Binghamton shut out by Erie, 10-0 in Game 2 of Eastern League Championship
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell behind early and had no answers at the plate as the Erie SeaWolves got the win, 10-0, and a two-game sweep to clinch the Eastern League Championship on Tuesday night.
The Rumble Ponies were held in check for seven scoreless innings by Erie starter Brant Hurter, the SeaWolves' sizable left-hander who is listed at six-foot-six, 250 pounds. Hurter allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out seven batters to extend his scoreless streak to 29 innings.
After the first three Binghamton batters saw a combined 21 pitches, ending with Kevin Parada's single to start the second, the Rumble Ponies' aggressive approach allowed the Erie starter to get through three innings on just 37 pitches (23 strikes). He would need just 46 pitches over the next four frames.
Christian Scott, the 12th-ranked prospect in the Mets system, got the start and pitched a smooth bottom of the first retiring the side with a strikeout on 15. But things fell apart in the second when Jake Holton smacked an 0-2 pitch in the middle of the zone over the wall in left field. The one-out 370-foot homer was Holton’s second of the series and started a three-run second.
Ben Malgeri laced a liner down the right field line for a triple before Daniel Cabrera worked a walk to put two men. On full count with Cabrera running from first, Eliezer Alfonzo lined it right to the spot shortstop Jett Williams vacated to cover second for an RBI base hit to center.
Facing elimination, Binghamton manager Reid Brignac made the move to the bullpen ending Scott's day after 1.1 innings. Jordan Geber got two outs to close the frame but not before a sac fly made it 3-0 early.
Scott was charged with three runs on three hits and a walk with a strikeout on 40 pitches (25 strikes). Gerber pitched a clean 2.2 innings with just one batter reaching on a hit-by pitch.
Hurter, the 12th-ranked prospect in the Detroit Tigers system, had a streak of 11 straight batters retired with five strikeouts after walking Jeremiah Jackson with two outs in the second snapped by Rhylan Thomas’ one-out double in the sixth.
The Rumble Ponies looked to finally have something cooking off Hurter to get back in the game after Luisangel Acuna worked a walk to put two on with one out in the sixth inning, but Jett Williams, who struck out in his previous two at-bats, grounded into an inning-ending 4-3 double play.
After Drew Gilbert singled to start the seventh, Parada, on the first pitch, bounced into a 6-4-3 double play, the third twin-killing Binghamton bounced into on the night.
The Mets' top three prospects - Acuna, Williams and Gilbert – had a combined one hit in 11 at-bats with a walk and four strikeouts. In the field, Acuna and Gilbert were both charged with errors.
Luis Moreno entered in the fifth and allowed back-to-back singles sandwiching a wild pitch to extend Erie’s lead. Moreno didn’t get any help on Jace Jung’s drive to the warning track in right field as Rowdey Jordan misplayed the ball to put runners on second and third with the error. A chop off the plate scored another run as catcher Hayden Senger couldn’t corral the ball on the infield hit. Another run would come across before the inning ended with Binghamton down 6-0.
Holton added his second homer of the game with one out in the seventh crushing a 447-foot, two-run shot (109 mph off the bat) off of lefty Matt Minnick after an Acuna error put a runner on base. Workman applied the icing on Erie’s championship cake with a two-run shot in the eighth off Brendan Hardy.
