IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Herd Falls in Extras to IronPigs, 5-4

Published on June 17, 2016 under International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Tony Sanchez tied the game and gave the Herd a lead on Friday, knocking in a pair of runs, though Buffalo falls to Lehigh Valley, 5-4.

The Bisons fell 5-4 in an extra-inning contest with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday. Buffalo was walked-off in the first game of a four-game set from Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, IronPigs' right fielder Cedric Hunter shot a double into right field, past a diving Junior Lake, scoring Cam Perkins for the winning run.

With Chris Leroux starting for the Herd, Lehigh Valley took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Catcher Logan Moore brought home Cam Perkins with a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield. A Leroux balk later in the inning did not come back to haunt the Herd, as the righty starter ended the inning allowing just one run.

Lehigh Valley starter Ben Lively began strong, retiring the first seven hitters. Buffalo's first hit of the contest came on a game-tying solo home run from catcher Tony Sanchez in the top of the third inning. Sanchez's blast is his third of the season.

Sanchez gave the Herd the lead in the fifth. With runners one out and runners on second and third, he plated Junior Lake with a run-scoring groundout to shortstop. Jio Mier then connected with a two run home run off Lively, his first of the year, to make it a 4-1 game.

A double, fielder's choice, infield single, and throwing error put runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth for the IronPigs. Leroux escaped danger, picking up his seventh strikeout by punching out J.P. Crawford.

Lively avoided mayhem himself in the top of the sixth, getting Casey Kotchman to bounce into an inning-ending double play with runners on second and third.

Brock Stassi, Lehigh Valley's designated hitter, tied the game at four with three run home run off Leroux in the sixth. Stassi now has 10 RBI in his last six ballgames.

Leroux left after 5.2 innings, allowing four earned runs, while picking up seven strikeouts, his second-most of the season. Lively finished with a line of 7.1 innings, four earned runs, five hits allowed, and two strikeouts for Lehigh Valley.

Aaron Loup, in his first appearance with Buffalo since being sent down from Toronto on June 15, retired all four batters he faced in relief, striking out two. Ben Rowen entered for the bottom of the eighth, sending the game into extra innings with a one-two-three ninth inning. Rowen pitched 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Buffalo's Chad Jenkins struck out Max Stassi to begin the bottom of the 11th, but yielded a single to Cam Perkins, followed up by Cedric Hunter's walk off double.

The Bisons made two noteworthy defensive gems in the game.

To end the bottom of the third, Bisons' second baseman David Adams made a diving grab in centerfield on a ball hit by Nick Williams. Adams stretched out, avoiding the oncoming centerfielder Dalton Pompey, who jumped over Adams to prevent a collision.

With Rowen on the mound for the Herd in the eighth, Domonic Brown robbed Nick Williams of a go-ahead home run, leaping at the left field wall to make the catch to keep the game tied.

The Bisons and IronPigs have a double-header on Saturday, with game one set for 12:05 p.m. at Coca-Cola Park. Drew Hutchison will take the mound for the Herd in the first game, and is scheduled to be opposed by James Russell.

BISONS NOTES:

Starter Scott Diamond has been activated to the Bisons' roster, and lefty reliever Colt Hynes has rejoined the Herd from Double-A New Hampshire. Diamond pitched one game with the Blue Jays on June 13, and Hynes pitched in 13 games with the Fisher Cats, having pitched seven games with Buffalo earlier this season. Catcher Luis Hurtado has been placed on the disabled list... David Adams picked up a ground rule double in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to nine games... The last six hitters in the Bisons' lineup all had at least one hit, with the eight and nine hitters driving in a pair of runs each... Chad Jenkins has now allowed earned runs out of the bullpen in six of his last seven appearances... Ben Rowen pitched three scoreless innings for the Bisons on Friday. He has not allowed an earned run since May 4, a string of 14-straight games... Friday was the Herd's first extra inning game since May 30, when they lost to Columbus in 12 innings.

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International League Stories from June 17, 2016


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