Boston, Massachusetts

Friday, August 19, 2011 - Sunday, August 21, 2011

Our second trip to Boston in 2011 would also provide us with our second trip to Fenway Park for a Futures at Fenway game. As an added benefit this year, our own Binghamton Mets would be playing in one of the two games.

We left around lunchtime on Friday, making our traditional stop at Brooks House of BBQ in Oneonta. After lunch, we made the rest of the drive into Boston, arriving at our hotel for the weekend, Courtyard by Marriott Copley Squre. Great location, pretty much in the middle of it all in Boston!

After settling into the room, we ventured out to Marathon Sports and LuLuLemon to do some shopping, then off to dinner! When Mike was in Europe last month, he ate at a place called wagamama, and lo and behold we found one in Boston as well! So it was off to the wagamama for dinner! We had some good eats there, and afterwards went back to wander Boyleston Street a bit. Along the way, we found the Kickass Cupcake Truck in front of the Boston Public Library. We grabbed some eats for dessert, and then made our way back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

Saturday morning rolled around, and it was gametime! We grabbed breakfast at the hotel, before hopping the "T" at Copley Square and taking it to Kenmore Station. A short one and a half block walk, and we found ourselves at Fenway Park! A bit of a mixup in regards to what time the gates opened for the game caused us to have to wander around a bit outside, for quite a while actually. Once they opened, we toured around Fenway, grabbing some beers and food along the way, before settling in our seats (behind home plate). We stayed for the B-Mets game, and watched them defeat the 'home' Portland Sea Dogs in 11 innings. We stayed for the first inning of game two, which pitted the visiting Syracuse Chiefs against the 'home' Pawtucket Red Sox, before bugging out. I love baseball, but after being at Fenway for seven plus hours, it was time to go.

We hopped back on the "T", taking it this time to the government complex station. From there, we walked past Faneuil Hall on our way to the North End. We had scoped out the Boston Sail Loft for dinner, in hopes of finding some good seafood, and this place did not disappoint. After dinner, we walked further into the North End where there was an Italian festival going on. Along the way, we made sure we stopped at Mike's Pastry for some dessert! A lobster claw, chocolate chip cannoli, and cream puff later we were back to the "T". We took it back to the hotel, and called it a night.

Sunday morning we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel again. Then it was off to the Boston Duck Tour. We were on the "Penelope Pru" for our tour, and had a great time! What a great way to see all of the sites in Boston.

After the duck tour, we headed out of Boston, via Rhode Island and Connecticut. Our destination - Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, and Costello's Clam Shack. After lunch there, we made the long drive back to Binghamton, with a bit of a detour through rural Connecticut to avoid the traffic delays on 95. We arrived home around 10:00.

Binghamton Mets 6, Portland Sea Dogs 4

BOSTON, MA - The B-Mets squandered a two-run lead late, but plated four runs in the eleventh inning to defeat the Portland Sea Dogs 6-4 at Fenway Park in the Futures at Fenway Game in Boston this afternoon.

B-Mets infielder Eric Campbell broke a tie game with an RBI single to left against reliever Chris Martin in the final frame. The hit capped Campbell's second straight three-hit game. Kai Gronauer added breathing room by blasting a three-run home run over the Green Monster.

The offense started late for both teams. B-Mets starter Collin McHugh and Portland hurler Charlie Haeger kept the game scoreless through six frames. Binghamton had a hit in each of the first six innings, but could not plate a run off the knuckleball.

On the big stage, McHugh posted his fifth straight quality start. In his first game at Fenway, the right-hander allowed four hits and struck out six over six shutout innings. The Georgia native has held opponents to two runs or fewer in each of his last eight appearances.

Binghamton made him eligible for the win when things unraveled for the Sea Dogs and Haegar in the seventh. The righty walked Brahiam Maldonado and Allan Dykstra before uncorking a wild pitch with Gronauer at the plate. Each runner scampered up a base and Maldonado scored when catcher Dan Butler's throw to second sailed into center field. After a walk to Gronauer, Jon Malo doubled the lead on a single to center.

Given the two-run advantage, Ricky Brooks toed the rubber in the seventh. The righty worked around an error by Eric Campbell at third to post a scoreless frame and returned for the eighth. Brooks walked lead-off hitter Ryan Khoury on four pitches and immediately paid for it. Alex Hassan crushed a payoff pitch off the camera canopy beyond the center field fence to tie the game. It was Hassan's 11th dinger of the year.

Binghamton had a chance in the ninth, but could not come through against reliever Josh Fields. Allan Dykstra walked and Oscar Tejeda booted a potential double-play ball to move the go-ahead run to second. Jean Luc Blaquiere pinch-ran for Dykstra, but moved nowhere when Gronauer bounced into an inning-ending double play.

After Rhiner Cruz took over in the ninth and retired the Sea Dogs in order, Malo led off the tenth with a double off Chris Martin. He moved to third on a sac bunt, but was stranded when Mike Fisher flied out and Reese Havens grounded out.

Cruz capped off his strong outing with a scoreless tenth and the B-Mets rallied in the eleventh. Juan Lagares reached on a bunt single up the third base line to start the inning and extended his hitting streak to eleven games, the longest for any B-Met this season.

Niuman Romero followed with a single to left and Campbell broke the tie by shooting a single past Jon Hee at third base. Gronauer followed with a three-run shot off the light tower beyond the Green Monster. It was the catcher's first home run since he ripped a dinger off the Erie SeaWolves on April 11.

Things did not end easily for Binghamton. Erik Turgeon started the eleventh and allowed the first two he faced to reach. Jon Hee drove home both runners on a single to right, but stymied the rally when he was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw home.

Josh Stinson got the call from the pen and struck out Mitch Dening to rack up his fourth save and secure Binghamton's fifth straight series win. Cruz earned his third win, allowing just one hit over two scoreless innings. Martin suffered his first loss in his Double-A debut.

Binghamton (55-71) and Portland meet for the final time this season back at Hadlock Field tomorrow afternoon at 1:00pm. RHP Tobi Stoner (4-5, 5.06) will square off against RHP Brock Huntzinger (5-11, 6.60). The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show begins at 12:45pm on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Trip Notes:

We stayed at Courtyard Boston Copley Square, 88 Exeter Street, Boston, MA 02116

Our nightly room rate was $203.00 for a grand total $464.67.