It took three games, but the Binghamton Mets finally turned the tables on
the Punxatawney Groundhogs, taking game 3 of the divisional playoffs by a
score of 4-3. Both teams scored twice in the first, but the Mets tallied
once in the second and again in the 4th, holding on to win 4-3.
Unfortunately for the Hogs, starter Bobby Thomas did not have it on this
day. He allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, in 4 2/3 innings. The Mets battered him
for 7 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Juan Guzman, making his first
appearance in nearly two months, threw the final 3 1/3 innings, giving up
just 1 hit and 1 walk. But a solid 5 innings by Frank Rodriguez, followed
by quality relief work by Fred Bass and Troy Percival, kept the Hogs behind
4-2 until the 9th. They got a rally going, notching 3 hits against reliever
Bret Pezold, but Todd Worrell came in for the save by getting the last two
outs.
"It was tough to lose, especially with the winning run on base," said Hogs
DH Geronimo Berroa, 3-4 on the day. "But these guys have a very good, very
deep bullpen."
With the loss, the series goes to a 2-1 Groundhog advantage. Game 4 will be
played tomorrow in Binghamton, pitting Sean Bergman against Ramon Martinez.
If the Hogs win, they will advance to the DLCS. A loss will force a huge
game 5, most likely a rematch of game 1 starters Jon Lieber and Andy Ashby.
"Believe me, we'd want to finish this series without having to face Ashby
again," said Shapiro. "Beating him twice in a row would be quite a feat."
Tomorrow evening, the Mets will host the Hogs again for game 4.
In other action around the league, the Phoenix Gila Monsters bested the
Washington Seadogs for the second time in extra innings, 6-5. Phoenix
scored twice in the 10th and Washington was ony able to counter with 1 run
in a great game. Galena won their first game against New Diggens 6-1 to
climb out of a 2-0 hole, as did Motor City with a 6-3 victory over Deadwood.
Tomorrow, Punxatawney, Phoenix, New Diggens, and Deadwood all have the
chance to clinch. Binghamton, Washington, Galena, and Motor City are on the
ropes, needing a win to continue their seasons.
