Valenzuela's Slam Lifts Bisons to 10-6 Win over Syracuse
IL Buffalo Bisons

Valenzuela's Slam Lifts Bisons to 10-6 Win over Syracuse

Published on September 7, 2025 under International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Brandon Valenzuela hit a grand slam and Joey Loperfido added a no-doubt home run of his own as the Herd closed out a series split with the Mets with a 10-6 victory, Sunday afternoon from Sahlen Field.

Valenzuela's slam was part of a five-run Herd third inning that broke open the game for the Herd. The Bisons catcher was the fifth of five straight batters to reach to lead off the frame and was preceded by Yohendrick Pinango's bases-loaded RBI-single.

With the runners moving station to station on Pinango's line drive single, there was no place to put Valenzuela, who unloaded on a 2-2 slider from Mets' reliever Richard Lovelady and lifted a towering homer to left.

The blast was Valenzuela's second with the Bisons since being acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade in July.

Valenzuela's grand slam was just the highlight of a Bisons offense that put the pressure on the Mets all game long. Buffalo scored in each of the first five innings of the game, starting with a first-inning home run from Loperfido into the Bully Hill Party Deck in right field.

Josh Rivera gave Buffalo their first lead of the game in the second inning and RJ Schreck followed the big Bisons rally with an RBI knock in the bottom of the fourth inning. Buddy Kennedy had a sharp two-run single to center in the fifth inning to get Buffalo to double digits in the run total.

Despite committing two errors in the game, the Bisons defense had a huge role in preventing any Syracuse rally. After Valenzuela's slam, Syracuse loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the fourth inning. And even though Yonny Hernandez plated two runs with a double into the left field corner, a perfect relay from Pinango to Rivera to Valenzuela turned a third potential run into the second out of the inning.

With the steam quickly taken out of the rally, reliever Hayden Juenger struck out Jose Siri on just three pitches to end the inning.

Juenger earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the year. He was one of seven Herd hurlers used in the game, that combined to hold the Mets to just four total hits.

The Bisons are down to 12 games left this season as they will leave for a six-game series in Rochester after Monday's off day. The final homestand of the season will begin Tuesday, September 16 at Sahlen Field against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

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International League Stories from September 7, 2025


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