B-Mets Avoid Sweep, Defeat Sea Dogs 4-2

Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (66-38) scored first, but faltered in the finale of the season series, losing 4-2 at the hands of the Binghamton Mets (61-42) Wednesday night at Hadlock Field. The loss was the first in the three game series, and the season series settles at 12-9 in favor of the Sea Dogs.  

The game got off to a loud start with each side tallying a homer in the first three innings. Sean Coyle put the 'Dogs on the board with a solo homer over the video board in left-center, off of Steven Matz, his 12th of the season. 

Mike Augliera took the hill for Portland and delivered two scoreless before Rylan Sandoval connected on a solo homer to center and tied the game at 1-1. The blast was the first of the year for the third baseman and the 11th against the righty this season.

The homer was the beginning of the offense for Binghamton as they went on to take the lead, scoring three runs over the next two innings against Augliera (4-9). 

T.J. Rivera led off the fourth with a double and scored on Jayce Boyd's single to center, making it 2-1 visitors. The Mets doubled their output with a pair in the fifth. Travis Taijeron drove home Dilson Herrera with an RBI double to left-center and Rivera drove home another with a sacrifice fly to center, putting Binghamton in front 4-1. 

Matz (4-1) weaved in and out of trouble over the next three innings following the Coyle blast. After going in order in the third, the 'Dogs loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, against the southpaw. He battled back to strike out both David Chester and Michael Almanzar, ending the threat.

Portland cut it to 4-2 in the sixth on three singles. Ryan Lavarnway started the rally with a single to right and with one out, Michael Almanzar and Chester hit singles, the latter plating the lead runner and making it a two-run deficit.

Matz finished his outing with a perfect seventh. He allowed the two runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out four en route to his fourth victory of the season. Randy Fontanez pitched a scoreless eighth and Cody Satterwhite locked down his ninth save with a perfect ninth.

Augliera finished six innings and gave up the four runs on eight hits; he walked one and struck out seven. Dayan Diaz and Noe Ramirez notched three scoreless in back of the Portland starter. 

The Sea Dogs hit the road and travel to New Britain for a four-game weekend series against the Rock Cats, beginning Thursday night at 7:05 PM from New Britain Stadium. Portland is slated to send LHP Henry Owens (13-3, 2.25) to the hill against New Britain's RHP Jose Berrios (0-2, 4.91). The matchup features the two starters from the MLB Futures Game. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network.