monster to make it 5-2. Raul Reyes then hit a broken-bat single to second base. Blaquiere's sacrifice bunt moved Reyes to second, and a balk by Seth Garrison moved him to third. Jordany Valdespin hit a bloop single to right to plate Reyes. Those 2 runs were the first given up by Garrison on the year.

The Sea Dogs went down swinging in the bottom of the 9th. Che-Hsuan Lin reached on a dropped ball by the first baseman to lead off the inning. Alex Hassan then hit a double to put runners at second and third. Federowicz struck out for the first out of the inning before Lavarnway hit a sacrifice fly to deep left to bring home Lin. Padron then struck out to end the game.

Fife's line was 4 1/3 innings pitched, 5 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 2 hit batsmen.

Brandon Moore picked up his first won of the season, going 5 innings, with 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

Jesus Feliciano, Michael Fisher, and Allan Dykstra each had 2 hits for the Mets.

Jorge Padron went 3 for 5 with 3 singles and an RBI to pace the Sea Dogs. Hassan went 2 for 5 after going 0 for 5 in his last game.

The Portland pitchers combined for 7 strikeouts against only 1 walk.

The two teams play again tomorrow at 6pm for game 2 of this 4 game series.
-WIL KRAMLICH-


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Manager Kevin Boles