The Portland Sea Dogs scored 11 runs in the first inning Thursday night, and went on to defeat the Binghamton Rumble Ponies 16-1 in a Double A Eastern League Baseball game played at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton, New York.
Alex Binelas and Ceddanne Rafaela both hit first pitch back to back solo homeruns to lead off the game in the big first inning for Portland. Stephen Scott later had a three-run homer in the frame, while Kole Cottam had an RBI double, Izzy Wilson an RBI single, and Nick Sogard a two-run double. Brett Kennedy earned his second win of the season, throwing 7.0 innings of shutout ball.
Kennedy (2-4) allowed six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the Sea Dogs victory. Binelas, Christian Koss, and Sogard all had three hits each to lead the 18 hit attack. Sogard and Wilson had four RBI each, and all but two batters who came to the plate got at least one hit. Zach Ashford had three hits for Binghamton (NY Mets), while Alec Kisena (2-7) took the pitching loss only lasting 1/3 of an inning and was charged for seven runs on five hits. The Rumble Ponies are now 32-47 (3-6 in second half of the season). Portland is 37-41 (7-2 in second half), and have now won four in a row and the first three of this six game series. Left hander Jay Groome (3-4, 3.68 ERA) will take the mound for the Sea Dogs in game four on Friday night. The Eastern League Playoff format is based off a split season, and allows the first place team from the first half of the year of each division (Northeast and Southwest) face the team who finishes the second half in first place in a best of five first round series, with games three through five hosted by the first half winner. Those two winners would face off in another best of five to decide the league title.
