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Buffalo Bisons

Bisons Outslug Bats to 9-6 Win

June 23, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


For the second straight game, the Herd used a huge sixth inning to surge past the Bats.

Junior Lake and Jesus Montero each had three hits as Buffalo overpowered Louisville for a 9-6 win Thursday afternoon at Coca-Cola Field.

Down 3-2, Montero led off the sixth frame by scorching a grounder just inside the third base bag and into the left-field corner for a double. Lake then plated Montero by belting a ball to the wall and hustling into third with a feet-first slide for his second triple of the season.

Casey Kotchman followed up with a deep fly ball over the head of Hernan Iribarren in center field for a double of his own. Lake trotted home to put the Herd in front by a run, chasing starter Daniel Wright from the game.

A.J. Jimenez greeted reliever Dayan Diaz by trading places with Kotchman via a double down the left-field line. David Adams then walked before Melky Mesa got in on the extra-bases action as he hammered a ball off of the wall in left to bring in both runners.

"I just noticed this morning, that's our favourite inning," said manager Gary Allenson of the rally.

"We're not going to do that every night. But if you do it enough times you never feel like you're out of a game."

Drew Hutchison threw an even six innings for the third start in a row. The right-hander struck out seven and was charged with three runs on five hits and a trio of walks.

With Buffalo's starter out after 101 pitches, the Bats answered back in the seventh.

Colt Hynes took over for Hutchison and gave up two singles before Steve Selsky took him deep for a three-run home to make it a 7-6 contest.

That's a close as Louisville would get though as Buffalo tacked one more in each of its next two at bats.

Montero singled in the seventh and advanced on Lake's second double of the day. The designated hitter later scored on an Adams base hit to right.

"I just keep working hard and take a similar approach every day and that's been going good," said Lake.

"I select my pitch. If they don't throw my pitch I don't swing at it. That's why I'm feeling better at the plate."

Lake finished the day 3-for-5 with a stolen base and now has 12 hits and 10 walks in his last nine games.

"It seems like he's hitting about .700. He never stops at first base, it's always doubles and triples," noted Allenson.

"He's more in control in the batter's box. Earlier he was chasing a lot of non-fastballs out of the strike zone and his swing was too big on the fast ball. He's done a good job of laying off of the balls out of the strike zone and letting the balls come to him."

Buffalo capped the scoring in the eighth. Alexi Casilla singled and made his way to third on a passed ball and a groundout before touching home on Montero's third hit of the afternoon.

BISONS NOTES:

Montero's two runs batted in gives him 43 on the season, good enough to move him into third in the International League...Drew Hutchison has won five of his last six starts and is now second in the IL with 92 strikeouts...Buffalo wins its 250th game in the modern era against Louisville. The Bisons are 250-185 against the Bats since 1985...The Herd will now migrate to Indianapolis for a three game set before battling the Bats again in Louisville for three more.

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International League Stories from June 23, 2016


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