Roof's Double Sends Portland Home Happy 4-3
Published on July 22, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs (66-37) scored three runs in the third, but saved the best for last and used a run in the bottom half of the ninth to down the Binghamton Mets (60-42) 4-3 in walk-off fashion. The fifth walk-off win of the season sends the Sea Dogs to a 12-8 record over the Mets and a 35-15 record at Hadlock Field.
The game entered the ninth inning all square at 3-3 and Pete Ruiz tossed a perfect top half before giving way to the offense in the bottom half.
Jon Velasquez trotted back out for his second full inning of work and retired the first man he faced in the ninth. Blake Swihart shot a single to right field with one down and set the table for Jonathan Roof.
Roof was inserted into the game as a pinch runner for Ryan Lavarnway in the seventh and stepped in for the his first plate appearance in the ninth. The designated hitter swung at the first pitch and crushed a ball off the Maine Monster and Swihart sprinted around the bases, scoring the winning run.
Ruiz (2-0) earned the win with two scoreless, in which he allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two. Velasquez (4-3) went five outs and gave up the run on three hits; he didn't walk anyone and struck out two.
Binghamton was silenced over the first two innings by Luis Diaz, but jumped on the board first with a run in the third. Travis Taijeron hit a leadoff single and moved to third after a two out single and walk. Diaz was dealing to Dustin Lawley, but threw a wild pitch and Taijeron scampered home, making it 1-0 Mets.
Portland couldn't get a handle on Binghamton's Rainy Lara until the fourth, where they plated three. Lavarnway stepped in with one out and tied the game at 1-1 with a solo shot to the opposite field, into the Portland, his first on rehab and third overall this season.
The wheels continued to turn for Portland as Sean Coyle followed the blast with a single to center and moved to third on Stefan Welch's single with two down. Shannon Wilkerson was next and stroked a single to left-center, which plated the duo and gave Portland the 3-1 lead.
The Mets came into the game with an Eastern League-high 96 home runs and added another two in the fifth, tying it at 3-3. Taijeron crushed the first pitch of the inning out of Hadlock to the left of center for the first solo shot and Dilson Herrera capped off the inning and tied the game with a two-out, two-strike solo blast over the Maine Monster.
Diaz and Lara would not factor into the decisions for their respective clubs. Lara pitched five and one-third innings and gave up the three runs on six hits, a walk and four strikeouts. Diaz bested the B-Mets starter and picked up a quality start, tossing seven and allowing the three runs on five hits; he walked one and struck out seven.
The Sea Dogs and Mets wrap up the three-game series, and season series, with the finale Wednesday night at 6:00 PM from Hadlock Field. RHP Mike Augliera (4-8, 5.35) is set to take the hill for Portland and he will be matched up against LHP Steven Matz (3-1, 2.79) of the Mets. Radio coverage begins at 5:40 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.tv coverage begins at 5:55 PM.
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