The Binghamton Mets (1-0) handled the Richmond Flying Squirrels (0-1), 5-2, in game one of the Eastern League Championship Series on Tuesday night at The Diamond. Richmond continued to struggle offensively in the postseason. They have now scored a combined 12 runs in their five postseason games. They also face a deficit for the first time in the postseason.
The B-Mets left the bases loaded in the first without scoring, but broke through against righty Clayton Blackburn in the second. Xorge Carillo led off and laced a single into left field. He was forced at second by Wilfredo Tovar. Blackburn’s mound counterpart, Tyler Pill, then victimized him for a single to left field to put runners at the corners. Brandon Nimmo followed and made it 1-0 with an RBI single to right field. Blackburn induced an inning-ending double-play to avoid further damage, but Binghamton held a 1-0 lead.
The Squirrels leveled the score against Pill in the third. Tyler LaTorre started the uprising with a lead-off single to right field. Tyler Horan flew out, but Blackburn reached on a bunt-single that was misplayed by Pill. Daniel Carbonell then rifled a single to right-center field to plate LaTorre and tie the ballgame, 1-1.
Binghamton broke back on top in the fifth against Blackburn. T.J. Rivera led off the inning with a single. Blackburn recorded the first out, but Jayce Boyd singled on the infield to put two aboard. Darrell Ceciliani followed and yanked a single through the right-side of the infield. Rivera scored for a 2-1 advantage. Blackburn then hit Travis Taijeron to load the bases with one out. Xorge Carillo extended the Binghamton lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice-fly to right field.
Blackburn (0-1) called it a night after five innings. He was charged with three earned runs on eight hits. He walked three, hit another, struck out four and was doomed to the loss.
Richmond crept back within a run in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Horan cracked a one-out double through the alley in right-center field with one out. Myle Schroder – pinch hitting for Blackburn – followed with a single into right field. Horan raced in from second base to slice the lead for Binghamton to a lone run, 3-2.
Pill (1-0) worked six innings for the win. He was charged with two runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out three.
Binghamton finally pulled away in the eighth after the Squirrels missed a bases-loaded opportunity in the seventh. Right-hander Kyle Crick came in out of the Richmond bullpen following two scoreless innings from righty Tyler Rogers. Crick struck out the first two batters of the inning, but opened the door with a walk to Tovar. Dustin Lawley then laced a 3-2 pitch through the alley in left-center field. Tovar was running on the pitch, and scored easily. Nimmo then delivered his second RBI single of the night to stretch the Binghamton lead to 5-2.
Right-hander Hansel Robles worked around a lead-off triple from Carbonell in the eighth inning, and posted a scoreless frame. Right-hander Cody Satterwhite then had no trouble closing it out with a perfect ninth. Satterwhite earned his second save of the postseason.
Game 2 of the ELCS is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at The Diamond on Wednesday night. Richmond LHP Adalberto Mejia (7-9, 4.67) will make the start against Binghamton RHP Greg Peavey (11-3, 2.90). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:05 p.m. on 1140 AM WRVA, 98.5 FM and www.1140rva.com.