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IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Diamond Shines in 4-0 Herd Victory

June 1, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


The Bisons shutout the Clippers 4-0 on Wednesday, as starter Scott Diamond hurled eight shutout innings.

16,866 fans packed Coca-Cola Field on School Kids Day for an early 10:35 start time. In the final game of a three-game home series with Columbus, Tony Sanchez and Jesus Montero both homered, as the Herd now improves to 28-25 on the season.

Jesus Montero gave the Herd a 1-0 lead in the fourth off Columbus starter Ross Detwiler, shooting an opposite-field home run over the right-centerfield wall. Montero now has six home runs, 21 runs scored and 26 RBI, all team highs.

Matt Dominguez drove in Andy Burns with a RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, giving Buffalo a 2-0 cushion. The Bisons' increased their lead to 4-0 in the seventh, as catcher Tony Sanchez snuck a two-run shot just fair of the left field foul pole off reliever Toru Murata.

Montero narrowly missed his second homer of the game, as he crushed a deep ball to right field in the eighth. Right fielder Ronny Rodriguez made an over-the-shoulder catch in front of the wall, keeping the score 4-0.

Diamond allowed two hits through the first three innings. A fine double play was initiated by Jio Mier in the fifth. Mier dove on a groundball by Adam Moore, flipped to Andy Burns for a force at second, and Burns threw to first for the out. The lefty hurled a one-two-three sixth inning, before allowing a two out triple in the seventh to Yandy Diaz. Joey Butler failed to capitalize, as he chopped back to Diamond, ending the inning.

Four double plays helped Diamond, a groundball pitcher, navigate his way out of some potential jams.

"The defense really took over," Diamond said postgame. "They're the reason why I was able to be efficient. They made it easy for me to just throw strikes and put the ball in play."

"He's had good games like that," Bisons' manager Gary Allenson said postgame. "But he's got it back into from now. The four double plays are obviously huge. He's throwing his secondary pitches for strikes, especially his changeup."

Diamond's gem comes a day after Drew Hutchison retired 17 hitters in a row in Tuesday's Buffalo win. Diamond, Hutchison, and Triple-A All-Star hopeful Wade LeBlanc have anchored a Buffalo starting staff that ranks among the best in the league.

"On paper, we're really solid, and when you come and watch us it's even more fantastic," Diamond said of the Bisons' pitching rotation. "As another pitcher on the staff, you not only learn a lot from them, but you see them excel, and it just feeds off you for your next start, and just try to one-up one another."

Detwiler was served his third loss of the year, allowing six hits and two earned runs, though he picked up six strikeouts. Toru Murata entered in the seventh, and allowed the home run to Sanchez, before being replaced by Kyle Crockett. Crockett pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and no runs.

Ben Rowan relieved Diamond in the ninth for the Herd, pitching a perfect ninth inning.

The Bisons welcome in the Syracuse Chiefs on Thursday, for the first game of a two-game series. Wade LeBlanc will take the mound for the Herd, looking to build on his spectacular start to 2016, as he has not allowed an earned run in 33 innings. First pitch from Coca-Cola Field is set for 7:05 p.m.

BISONS NOTES:

Dalton Pompey sat out for the second game in a row, after he collided into the centerfield wall in Monday's game... Andy Burns' double in the sixth is his 13th of the year, breaking a tie with Jesus Montero for the team lead. The Bisons' turned four double plays on Wednesday, their highest total this year. Scott Diamond's 8.0 innings is the longest outing for a Buffalo starter in 2016.

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International League Stories from June 1, 2016


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