B-METS LOSE 4-1

Seventh Far From Heavenly in 4-1 Loss

AKRON, OH – The Akron RubberDucks scored three runs in the seventh to beat the Binghamton Mets, 4-1, on Monday night at Canal Park. The B-Mets mustered just four hits in the series-opening defeat. Dominic Smith belted his first career Double-A home run in the losing effort.
With the game tied at one, Akron put runners at the corners against Rainy Lara in seventh. Luis Mateo took over on the mound and uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Yandy Diaz to scamper home with the go-ahead run. Todd Hankins yanked an RBI triple inside the third base bag and Clint Frazier capped the three-run inning with a sacrifice fly.
Given a three-run lead, Akron reliever JP Feyereisen worked around a two-out single in a scoreless eighth. Ben Heller breezed through a perfect ninth to earn his fourth save in as many chances.
Binghamton’s lone offensive highlight came in the top of the seventh. Akron starter Adam Plutko looked destined to post another blank inning after he coaxed a double play out of Niuman Romero. Smith rejected that bid by blasting Plutko’s 1-0 offering beyond the right-field wall for a game-tying homer.
Plutko had kept the B-Mets in check over his first six scoreless innings. The righty allowed just one hit and put down 13 of 14 batters during the stretch.
Before Akron’s three-run seventh, Lara had been in a groove. The righty bounced back from a shaky third and sailed through the sixth retiring 11 of 12 RubberDuck batters. At one point he retired eight straight, highlighted by a six-pitch fifth inning. The stretch ended when Diaz led off the seventh with a single.
The RubberDucks owned an early one-run lead with the help of Major League rehabber Lonnie Chisenhall. The outfielder doubled with two outs and scored on Bradley Zimmer’s double to center.
Lara (1-1) allowed three runs on five hits over 6-1/3 innings in his first loss of the season. Two runs on his tab scored after he departed the game. Feyereisen (1-0) went 1-1/3 innings to earn his first career Double-A win.
The B-Mets (5-4) continue their three-game series in Akron on Tuesday night at 6:35 PM. RHP Mickey Jannis toes the rubber against LHP Shawn Morimando. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Mets channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: The game clocked in at 2:25, the shortest of Binghamton’s season…Binghamton has lost five of their last six meetings with Akron dating back to 2015…Binghamton left a season-low two runners on base
Season tickets and mini packs are on sale now and may be purchased in person at NYSEG Stadium or by visiting www.bmets.com or calling (607) 723-METS.
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