BINGHAMTON, NY — Starting pitcher Luis Diaz was winless in his last 24 starts, but that changed on Monday night, as the Portland Sea Dogs (31-53) beat the Binghamton Mets (41-41), 5-4, and took two of three in the series. Portland wins its first series since taking a road set in Binghamton May 26-28, ending a drought of 10 straight series losses.
Diaz last won on July 5, 2014 at New Britain, a span of 366 days. The righty gave up three runs (two earned) over 6-plus innings on 10 hits, no walks and four strikeouts.
Robby Scott allowed a run in two relief innings, but earned his second hold of the season. John Cornely pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.
B-Mets righty Robert Gsellman took the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits over six frames.
The Sea Dogs scored first for the third straight game in the series, taking a 1-0 lead in the first. Marco Hernandez led off the game with a triple and scored on a groundout by Reed Gragnani.
Binghamton tied the game at one with an unearned run in the second inning. Brock Peterson reached on an error by Carlos Asuaje to start the frame and scored on a single by Josh Rodriguez.
Portland snapped a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning, scoring three times to take a 4-1 lead. Manuel Margot and Jake Romanski had RBI singles, and Cole Sturgeon provided a sacrifice fly. The B-Mets responded in their fourth, receiving a two-run homer by Dustin Lawley, cutting Portland’s lead to 4-3.
In the sixth, Romanski smoked a two-out homer (first in Double-A) over the left-field wall.
Binghamton had a huge a chance in the seventh, knocking Diaz out of the game after consecutive singles. But Scott retired the next three batters, keeping Portland in front 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lawley struck again, nailing an RBI double, cutting the Portland lead to 5-4. Scott retired pinch-hitter Aderlin Rodriguez to keep it a one-run lead.
The Sea Dogs open up a three-game series against the Reading Fightin Phils on tonight at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mike Augliera (2-11, 5.10 ERA) makes the start for the Sea Dogs. Jerome Willams makes a Major League Rehab Assignment start for Reading.
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