IL1 Buffalo Bisons

McGuire Gives Bisons Walk-Off Win on Independence Eve

Published on July 3, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Right on cue with the KeyBank Independence Eve festivities, Reese McGuire became a stars-and-stripes slugger with his timely hit in extra innings on Wednesday night at Sahlen Field

With the Herd trailing 4-3 with one out in the bottom of the eighth, the catcher smacked a two-run single up the middle against Lehigh Valley's Austin Davis to complete the Bisons' 5-4 victory in Game One of the Independence Eve doubleheader.

The team's 10th comeback win of the season, McGuire's comeback was set up after the events in the top of the eighth inning. After Shane Robinson scored via a wild pitch on two outs for the IronPigs to regain a 4-3 lead, Jordan Romano bounced back by striking out Mitch Walding to stop the bleeding. This strikeout set up the momentum in the bottom half of the frame as Richard Urena's sacrifice groundout moved Jordan Patterson and Patrick Kivlehan into scoring position before McGuire's winning hit.

But this wasn't the first time the Washington native was the catalyst for the team as he turned things around at the plate in the seventh inning with a single to center as Buffalo trailed 3-1. This led to a series of timely plays, a theme of the Herd's recent success. With Roemon Fields pinch-running for Andy Burns after reaching on an infield error, Socrates Brito contributed off the bench with a pinch-hit RBI double to centerfield against reliever Yacksel Rios, allowing McGuire to score to cut Lehigh Valley's lead to 3-2. The brigade continued as Bo Bichette's RBI single to centerfield tied the game at 3 to let Fields cross home plate before the team ended the inning with the bases loaded.

Up to this point, the IronPigs had the momentum after getting to work against Bisons starter T.J. Zeuch with a two-run, three hit-inning in the second. An RBI via fielder's choice from Robinson and an RBI double from Rob Brantly gave the IronPigs a 2-0 lead. This was the only blip against Zeuch the rest of the night as he allowed just five hits, struck out two and walked another two batters in six innings of work on 94 pitches (68 strikes). He also threw two 7-pitch innings in the first and sixth innings.

The Bisons had a brief spark against IronPigs starter Enyel De Los Santos though in the bottom of the second. Working a 2-1 count, Kivlehan sent a fastball over the leftfield wall to cut the deficit to 2-1 for his 14th home run of the season. The first baseman later recorded a single in the fourth inning before scoring the game-winning run to record his 10th multi-hit game of the season. De Los Santos finished throwing 6.1 innings, struck out five batters, and allowed six hits and three runs (two earned).

Although he gave up a RBI double to Andrew Romine to extend Lehigh Valley's lead to 3-1, Justin Shafer got out of trouble in the seventh, his lone inning of work, recording another strikeout to his All-Star season.

BISONS NOTES: Bo Bichette recorded his 11th multi-hit game of the season with his two singles... Starting in 1995, tonight was the 25th anniversary of Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Independence Eve Celebration... Following tonight's doubleheader, the Herd heads to Syracuse for a four-game series with the Mets. The final series before the All-Star Break, Buffalo won 2 of 3 against Syracuse this past weekend at Sahlen Field.

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International League Stories from July 3, 2019


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