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IL Buffalo Bisons

Bisons Put Together Complete Team Effort in 2-1 Win against Lehigh Valley

July 13, 2021 - International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


The Buffalo Bisons pitching staff mowed through the Leigh Valley IronPigs lineup Tuesday night facing just 30 at-bats and leading the Herd to a series-opening victory 2-1 at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

Thomas Hatch started for the Bisons and put together his third consecutive five-inning outing with remarkable effectiveness throwing just 47 strikes on 68 pitches and getting ahead in counts against 13 of the 17 batters he faced. The righty also posted a season-high six strikeouts and allowed just one run on three hits.

"Tonight, it was about being really aggressive," said Hatch. "I was able to get ahead of guys and put them away pretty quickly and keep my pitch count down."

Former first overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft Mickey Moniak tripled off Hatch to begin the second inning and ultimately scored on a Derek Hall ground out to give the IronPigs an early lead and their only run of the game.

Fortunately for Hatch, his bullpen followed his lead stunting the IronPigs offense and earning him a no-decision. Lefties Ryan Borucki and Travis Bergan followed Hatch pitching a pair of shutout innings. They were succeeded by Curtis Taylor and Hobie Harris who produced a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.

Overall, the Buffalo staff wasted no pitches. The five pitchers that appeared in the game allowed six hits and one run on just 117 pitches, 79 of which went for strikes.

The hottest and coldest bats in the lineup teamed up in the seventh inning to snatch the lead for Buffalo. Logan Warmoth, with a hit in 24 of his last 27 games, ripped his 10th double of the season off the warning track in left field to drive home Cullen Large who was on base with his second hit of the day.

"[Warmoth] is doing a great job of getting the barrel on the ball and hitting the ball hard, he's done a wonderful job," said Bisons' manager Casey Candaele. "And you know he's patient at the plate and he's been really working counts."

Large had two hits in 25 at-bats in July prior to game one and Buffalo hopes Tuesday's game will spark a run of hits in the second half of July.

"He goes up and he battles all the time and continues to hit the ball hard so it's nice to see him get a couple of hits tonight," said Candaele. "And the interesting part about usually when things like this happen it's a little infield hit, or jam shot or something like that gets over him over the top.

"He will come out and still put together great at-bats but hopefully that is what gets him over the top and pieces start falling into place because he deserves it and he's hit the ball really well," said Candaele.

Nash Knight, following Warmoth, went the opposite direction lacing an RBI double down the right-field line bringing home Warmoth and a 2-1 lead.

The Bisons' defense backed their spectacular pitching all evening producing zero errors and several defensive gems scattered all across the diamond. Knight in particular made one of the biggest plays of the night.

With the tying runner on first, Knight dove and fielded a ball sharply hit down towards third base, quickly jumped to his feet with ball in hand and threw to first base in time to avoid any damage in the inning.

Buffalo ultimately sprinted through the game in just 2 hours and 29 minutes. Only speculation, but the teams must have been trying to get home to catch the MLB All-Star game.

"That is how baseball is supposed to be played right there," said Candaele emphatically postgame.

The IronPigs (26-34) will continue their visit to Trenton Thunder Ballpark Wednesday night battling the Bisons (34-24) in game two. Righty Bowden Francis is expected to pitch for Buffalo opposite MLB rehabber Chase Anderson. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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