Friday, April 22, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (6-9, 6th(-3.5), North)
RHP Josh Stinson (0-1, 13.50)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (7-7, 3rd(-2.0), North)
RHP Brian Bass (0-0, 4.50)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons host the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the first game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (6:05 p.m.). The Herd is coming off a split of a four-game set with the Red Wings that included doubleheader sweeps by both teams. After Monday, the Bisons will leave for an eight-game roadtrip to Rochester and Lehigh Valley.

VS. IRONPIGS: Today’s contest is first between the Bisons and IronPigs this season. The Herd won the season series last year, 10-6, including a 5-3 mark at Coca-Cola Field. The two clubs have split the first 48 games evenly since Lehigh Valley came into existence in 2008.

TODAY’S STARTER: RHP JOSH STINSON will make his 2011 Coca-Cola Field debut tonight. The righty was promoted from Double-A Binghamton on Sunday and lost his first start with Buffalo this year. Stinson allowed six runs in four innings in a defeat in Pawtucket. Last year, Stinson was 2-2 with a 2.57ERA in four last-season starts with the Herd.

GOING STREAKIN’: OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS has the longest hit streak in the International League this season. The outfielder collected a hit in each game yesterday and now takes an 11-game hit streak into tonight’s matchup. Since April 11, Nieuwenhuis has hit .395 (15-38) with a home run and three RBI. He has also reached base safely in all 15 games this season, tops in the IL.

WALK-OFF WINNER: INF NICK EVANS clubbed his second walk-off home run as a Bison in the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader. Evans also won a game on April 12, 2009 in the 15th inning with a two-run shot against Pawtucket. Evans’s two-homer performance in game one was also the second time he accomplished the feat with Buffalo (April 16, 2009 vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre).

LET’S TAKE TWO: The Bisons completed a doubleheader sweep of the Rochester Red Wings yesterday. It was the Herd’s first sweep since July 18, 2009 against Toledo. The sweep gave Buffalo a split of their four-game series with Rochester. The Bisons have split their first three series at Coca-Cola Field this season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (6-13) pounded the Astros last night, 9-1 from Citi Field. Former Bisons C MIKE NICKEAS hit his first major league home run while INF DAVID WRIGHT and INF IKE DAVIS also went yard. New York opens a three-game series with the Diamondbacks tonight at 7:10 p.m.