Pat Misch helped his own cause with a two-run double, breaking a scoreless tie in the fifth inning of the Herd’s 7-1 win for a two-game sweep at Lehigh Valley Sunday night.

Buffalo tacked three more runs against starter Ryan Feierabend in the fifth on a Fernando Perez single and sacrifice flies by Luis Figueroa and Valentino Pascucci.

Misch allowed three hits over seven innings in his team-best ninth quality start and sixth win, striking out five with two walks.

Former Met Aaron Heilman relieved Feierabend to start the sixth. Heilman loaded the bases on Ruben Tejada and Dusty Ryan singles and a Perez walk before a two-run Figueroa single.

Josh Satin took his hit streak to eight games in the fifth with his second Triple-A double.

A day after returning from the disabled list, Fernando Martinez hit 2-for-4 and scored a run. Ryan went 3-for-4 and scored twice.

Pete Orr broke the shutout with a solo home run against reliever Brian Sweeney in the eighth.

Sweeney pitched a shutout ninth with one strikeout.

Game Notes:Misch also hit an RBI double in his second start of the year, April 23 at home against the IronPigs… Pascucci’s 74RBIs lead the International League… Misch tied Chris Schwinden for the most Herd wins in 2011 and has 18 in his Buffalo career.

Sunday, July 31, 2011 (5:35 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (45-63, 5th(-17.0), North)
LHP Pat Misch (5-6, 4.84)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (62-46, 1st(+2.0), North)
LHP Ryan Feierabend (9-5, 5.37)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the finale of a two-game series from Coca-Cola Park (5:35 p.m.). The Herd will look for the two-game sweep of the I-Pigs after its 2-1 victory on Saturday night. Tomorrow, Buffalo’s season-long, four-stop roadtrip continues at Frontier Field in Rochester.

VS. THE I-PIGS: The Bisons are 6-7 against the IronPigs this season. The teams split both four-game sets in Buffalo, but Lehigh Valley won three of four over the Herd at Coca-Cola Park, April 30 – May 3. Last season, the Bisons were 5-3 in their eight total games in Lehigh Valley.

DISCH ON MISCH: LHP PAT MISCH makes his 16th start of the season tonight. The southpaw lost his last time out, allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings to the Yankees on Tuesday. Misch has faced the IronPigs three times already this season and defeated Lehigh Valley on June 29 at Coca-Cola Field. Overall, Misch is 1-0 with a 5.19ERA in 17.1 innings against the IronPigs.

LUIS, LUIS: INF LUIS FIGUEROA has six hits in his last nine at-bats and brings a six-game hit streak into tonight’s game. Since July 25, Figueroa has averaged .407 (11-27) with three RBI and five runs scored. On the season, his .313 average now ranks as the fifth highest mark in the International League.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the International League with 73RBI on the season and ranks in top 5 in slugging percentage (2nd, .508) and on-base percentage (4th, .386). The slugger enters tonight’s game on an 11-game hit streak over which he has averaged .357 (15-42).

BISONS BITS: INF JOSH SATIN has hit in seven straight games. The Triple-A rookie has averaged .407 (11-27) during his hit streak…With his recent time in New York, INF NICK EVANS is 37 plate appearances from having his .322 average qualify as the 2nd highest mark in the International League…RHP DALE THAYER is up to 13 saves for the season. That total is tied for the fifth most in the league…The Bisons have won two straight without the benefit of an extra-base hit. The team’s last extra-base hit was a INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI home run in the seventh inning on Thursday night (81 AB ago).

METS UPDATE: The Mets (55-52) win streak came to an end with a 3-0 defeat in Washington last night. Former Bisons RHP R.A. DICKEY allowed just three runs in six innings but saw his record drop to 5-9. New York had just eight singles in the loss. The Mets take on the Nationals again this afternoon at 1:35 p.m.

The Herd opened its 10-game road trip holding on for a 2-1 win, Miguel Batista’s first, Saturday night in Lehigh Valley.

Miguel Batista stranded nine runners, including loaded bases in the fourth, over 5 2/3 innings. In total, Lehigh Valley stranded 14.

In his fourth start and sixth appearance with Buffalo, Batista allowed eight hits but just one run with eight strikeouts to six walks.

