IL Buffalo Bisons

Bisons Sweep Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Wild Series Opening Doubleheader

Published on April 20, 2022 under International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


BUFFALO, NY - After an off day on Monday and inclement weather on Tuesday, the Buffalo Bisons returned to Sahlen Field by sweeping their series-opening doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Wednesday. The Herd took game one 2-1 behind a third straight gem from Casey Lawrence, and won an absolutely wild game two 6-5 in extra innings.

Lawrence picked up his third win in as many starts in game one, going 5.1 innings while allowing just two hits and one run. The only damage he gave up was a solo home run by Miguel Andújar in the fourth, which came after Lawrence had faced the minimum through 3.1 innings.

The Bisons had a relatively quiet day at the plate as well, scoring two runs off just four hits as RailRiders starter Hayden Wesneski was very effective yet again. He ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth when he walked Mallex Smith and hit Logan Warmoth with nobody out and was lifted for reliever Zach Greene. The righthander would end up allowing a bloop double off the bat of Cullen Large that cashed in Smith and Warmoth, though both runs were charged to Wesneski. Andrew Vasquez then took over for Lawrence and retired all five batters he faced in order to close out the win and earn his first save of the season.

Game two saw Andrew Bash make his first start of the season for the Herd after a pair of successful long relief outings in his prior two appearances. Bash was matched up against Deivi García, who got out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the first thanks to a shallow flyout followed by a double play. He wouldn't be able to do it again, however, as the Bisons loaded the bases with one out the following inning and cashed in a pair of runs off a Nathan Lukes single to take an early 2-0 lead.

Bash would face the minimum through his first two innings, but gave up a pair of singles to start the third before a funky three-run homer from the RailRiders' number nine hitter Matt Pita put Scranton up 3-2. It would've been a 4-2 lead, but Lukes made a fantastic leaping catch at the wall in right to take a home run away from Ender Inciarte to end the inning. Bash would ultimately go four innings allowing three runs off four hits.

After a pair of RailRiders were hit by Kyle Johnston in the top of the seventh, Scranton would regain the lead after Andújar delivered a two-out single to score the go-ahead run. Down to their final two outs, Samad Taylor, who came on to pinch-run for Kellin Deglan after the latter's single, stole second and came around to score on a deep grounder to second on which Taylor had broke for third on the pitch to send the game to extras.

A pair of sac flies allowed the RailRiders' extra-innings baserunner, Evan Alexander, to score in the top of the eighth, but a wild play in the bottom half allowed the Bisons to tie, and eventually win the game. A fly ball to left saw Logan Warmoth attempt to tag up to third; he would've been out by a mile, but the ball popped out of the glove of RailRiders' third baseman Phillip Evans which allowed Warmoth to score the tying run. Eric Stamets, who walked to lead off the inning, advanced to third on the play and came home to score the winning run off of Vinny Capra's walk-off single.

The Bisons and RailRiders will continue their six-game series tomorrow night with a pair of righties in Bowden Francis and Luis Gil set to take the mound. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. EST.

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International League Stories from April 20, 2022


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