PORTLAND – On the night the Portland Sea Dogs finally named their new left field wall, catcher Andy Dominique became the the first hitter to poke a ball over it, but that was about the only highlight for the home team.
For the second straight night, the Dogs’ offense was muzzled by the Binghamton Mets as the Mets notched an 8-4 victory before a crowd that started at 4,746 fans and finished at around 300 as temperatures dipped from 41 degrees to the 30s.
Dominique ripped a 2-0 fastball from Tim Lavigne high and about 3 feet over the extreme left edge of Hadlock Field’s new 37-feet high “Maine Monster” for a three-run homer that capped a four-run sixth for the Dogs.
The controversial home run call was disputed by Lavigne, who threw his glove twice – once after home plate umpire Adrian Johnson ruled the ball cleared the wall in fair territory and the second time after Johnson ejected him for arguing the call. Mets manager John Stearns and several other players also disputed the call, but Lavigne was the only casualty.
“I didn’t think it was even a question,” said Stearns. “I don’t know how you can call it because it’s wall all the way to the foul line and if it’s not wall, it’s foul. Did it hit wall? No, so it can’t be fair.”
Dogs manager Ron Johnson had a different take.
“He crushed it, and that was into a swirling wind,” he said. “I was standing at the foul line and I thought it was fair. Obviously they didn’t agree because the next thing I knew, I had gloves flying over my head and there were 35 people out on the field.”
It was Dominique’s first home run and one of his two hits on the night.
“I’ve had a slow start and I was just glad to get a good pitch to hit,” said Dominique, who said he’d love to have one of the Nomar Garciaparra bobblehead dolls given out at the gate when told club officials were talking about rewarding him for being the first player to hit one over the wall.
The Mets, whose offense was struggling coming into the series, finished with 40 hits and 27 runs in the three games.
“Our team broke out in a big way offensively here. We got hits all the way up and down the lineup,” said Stearns. “I can’t explain it because it’s not good weather to hit in. You’re supposed to have sore hands out there.”
Designated hitter Daniel Garcia led Binghamton’s 12-hit parade, hitting two doubles and a single with two runs scored and an RBI.
Righthander Jake Joseph pitched five scoreless innings for the Mets while allowing just one hit and a walk. He struck out four. P.J. Bevis earned his second save of the series and season after coming on with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth and getting a strikeout. He added two more in the ninth.
“My fastball was always working and my changeup worked at certain points. It was one of those games where everything was working pretty well,” said Joseph, who took care to warm up properly beforehand. “It’s just a matter of getting moving and keeping your hands warm on a night like tonight.”
As they have for the entire series, the Mets broke out on top first.
They scored three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, the top of the lineup did the damage as Garcia and Craig Brazell started off with back-to-back singles. Cleanup hitter Ron Acuna doubled Garcia home and back-to-back groundouts scored two more. In the fifth, David Bacan singled, Jeff Duncan tripled him home, Garcia doubled Duncan home, and Acuna hit a one-out RBI single.
Binghamton tacked on two more runs in the sixth on Chris Basak’s 400-foot home run to dead center.
GAME NOTES – Sea Dogs second baseman Carlos Leon was placed on the disabled list Wednesday after an X-ray revealed a fracture of his left fibula. Leon suffered the break Monday night when Binghamton’s Daniel Garcia slid into him while trying to break up a double play. Leon, who missed Tuesday’s game with what was originally thought to be a knee abrasion, will be out for three to six weeks. The Red Sox filled his slot on the roster with former Portland Sea Dog player and major leaguer Trace Coquillette, who was signed to a minor league contract Wednesday.
In other roster news, right-handed reliever Eric Glaser was called up to Triple-A Pawtucket (R.I.) before Tuesday’s game, but he’s expected to return to Portland in a week. Glaser replaces Kevin Tolar, who is filling in for reliever Alan Embree in Boston.
The Sea Dogs began the season with three players already on the D.L. as Boston’s top catching prospect, Kelly Shoppach, is rehabbing in Florida after frayed rotator cuff surgery; pitcher Isuaro Pineda will miss two or three weeks with a nerver injury in his neck; and pitcher Gustavo Lopez is out with a right forearm strain.
METS 8, SEA DOGS 4
(Wednesday Night)
Binghamton (5-5) Portland (3-4)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Duncan, cf 4 1 1 1 Castro, ss 5 0 0
Garcia, dh 5 2 3 1 Nieves, 2b 3 0 0
Brazell, 1b 5 1 1 0 Youkilis, 3b 3 1 0
Acuna, rf 3 1 2 2 Headley, 1b 3 1 0
Asche, rf 2 0 0 0 Sherrod, rf 4 0 0
Jacobs, c 4 0 1 1 Brisson, dh 4 1 1
Nye, 3b 3 1 1 1 Dominique, c 3 1 3
Basak, ss 4 1 2 2 Brown, lf 4 0 0
Seale, lf 4 0 0 0 Owens, cf 2 0 0
Bacani, 2b 3 1 1 0
Totals 37 8 12 8 Totals 31 4 8 4
Binghamton 000 332 000 ? 8
Portland 000 000 400 ? 4
E?Martinez; LOB?Binghamton 5, Portland 6; 2B?Garcia 2; Acuna; 3B?Duncan; HR?Basak; Dominique; DP?Acuna-Nye, Basak-Bacani-Bruzell, Nye-Bacani-Brazell; Naeves-Castro-Headley, Castro-Naeves-Headley; SB?Nieves
Binghamton IP H R ER BB SO
Joseph (W) 5 1 0 0 1 4
Lavigne 1 2/3 4 4 4 2 3
Sanez 1 2 0 0 2 1
Bevis 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 3
Portland IP H R ER BB SO
Kester (L) 5 11 8 8 1 4
Villegas 2 0 0 0 1 2
Martinez 2 1 0 0 1 3
ATT?4,746
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