PORTLAND – The game began in 40-degree damp weather with a major league pitcher on the mound.
Four hours and 3 minutes later, the Portland Sea Dogs beat the Binghamton Mets 9-8 in 10 innings Tuesday night at Hadlock Field. It was Portland’s fifth straight win.
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Heiker Meneses scored the winning run on a wild pitch by John Church (0-3). Meneses, who had two triples and a double, also knocked in three runs. Christian Vazquez recorded three RBI as well.
Red Sox left-handed reliever Craig Breslow started for Portland, part of his rehab from shoulder tendinitis. Breslow was scheduled to pitch one inning but didn’t record an out and after four batters was lifted with the Mets leading 3-0.
“I felt real good in the ‘pen,” Breslow said. “When I got out there, first time seeing hitters in a real game situation, I probably tried to do a little too much.”
Breslow commanded his fastball (between 87 and 89 mph), but couldn’t throw his slider for strikes. He gave up two singles, a walk and a two-run double. After 23 pitches (12 strikes), Manager Kevin Boles came to get him.
“Lost command of the breaking ball, leaving it down and in,” Breslow said. “I commanded the fastball pretty well. But when I’ve got nothing else to work with, it sometimes doesn’t matter.
“Hopefully next time I’ll be a little better. Work on maintaining the consistency from the ‘pen into the game.”
Breslow, who signed a two-year contract with Boston before the season, said he’s tentatively set to join Pawtucket this weekend and possibly pitch back-to-back games.
Brandon Workman entered and pitched five innings (three runs, two earned).
Portland rallied with four in the fourth, two on Vazquez’s single to left.
Vazquez singled in another run in the fifth and Meneses tripled him in with a blast to right-center, making it 6-6.
In the seventh, Kolbrin Vitek and Vazquez worked two-out walks, setting up Meneses’ two-run triple to right.
Vitek’s throwing error in the eighth allowed two Binghamton runs in to tie it.
In the 10th, Meneses led off with a double and advanced to third on Shannon Wilkerson’s sacrifice. With two outs, he scored on Church’s wild pitch.
Brock Huntzinger (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
NOTES: Reliever Daniel Bard was told after the game that he was joining the Red Sox. Bard pitched a scoreless sixth inning, allowing a Wilfredo Tovar single. Vazquez threw Tovar out trying to steal. Xander Bogaerts’ good game Monday got better after a scoring change awarded him a triple instead of reaching by error. He had four hits Monday and after two hits Tuesday is batting .311. Travis Shaw’s season-long streak of reaching base is at 17 after his single and two walks. The announced paid attendance was 3,291. The Red Sox planned to send another pitcher to Portland on Wednesday for a rehab appearance, but changed those plans when Franklin Morales was scratched with a sore pectoral muscle John Lackey, who pitched at Hadlock on Monday, is scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox at Fenway on Sunday.
Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: ClearTheBases
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