Binghamton shortstop Jose Coronado drove in three runs, including two on a go-ahead double in the sixth inning, to lead the B-Mets past Portland Monday night at Hadlock Field. The win is the third straight for Binghamton and vaults the team into a first-place tie with New Hampshire atop the Eastern League’s Eastern Divison. In addition, Brad Holt produced his longest outing of the season, tossing four innings of one-run work in his fourth start since returning from the disabled list.
Facing Casey Kelly, Boston’s top pitching prospect, Binghamton (19-12) was once again able to get to the 20-year-old righty early. Leading off the second, Zach Lutz connected on a 1-0 offering from Kelly, sending the center-cut fastball over the Maine Monster in left for his league-leading eighth homer of the season. Kelly proceeded to put the next two hitters on, issuing a walk to Marshall Hubbard before giving up a single to Carlos Guzman. After Mike Nickeas hit into a 6-4-3 double play, Coronado drove in his first run with a single to left to up the lead to 2-0.
Portland (17-12) answered with a run in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly from Chih-Hsien Chang off Holt, which plated Yamiaco Navarro who had reached on an error.
In the third, the B-Mets responded with a pair of doubles to bring the lead back to two. Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled to lead off the inning and tallied when Lucas Duda duplicated the feat with a double of his own to right, making it 3-1.
Holt departed after the fourth inning. The 23-year-old flamethrower permitted just four hits and a walk over four innings, while striking out a season-best five.
The Sea Dogs rallied for their only lead in the fifth inning against Clint Everts. The righty gave up three hits and walked two in the fifth, leading to a three-run frame, capped by Jose Iglesias’ sacrifice fly to right, which propelled Portland into the lead 4-3. Iglesias was a perfect 4-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI.
Binghamton wasted no time in retaking the lead. Santo Luis relieved Kelly in the sixth inning and ran into trouble with two outs. Luis gave up singles to Hubbard and Guzman with one out before striking out Mike Nickeas. Then with two away, Coronado lined a double off the glove of Chang, who was retreating backward in left, to clear the bases and push the B-Mets back into the lead 5-4. Nieuwenhuis put the finishing touches on the big inning with a double down the line in right on a 3-0 fastball, which plated Coronado and Hector Pellot, who was hit by a pitch. The four-run frame ran the lead to a game-high three runs, 7-4.
Portland fought back with a run in the sixth that was charged to Everts. The reliever who was roughed up in the fifth, was pulled after giving up a double and a walk with one out. Roy Merritt was summoned to replace him and allowed one of the runners he inherited to score, but settled in from there. Merritt fired 2 2/3 innings of scoreless work and Jose De La Torre notched his second save in as many days with a solid ninth.
Everts was credited with the win despite surrendering four runs in 1 1/3 innings and Luis was hung with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits in his only inning of work — the sixth.
Guzman enjoyed a three-hit performance to up his average to .308 and Nieuwenhuis stroked two doubles in five trips to the plate, driving in a pair of runs. Duda also roped two hits and drove in his league-leading 30th run.
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