IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Vlad Guerrero Jr. Doubles, Homers and Drives in Four in Bisons Defeat

Published on April 12, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


It would've been tough for most prospects to live up to the hype that was generated for Thursday night with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s return to the Bisons and the Triple-A level. Then again, most prospects aren't Vladdy.

Playing in his first game with the Herd since ending the 2018 campaign with Buffalo, Guerrero Jr. homered and doubled as part of a four-RBI night as the Bisons fell to the RailRiders, 9-8, in 10 innings from PNC Field in Moosic, PA. Vladdy keyed a seven-run comeback for the Herd that unfortunately went for naught as pinch hitter Mandy Alvarez delivered the game-winning RBI-infield single in the bottom of the 10th.

But Thursday night's game was all about Guerrero Jr. He finished the game 2-4, also reaching base on a walk and a RailRiders fielding error. The 20-year old even added a stolen base to check off almost every line in the box score.

As the club's designated hitter in the third spot in the order, Guerrero Jr. began his 2019 season at Triple-A with a seven-pitch walk. He then came to the plate with two outs in the third inning and just missed a home run to right-centerfield to knock in Eric Sogard from first with a double.

By the time Guerrero Jr. came to the plate in the fifth, the Bisons were down 8-1. But Vladdy got them back in the game in a hurry, destroying a three-run home run to left field for his first blast of 2019.

Video: Vlad Jr's first 2019 homer with Buffalo

In the seventh, the Bisons completed the comeback with a rally that started with a Guerrero Jr. reaching first on a throwing error by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's third baseman, Gosuke Katoh. After Cavan Biggio doubled Vladdy to third, Anthony Alford crushed another three-run home run to left center.

The score remained tied at eight until the Herd entered extra innings for the first time this season. The Bisons lost their free runner when Alford was thrown out trying to steal third base on the first pitch of the top of the 10th. The RailRiders, meanwhile, benefited from a Derek Law wild pitch before Alvarez chopped a comeback off the relievers glove just far enough to score the speedy Billy Burns from third.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre built a 8-1 lead after three innings on starter Shawn Morimando. The RailRiders batted around in a four-run first as Kyle Higashioka singled two home in against the shift and Katoh added an RBI single. Mike Ford doubled in a run in thsecond and Katoh added a two-run homer in a three-run third inning.

The Bisons have now lost four in a row to fall to 2-5 on the season.

Check out the Buffalo Bisons Statistics

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International League Stories from April 12, 2019


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