Early Deficit Too Much for Bisons to Overcome against Lehigh Valley

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Early Deficit Too Much for Bisons to Overcome against Lehigh Valley

June 26, 2025 - International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Buffalo, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bisons went down by 11 runs early in the third game of their six-game set against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but they surged back, only to come up short 12-8 at Sahlen Field on Thursday night.

The IronPigs got the scoring started in the top of the second against Buffalo starter Adam Macko. A couple of hits to start the inning put two men in scoring position for Rafael Lantigua, who drilled one over the head of Joey Loperfido in center for a two-run triple.

Lehigh Valley then went the other way to right field for a pair of two-out RBIs. Matt Kroon had the first, then he stole second and scored on a Weston Wilson single, making it 4-0 IronPigs.

Riley Tirotta had a shot to get the Bisons on the board in the bottom of the second, but he flew out to the warning track in deep left-center to end the inning.

The IronPigs put more pressure in the third by loading the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a hit batter, and Erick Brito delivered an RBI on a fielder's choice. A bunt single loaded the bases for Kroon, who worked a full-count walk for an RBI to make it 6-0. Wilson followed up with an RBI infield hit to score Lehigh Valley's third run of the inning and knock Macko out of the game.

Another infield hit, this one by Justin Crawford against Trenton Wallace, made it 8-0, and that was all for another chaotic inning for the IronPigs.

Macko had his shortest outing of the season on Thursday, only going 2 2/3 innings while allowing eight earned runs on nine hits, two walks and one strikeout.

The Herd had another chance to crack the scoreboard with runners at the corners in the bottom of the third, but Leo Jiménez bounced into a double play to end the inning.

Lehigh Valley tacked on three more in the fourth with a two-out homer skied off the bat of Garrett Stubbs, making it 11-0.

Buffalo finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth against Lehigh Valley starter Gabe Mosser. Will Robertson kept a fly ball inside the foul pole in right for a solo home run to start the inning, and it was his team-leading 13th long ball of the season.

Another solo home run got Buffalo their second run, and Will Wagner did the honors in the bottom of the fifth, crushing his third homer of the season to right.

With runners at the corners in the top of the sixth, Kroon drove in a run against Ryan Jennings with a one-out sacrifice fly, bringing Lehigh Valley's lead back to double digits at 12-2.

Buffalo inched closer in the bottom of the sixth facing Lucas Sims. Robertson was hit by a pitch, and it was sandwiched between walks by Jiménez and Orelvis Martinez, loading the bases with no one out. Yohendrick Pinango and Ali Sánchez then walked for RBIs, making it 12-4 and ending Lucas's day rudely.

With one out in the frame, Wagner had an RBI walk of his own against Michael Mercado, the Bisons' fifth walk of the inning. Michael Stefanic followed that with an RBI single to left, though Sánchez was thrown out at the plate, but the Bisons still scored four in the sixth, trimming the deficit to six at 12-6.

Base hits by Robertson and Martinez and a Sánchez walk loaded the bases for Tirotta with two out in the bottom of the seventh, and facing new arm Nolan Hoffman, he blooped a two-run single into shallow left-center to make it 12-8, but that's all they would muster in the inning.

Hayden Juenger pitched a scoreless eighth for the Bisons in his first appearance with the Herd since May 2, then Kevin Gowdy followed suit in the ninth, though both had to work around runners in scoring position.

The fourth game of the series between the Bisons and the IronPigs will take place on Friday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander CJ Van Eyk will make the start for the Herd. You can listen to the action on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com starting at 6:15 p.m. with Pat Malacaro and Duke McGuire.

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International League Stories from June 26, 2025


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