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Bisons Notes: Bisons vs. Rochester (2:05 p.m.)

April 4, 2013 - International League (IL1) - Buffalo Bisons News Release


Buffalo Bisons (0-0, North) vs. Rochester Red Wings (0-0, North)

Thursday, April 4, 2013 (2:05 p.m.) - Coca-Cola Field

RHP Justin Germano (NR) vs. RHP P.J. Walters (NR)

TV: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel 713

Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Today's Game:

The Buffalo Bisons host the Rochester Red Wings on Opening Day at Coca-Cola Field (2:05 p.m.). Today's game is the start of a four-game home-and-home series with the Herd's closest rival. Saturday and Sunday's games will be played at Frontier Field.

Leading Off

The Bisons and Red Wings are playing the first game of 2013 in the entire minor leagues. All the other action in the International League begins tonight.

Bisons vs. Red Wings

The Bisons were 9-7 against Rochester last season, including a 5-3 mark at Coca-Cola Field. Buffalo has won the last three season series with a record of 30-18. The Bisons have won the season series over the Red Wings 11 times in the last 15 years.

Home Openers

The Bisons are 15-10 in their 25 Home Openers at Coca-Cola Field. The Herd set an Opening Day team record with 12 runs in a 12-3 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 11 last year. Despite their proximity, this is only the second time the Bisons' first home game is against the Red Wings. On April 10, 1998, the Bisons beat Rochester 4-0 in the Herd's return to the International League.

Home Sweet Home

The Bisons open up the year with nine home games in the season's first 11 days. After this home-and-home with the Red Wings, the Herd will host Syracuse from April 8-10 and then Scranton/WB, April 11-14.

Bisons and Blue Jays

The Bisons take the field today for the first time as the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This is the Herd's fifth affiliate in the modern era as the Bisons have been with the White Sox ("˜85-'86), Indians ("˜87, "˜95-'08), Pirates ("˜88-'94) and the Mets ("˜09-'12) since 1985.

Champion Returns

Today, the Bisons will welcome the return of MARTY BROWN, who managed the club to three straight winning records, 2003-2005. He guided the Herd to its last Governors' Cup Championship in 2004, the same year he was named Minor League Baseball Manager of the Year. Marty's 238 wins are just 15 shy of Brian Graham (1995-1997) for the most managerial wins in the club's modern era.

Home Town Kid

Buffalo-born INF JIM NEGRYCH gets the start today for his hometown Bisons. Negrych went to St. Francis High School and was a two-time All Western New York player. Negrych has played against the Bisons with Indianapolis (2010) and Syracuse (2012). He homered in his first ever game at Coca-Cola Field (June 17, 2010) and has a career .371 (13-35) average in his new home ballpark.

Big Time Experience

The Bisons 25-man Opening Day roster will feature 3,312 games of major league experience. RHP RAMON ORTIZ has pitched in 296 games followed closely by fellow starter, RHP CLAUDIO VARGAS (217). OF RYAN LANGERHANS has spent parts of the last eight seasons in the majors and leads all position players with 593 games of experience.

Last Minute Tweaks

RHP BOBBY KORECKY will begin the season in the Bisons bullpen. RHP TODD REDMOND and INF LANCE ZAWADZKI will begin the season on the Bisons disabled list.


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