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IL Buffalo Bisons

Omaha Strikes Early, Defeats Herd 7-3 in First Matchup in 27 Years

August 20, 2024 - International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


The Bisons nine-game win streak over the Omaha has come to an end after 27 years.

In their first matchup in nearly 10,000 days, the Storm Chasers defeated the Herd, 7-3, Tuesday night at Sahlen Field. Designated hitter Brian O'Keefe -who was just four years old the last time the two clubs met- homered twice and drove in five to give Omaha their first win in Buffalo in nearly three decades.

Separated by the realignment of Triple-A baseball after the folding of the American Association, the Storm Chasers and Bisons had not met since a matchup in Omaha on July 20, 1997, a 12-11 Buffalo win in which current manager Casey Candaele was the Herd's starting second baseman. Buffalo closed out the 1997 season series with victories in each of their last nine games against the then Omaha Royals.

It has been 9,893 days since our last game against @OMAStormChasers, 7/20/97, a 12-11 Bisons' win IN Omaha... our starting 2B that night was Casey Candaele.

The thought of extending that winning streak, however, was quickly erased by this season's best Triple-A squad. First-half winners with a record now of 30-games over the .500 mark (74-44), Omaha stormed out to a 4-0 lead as the first six Storm Chasers reached base against Buffalo starter James Kaprielian. Nick Loftin's sharp RBI single past a diving Damiano Palmegiani at third scored John Rave for the 1-0 lead. Two pitches later, O'Keefe hit the first of his two home runs on the night with a towering three-run shot out to left field.

The 4-0 Omaha advantage quickly grew to 7-0 with three more runs in the top half of the second inning. O'Keefe got Kaprielian again, this time with a two-run blast to left field, giving him 15 homers on the season. The Storm Chasers designated hitter finished the night with quite the interesting box score line, going 2-5 with two homers, but three strikeouts. He was ejected in the ninth inning arguing a check swing on his third strikeout.

Two pitchers later O'Keefe's second home run in the second inning, Ryan Fitzgerald completed the back-to-back homer with his 12th of the year, a solo shot into the Bisons bullpen in right-centerfield.

To the credit of the Buffalo bullpen, Omaha had just two hits over the final seven innings of the game. The first to relieve Kaprielian, Paxton Schultz retired nine straight and issued just a single and a walk in 3.2 innings of work

The Bisons had a few chances to get back into the game while the bullpen kept the Storm Chasers in check. Buffalo loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second inning but could only push across a single run on Nick Raposo's walk.

The first three Herd batters reached again in the sixth inning with Alan Roden plating the two runs before him with a sharp double into the right field corner. That narrowed the deficit to 7-3, but Roden was later thrown out at home on Will Robertson's single to end the inning.

Back-to-back singles from Raposo and Jonatan Clase started the Herd seventh inning, but Omaha reliver Anthony Veneziano retired the next three hitters to keep Buffalo from getting closer.

The Bisons and Storm Chasers continue their six-game series with the final weekday matinee game of the season, Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Southpaw Trenton Wallace is scheduled to start for the Herd.

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