PawSox Beat Bisons, 5-2, for Third Straight Win
April 16, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
Buffalo Bisons Catcher Sandy Leon
(Pawtucket Red Sox)
(Buffalo, NY) - Sandy Leon's two-run home run triggered a 5-2 comeback win for the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday evening over the Buffalo Bisons. The PawSox - who trailed 2-0 after the opening inning - have opened their first road trip of 2016 with three straight wins.
PawSox starter Brian Johnson, who surrendered a two-run homer to Domonic Brown in the first inning, settled in and earned his first win. After the first frame, Johnson (1-1) allowed only two more hits before he was lifted with one out in the sixth. The southpaw struck out five and walked two en route to the victory.
Leon tied the game in the top of the second after Chris Dominguez led off with a single. In the third, the PawSox pulled ahead for good. With one out, Sam Travis singled off of Bisons starter Casey Lawrence. Travis took off running on a 3-2 pitch to the next hitter, Justin Maxwell.
Maxwell walked but Travis drew a throw that sailed into centerfield and allowed him to move to third. Chris Marrero then lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Travis and made it 3-2. Dominguez then crushed a double into the left-centerfield gap that plated Maxwell from first and doubled the Sox' lead.
Pawtucket (5-5) tacked on its final run in the top of the fourth, and Leon was again involved. He ripped a base hit off the leg of Lawrence to open the inning; with one out, newcomer Cole Sturgeon cranked a double to left field that brought home Leon, gave Sturgeon his first AAA RBI and the PawSox a 5-2 lead.
After he yielded a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth, Johnson retired Brown but reached his pitch limit and was removed from the game. Roman Mendez retired the next two hitters and retired the Bisons (4-6) in the seventh.
Pat Light was overpowering in the eight, retiring the Bisons in order with a pair of strikeouts. Heath Hembree sent the Bisons down in the ninth for his second save in as many chances.
The PawSox will be back in action Sunday at 1:05 P.M. in the finale of this quick two-game series in Buffalo. Lefthander Roenis Elias (0-1, 4.91) makes his second Pawtucket start and will be opposed by Bisons righthander Chris Leroux (0-0, 0.00), who will make his second Buffalo start. Pregame coverage begins on WHJJ and throughout the PawSox radio network at 12:35 P.M.
The PawSox will return to McCoy Stadium on Friday, April 22 for the first of a five-game homestand, beginning with a three-game series that will also be against Lehigh Valley. Good seats for all games in the series are still available at the McCoy Stadium box office, by calling (401) 724-7300 or by visiting pawsox.com.
Images from this story
 Buffalo Bisons Catcher Sandy Leon |
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