Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (23-20)(58-53) did everything right in a 10-3 win against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (20-23)(47-65) on Friday night, snapping Binghamton’s ten-game winning streak in front of their eighteenth sellout crowd of the season.
Jack Winnay was three-for-five, a triple shy of the cycle, with two runs and two RBI, both coming on his two-run home run. Brooks Brannon, Miguel Bleis and Yoeilin Cespedes had multi-hit nights as well with a single and a double. Tyler McDonough and Nelly Taylor both went yard for the Sea Dogs’ third straight multi-home run game. Every Sea Dog but one had at least one hit, and the lone batter who didn’t, Max Ferguson, walked three times and scored once.
In his second Double-A start, LHP Devin Futrell struck out eight batters in five innings. Sea Dogs pitchers combined for 11 total strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
The Sea Dogs started strong in the first inning. Henry Godbout recorded his first Double-A hit before Winnay drove him in with a home run. Brannon, Bleis and Yoeilin Cespedes strung together three straight singles, with Cespedes’ hit driving in a run. Nate Baez followed that up with a sacrifice fly, and Portland led 4-0 after one.
Binghamton got on the board in the third inning. Yohairo Cuevas and Mitch Voit led off with a double and a single, putting runners on the corners for Vargas. A sacrifice fly scored Cuevas, before Emilien Pitre singled, and Billy Amick drove in Voit with a double.
Portland batted around and plated four runs in the fourth inning. McDonough led off with a home run. Winnay doubled, his third hit of the night, and on two outs, Bleis doubled to drive in Winnay. Cespedes then put a hard-hit grounder up the third baseline. A throwing error allowed Bleis to score. Binghamton pitchers issued three straight walks, walking in the fourth run of the inning, and the Sea Dogs led 8-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ferguson drew a leadoff walk, before Taylor smashed a home run to right field, extending the lead to 10-2.
Binghamton added one more with an Amick RBI single in the eighth inning.
LHP Devin Futrell (1-0, 5.40 ERA) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. RHP Noah Hall (1-1, 7.32 ERA) shouldered the loss, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.
Tomorrow night, the Sea Dogs celebrate Star Wars night, with special themed jerseys and in-game activities. LHP Michael Sansone (3-2, 5.36 ERA) will face RHP Gabe Davis (0-0, 9.00 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm at Delta Dental Park.