PORTLAND, Maine – Eli Serrano III and Edinson Paulino both homered, but the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (34-33) were defeated by the Portland Sea Dogs (35-32), 8-4 at Hadlock Field on Friday night.
Binghamton right-hander R.J. Gordon (L, 5-9) handed in a scoreless first inning, before he allowed four hits and six earned runs in the second inning and he did not get out of the inning.
Portland took a 2-0 lead in the second inning behind a two-run home run from center fielder Will Turner, his second of the series. Then with one out, third baseman Ahbram Liendo and right fielder Justin Gonzales walked to set up shortstop Henry Godbout who delivered an RBI double.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras (strained left-hamstring) batted third on a rehab assignment and tallied a two-run single in the second inning to give Portland a 5-0 lead. One batter later, first baseman Brooks Brannon stepped in to face left-hander Felipe De La Cruz and hit a two-run home run to make it 7-0.
De La Cruz went 1.1 innings and allowed the one earned run with one strikeout. Binghamton answered back in the top of the fourth inning to make it 7-1. Right fielder Eli Serrano III hit a solo home run to lead-off the frame against right-hander Yordanny Monegro who made his first Double-A start since coming off the 60-day injured list.
New York Mets left-hander Cionel Pérez pitched a scoreless fourth inning with one strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth inning Portland extended their lead to 8-1. Against right-hander Cristofer Gomez, catcher Ronald Rosario hit a solo home run, his third big fly of the series.
Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (W, 1-0), who made his first rehab assignment with Portland on Tuesday after he recovered from Tommy John Surgery, pitched 3.0 innings and allowed one run, one hit and struck out four batters.
The Rumble Ponies cut the lead back to six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Designated hitter Marco Vargas tallied his third hit of the game and his third extra-base hit with a lead-off triple. Vargas has six three-hit games at Double-A.
With one out Serrano III walked and then stole second base, and Vargas followed from third to score and make it 8-2 Portland. Vargas also has 28 stolen bases this season.
Binghamton left-hander Luis Rodriguez made his first Double-A appearance and it was a scoreless frame with a strikeout after he put the first two hitters on base. The Rumble Ponies hit their second home run of the night in the seventh inning to push the score to 8-3. Shortstop Eddinson Paulino, who played 69 games for Portland in 2024, hit a solo home run.
Right-hander Max Carlson, who surrendered the home run to Paulino in the seventh inning, allowed a two-out double to Serrano III in the eighth inning, but left him stranded with his fourth strikeout.
Binghamton right-hander Carlos Guzman struck out four batters between the seventh and eighth inning.
In the ninth Portland right-hander Cooper Adams surrendered an RBI single to Paulino for his second hit and RBI of the night to make it 8-4, but Adams retired the next two batters to end the game.
The Rumble Ponies continue a six-game series with the Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A-Boston Red Sox) on Saturday at Hadlock Field. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m and the game will be broadcast on News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM, and on the WNBF News Radio App.
Postgame Notes: Vargas 6th three-hit game this season at Double-A (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, 3B, SB)...Serrano III 8th multi-hit game at Double-A and 6th HR (2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, RBI)...Paulino 1st Double-A home run of season (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI)..Pérez second appearance with Binghamton (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO)...Rodriguez Double-A debut (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO)...Guzman (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO).