Morgan McSweeney kept handing a one-run lead to the next inning Saturday night, never allowing Binghamton to turn traffic into damage. When his work was finished, Steven Brooks took over and removed even the traffic.
Together, they made Will Turner’s first swing stand up for a 1-0 Sea Dogs victory at Delta Dental Park. McSweeney scattered four singles over seven scoreless innings, walking one and striking out five, before Brooks struck out four across two perfect innings for his second save.
Turner supplied all the offense Portland needed on the first pitch in the bottom of the first. He drove Gabe Davis’ offering deep to right, sending JT Benson back toward the wall before the ball cleared it for Turner’s 18th home run.
The Sea Dogs would finish with five hits and leave several chances unfinished. That only made the work of McSweeney, Brooks and the defense more important.
McSweeney faced his greatest concentration of trouble early. Binghamton opened the second with an infield single by Eli Serrano III, whose grounder deflected off McSweeney, and John Bay followed with a single to left. A flyout advanced Serrano to third, putting the tying run 90 feet away, but McSweeney struck out Benson to preserve the lead.
An inning later, Portland’s defense delivered the play that best captured the night.
Mitch Voit reached on an error with one out, then tried to go from first to third when Marco Vargas lined a single into right. Justin Gonzales came up throwing, firing a strike across the diamond to Ahbram Liendo in time to erase Voit at third. Vargas advanced to second on the play, but McSweeney retired Jacob Reimer on a grounder to end the inning.
Binghamton did not produce another hit.
McSweeney worked around Chris Suero’s leadoff walk in the fourth, then set down the final 11 batters he faced. He retired the side in order in each of his final three innings, finishing his night with a strikeout of Suero and two groundouts in the seventh.
Portland had opportunities to give him breathing room. Liendo surprised Binghamton with a bunt single down the first-base line in the fifth, but was stranded. In the seventh, Isaiah Jackson walked and Liendo sent a hit-and-run single through the middle, moving Jackson to third with nobody out. Liendo stole second after a strikeout, leaving two runners in scoring position, but Turner popped out in foul territory and Gonzales grounded out.
The margin remained as thin as it had been since Turner’s opening swing.
Brooks made it look considerably wider. He struck out Jamari Baylor, Benson and Eddinson Paulino in the eighth, then returned for the ninth and retired Voit on a sharp liner to Liendo. Vargas flew out to center before Brooks struck out Reimer to complete the combined four-hit shutout.
McSweeney improved to 2-1. Brooks did not allow a runner, and Portland’s pitchers combined for nine strikeouts against one walk.
The seventh inning also included Hudson White at first base after he entered for Willson Contreras. White, a recent addition to Portland, had identified reaching Double-A as one of his central goals for the season during a pregame interview.
“Yeah, I wanted to, you know, obviously make it to double A and that was probably one of my bigger goals and, you know, glad to get to see that accomplished.”
— Hudson White, Sea Dogs Catcher and First Baseman
White struck out in his lone plate appearance, but handled the final six outs at first as Portland protected the smallest possible advantage. One swing had created it. McSweeney, Brooks and a defense that answered every threat made sure it never disappeared.