IL1 Buffalo Bisons

A.J.'s Perfect Day Boosts Bisons to 7-5 Win

May 18, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


A.J. Jimenez of the Buffalo Bisons
A.J. Jimenez of the Buffalo Bisons
(Buffalo Bisons)

With the sun shining down on Coca-Cola Field, A.J. Jimenez beamed even brighter.

Buffalo's catcher knocked in four runs in a four-hit performance as the Bisons out-mashed the Mud Hens to 7-5 victory Wednesday afternoon. The perfect day at the plate boosted the Puerto Rican's batting average from .194 to .242.

"It was a good day overall. The hits came, I got some guys around the bases and I got the big hit," said Jimenez, now 8-for-12 over a four-game hitting streak.

"It's a good feeling."

The good vibes were also felt by the rest of Buffalo's batters as the Herd got to Chad Bell, making his first start of 2016, early and often.

Andy Burns led off Buffalo's half of the first with a triple to the wall in right-center field. Darrell Ceciliani followed up by ripping a double to the corner in right, putting the Bisons on the board after just four pitches. Matt Dominguez then walked before he and Ceciliani came around to score on Jimenez's first hit of the afternoon.

Ceciliani and Dominguez each singled to left to get offense going again in the second inning. Then, with two out and the bases loaded, Jimenez had his grounder knocked down by second baseman Alberto Gonzalez, but hustled down the line hard enought to beat the throw at the first base bag. While the Mud Hens were still occupied with Jimenez, Dominguez took the opportunity to scamper home from second to put the Herd up 5-2.

The Bisons returned the favour to Jimenez in the both the fifth and seventh. Junior Lake chauffeured him home twice, each following a double from the 26-year-old.

"We had a little talk today about going out and having fun," manager Gary Allenson said after the rare, offensive outburst.

"We got [the offense] from some guys that had been struggling, hopefully it can be contagious."

Buffalo hadn't put seven on the board since losing 8-7 to Rochester in extra innings on April 26th.

In his fifth start of the year, Roberto Hernandez allowed four hits and a pair of runs in the first inning before putting up three hitless frames. The 35-year-old was then tagged with three hits and three runs in the fifth, all coming on Tyler Collins' towering blast over the Toyota sign on center field wall. Hernandez mixed in three strikeouts and a walk while throwing 83 pitches over five innings of work, evening his record at 2-2.

Chad Jenkins and Pat McCoy were each credited with a hold, combining for 2.0 scoreless innings of work.

Ryan Tepera picked up his third save of the season with a six-out effort of his own.

BISONS NOTES:

Wednesday marked the second time this season that A.J. Jimenez has had a four-RBI game...Buffalo's bullpen has allowed just 6 of 48 inherited runners to score...After sending nine men to the plate in the first, the Herd has now batted around three times in 2016...The Bisons beging a four-game set with the Red Sox tomorrow...Devon Travis is expected to start at second base and play seven innings on Thursday as part of a rehab stint for the Blue Jays.

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A.J. Jimenez of the Buffalo Bisons
A.J. Jimenez of the Buffalo Bisons
   



International League Stories from May 18, 2016


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