Posted By NYFS Staff
July 28, 2010 - After two months on the disabled list, Zach Lutz returned to the B-Mets lineup and impressed with a 3-for-4 showing with three runs scored and three RBI, leading Binghamton to a 12-8 triumph over Portland Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium. Lutz’s night was highlighted by a two-run homer off Sea Dogs starter Alex Wilson in his first at-bat in the second inning.

Portland came out swinging on Josh Stinson in the first inning. The Sea Dogs brought nine men to the plate and tallied four runs on the strength of five hits and a walk to grab a 4-0 lead.

Lutz answered in the second with his homer, a two-run blast to left on a 1-0 pitch from Wilson, trimming the lead to two, 4-2. It was his ninth homer of the season and first with Binghamton since May 10 when he teed off on Portland’s Casey Kelly at Hadlock Field.

The Sea Dogs knocked Stinson from the game in the third inning. The right-hander walked the first two hitters of the inning and allowed the first to score on three wild pitches. Jorge Padron struck the knockout blow with an RBI single to left, ending Stinson’s start after 2 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the year. He was charged with seven runs on seven hits, but did not factor in the decision.

Binghamton (53-51) pulled Stinson off the hook in the fourth with a five-run outburst off Wilson. Sean Ratliff, Josh Satin and Marshall Hubbard singled to open the inning, loading the bases. Lutz got the scoring started with an RBI infield single. Jose Coronado followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk to push across the second run of the frame. Raul Reyes chased the third run home with a clean single to right and Nick Evans dealt the tying blow with two-run double to deep center, making it 7-7.

Evans put the B-Mets in front for good in the sixth. Wilson walked Mike Nickeas and gave up a single to Lutz, resulting in his departure before landing an out in the sixth. Three batters later, Evans lofted a flyball to right off reliever Ryne Miller, but rightfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang never saw the ball, letting it drop in front of him for a two-run double, pushing Binghamton ahead 9-7.

Portland (51-52) got within a run in the seventh when lefty Eric Niesen allowed three straight to reach with two outs, culminating in a Chiang RBI single to left, making it 9-8.

However, Marshall Hubbard created separation with a two-run homer to right-center off Miller. Hubbard’s eighth shot of the season advanced the lead to three, 11-8. Coronado put the icing on the cake with his second home run in as many days in the eighth, creating the final margin, 12-8.

Dylan Owen, who relieved Stinson, was credited with the win for 3 2/3 innings of stellar, one-hit relief.

Evans went 3-for-5 with four RBI. He doubled in three consecutive at-bats spanning from the fourth to eighth inning.

Binghamton will try for the series win in the rubber match of the three-game set Wednesday at 6:35 PM. LHP Mark Cohoon (1-3, 6.37) will square off with RHP Stephen Fife (6-3, 3.73) of Portland. The radio broadcast on Newsradio 1290 WNBF begins at 6:20 PM with the Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show.