Binghamton, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (2-8) blew a ninth-inning lead for the second straight night as the Chesapeake Baysox (5-4) held on to a 5-4 victory from Mirabito Stadium.
The Ponies were tied with the Baysox, 3-3, in the bottom of the eighth inning and threatened early to take the lead.
Right fielder Matt Rudick walked for the third time, stole second base, and went to third on a wild pitch from Cabrera. It was second baseman Nick Lucky who delivered the 4-3 lead.
Lucky tallied a three-hit game and tied a career high with three RBIs in the loss.
Left-hander Felipe De La Cruz (1-2), who got the loss, tossed a scoreless eighth inning and looked for his second save in the ninth inning, but Chesapeake came back to life in the ninth inning.
Ethan Anderson stroked a pinch-hit lead-off single and then second baseman Aron Estrada walked to set up first baseman Thomas Sosa, who came up big with a two-run go-ahead double to make it 5-4 Baysox.
Against right-hander Zane Barnhart (S, 4), Binghamton went down to lose the game as Chesapeake has scored eight ninth-inning runs over the last two nights to come back and win.
The night started strong for Binghamton as right-hander R.J. Gordon delivered his best start of the year, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings. The Mets' No. 6 starting pitching prospect allowed five hits and struck out two batters.
The Binghamton offense gave Gordon early insurance, taking a 2-0 lead after four innings.
In the third inning, third baseman Kevin Villavicencio led off the inning with a single and reached second base on a throwing error from third baseman Carter Young. Lucky followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0.
Lucky continued to be the theme in the fourth inning. Right fielder Matt Rudick led off the frame with a walk, and with one out, three batters later, Lucky tallied another RBI single.
Baysox right-hander Evan Yates finished 5.0 innings after facing one batter in the sixth inning. He walked three batters and struck out five, while allowing three runs with only two earned.
In the sixth inning, Yates surrendered a lead-off walk to Rudick, and Chesapeake called right-hander Keegan Gillies out of the bullpen. Rudick stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout from shortstop Wyatt Young.
Binghamton took a 3-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Villavicencio one batter later.
After right-hander Justin Armbruster tossed a scoreless sixth inning, the Baysox took the lead in the seventh inning off of right-hander Zach Peek (BS, 1).
Left fielder Tavian Josenberger led off the frame with a single to set up right fielder Fernado Perguero, who smashed a two-run home run down the left field line, cutting the Binghamton lead to 3-2.
Then, with two outs, shortstop Griff O’Ferral laced an RBI single to left field to make it 3-3, scoring catcher Andrés Nolaya, who chalked up his first Double-A hit in the inning.
Peek faced designated hitter Fredrick Bencosme with two outs and two on, but struck him out to end the frame. Binghamton kept the game tied after the Baysox tallied four hits and three runs in the seventh inning.
Binghamton designated hitter Chris Suero led off the eighth inning with a single off Gillies. After a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hileman, Suero stole second on the first pitch. Center fielder Jose Ramos chalked up an infield single to set up the Ponies.
Gillies came out of the game with one out for right-hander Jeisson Cabrera (6-2), who struck out catcher Kevin Parada and left fielder Vincent Perozo to keep the game tied.
The Ponies' offense left nine on base in the loss and had three innings with two men on base with two outs, but couldn’t deliver the big blow.
Chesapeake has sealed at least a series split with the win tonight and leads the series 3-1.
The Rumble Ponies continue a six-game series with the Chesapeake Baysox (Double-A, Baltimore Orioles) on Saturday at Mirabito Stadium. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM, the WNBF News Radio App, and SNY.
Postgame Notes: R.J. Gordon goes a season high in innings pitched and tallies his second scoreless outing (5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO)...Nick Lucky tallies his second game with 3 or more hits and his first 3 RBI game (3-for-4, 3 RBI, SB)...JT Schwartz (1-for-4, 2B, BB)...Kevin Parada (1-for-5, 2B)...Matt Rudick (0-for-1, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SB)...Chris Suero (1-for-5, SB)...Kevin Villavicencio (1-for-3, R, RBI)...Justin Armbruster (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO).