IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Bisons Storm Past PawSox for 11-10 Win

July 26, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


When you're hot, you're hot. And when you have Matt Hague, you're never out of a game.

The Bisons kept the good times rolling Sunday afternoon in Pawtucket, rallying from six runs down to defeat the PawSox, 11-10. The victory, fueled by a five-RBI performance from the International League's best hitter and more than a few free passes from the PawSox bullpen, is the Herd's fifth straight and eighth in its last nine contests.

The win also gives Buffalo their first sweep of three games or more at McCoy Stadium since August of 2004.

Pawtucket used a six-run third inning to build a 9-3 lead and held a 10-4 advantage when the game moved into the seventh. That's when the momentum of a contest decidedly in favor of the home squad changed with back-to-back walks to Jonathan Diaz and Dalton Pompey to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Hague put the Herd back in business when he hammered a 1-1 offering from Matt Barnes over the wall in left for a three-run home run.

Hague got the Bisons on the board again in the eighth inning, but not before another key walk. Buffalo had just Jonathan Diaz on base with two outs in the frame when Jon Berti drew a four-pitch free pass from Edwin Escobar. Hague followed with this third hit of the game, singling through the right side of the infield to score Diaz.

That hit opened the flood gates as three more runs would come around with two outs. Alex Hassan drove in Berti with an infield single to pull Buffalo to within 10-9. Andy Burns tied the game when he doubled to the opposite field in right. After a fourth PawSox reliever, Ronald Belisario, intentionally walked Ty Kelly to load the bases, he issued a walk of the unintentional variety to Sean Ochinko to give Buffalo the lead.

All told, the Bisons earned eight walks to only two strikeouts in the game. Six of the free passes were issued by the PawSox bullpen.

The 11-10 lead stood for the Herd as Chad Jenkins got Jeff Bianchi to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 doubleplay with two men on in the ninth. It was Jenkins' first save of the season. Buffalo used five relievers on the day, with Greg Burke earning the win with an inning of shutout relief.

The six-run rally is undoubtedly the Herd's best comeback of the 2015 season. Hague also had an RBI-single in the 5th inning and finished the game 3-5 with three runs scored and five RBI. He now leads the International League with 70 RBI on the season.

For Pawtucket, the loss is a crushing defeat for a team that has seen the fortunes of their season swing dramatically. The PawSox have now lost eight in a row and 21 of their last 24 games.

BISONS NOTES:

Andrew Albers started for the Bisons and allowed seven runs in two innings of work...Buffalo scored 11 runs with just two extra-base hits; Hague's seventh-inning home run and Burns' eighth-inning double. At three hours and 26 minutes, Sunday's contest was Buffalo's longest nine-inning game of the season.

Check out the Buffalo Bisons Statistics



International League Stories from July 26, 2015


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