Manager Tim Teufel lifted reliever John Lujan with runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth for closer Dale Thayer, who escaped on a hard grounder snagged by third baseman Josh Satin.

Thayer allowed a leadoff single to Brandon Moss, but turned a double play against Domonic Brown before a Delwyn Young single. Jesus Feliciano caught a fly out from Erik Kratz for the final out.

Buffalo mounted an early lead against IronPigs starter Nate Bump on Satin’s first-inning single, which brought home Luis Figueroa, who posted his second consecutive three-hit game.

The Herd packed the bases with Bisons, but Bump escaped the first on double play off a hard-hit Nick Evans lineout.

International League RBI leader Valentino Pascucci drove in his 73rd in the third inning on a single, scoring Figueroa for a 2-0 lead.

In six innings of work, Bump allowed two earned runs on seven hits, striking out six without a walk.

Pete Orr drove in Lehigh Valley’s only run, scoring Rich Thompson from second on a third-inning single.

Game Notes: Fernando Martinez returned from the disabled list before the game, starting… Raul Chavez threw out his 25th runner of the season, Peter Orr. He’s thrown out 48 percent of runners this season… Satin extended a hitting streak to seven games, an active team best.

Saturday, July 30, 2011 (6:35 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (44-63, 5th(-18.0), North)
RHP Miguel Batista (0-0, 6.46)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (62-45, 1st(+2.0), North)
RHP Nate Bump (3-6, 5.42)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the first game of a two-game series from Coca-Cola Park (6:35 p.m.). Tonight’s contest starts a season-long 10-game roadtrip that also stops in Rochester, Pawtucket and Syracuse. The Herd is coming off a 2-6 homestand with series losses to the Red Sox and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

VS. THE I-PIGS: The Bisons are 5-7 in 12 games against the IronPigs this season. The teams split both four-game sets in Buffalo, but Lehigh Valley won three of four over the Herd at Coca-Cola Park, April 30 – May 3. Last season, the Bisons were 5-3 in their eight total games in Lehigh Valley.

ON THE HILL: RHP MIGUEL BATISTA will make his fourth start and sixth appearance for the Bisons tonight. The veteran is coming off his best start of the season as he struck out nine in six innings on July 25 against Pawtucket. Batista did not earn a decision after allowing just two runs on three hits. Right-handed batters have just a .161 (5-31) average against Batista.

ROSTER MOVE: OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ has been activated off the disabled list after missing 14 games with a left hip flexor strain. Martinez has played 51 games for the Bisons this season and has averaged .254 (45-177) with seven home runs and 25RBI. OF JASON BOTTS has also been placed on the disabled list.

SMOOTH AS SATIN: INF JOSH SATIN has hit in six straight games and seven of eight in his first stint at Triple-A. The 26-year old has also scored a run in six straight games and is hitting .355 (11-31) with a home run and five RBI overall. Combined with his 94 games at Double-A this season, Satin is now hitting .328 (121-369) with 50 extra-base hits.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the International League with 72RBI on the season and ranks in top 5 in slugging percentage (2nd, .508) and on-base percentage (4th, .385). The slugger enters tonight’s game on a 10-game hit streak over which he has averaged .342 (13-38). Since the All-Star break, Pascucci has hit in 14 of 16 games with six doubles, six home runs and 22 runs driven in.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (55-51) collected their major-league best 33rd road win yesterday thanks to an 8-5 win in Washington. Former Bisons RHP DILLON GEE earned his 10th win of the season by allowing just two earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. The Mets send R.A. Dickey to the mound against the Nationals tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Trailing 4-0 after three innings, the Herd broke through with five runs in the fourth and three in the fifth for an 8-5 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to close out the homestand Friday night at Coca-Cola Field.

“It’s always nicer to go on a road trip with something positive,” third baseman Josh Satin said. “So hopefully we build on that momentum and head into Lehigh (Valley) strong.”

Despite nine walks issued by Yankees starter Brackman, the Bisons couldn’t break through for a run or hit in his 3 1/3 innings.

“He kept putting himself in trouble when there were all these guys on base,” Satin said. “There’s a lot of balls hit well with guys on base and none of them really fell for us.”

However reliever Eric Wordekemper allowed all three of his inherited runners to score as part of a five-run fourth inning in which the Herd batted around.

Luis Figueroa, who went 3-for-5 and Satin delivered RBI hits, Nick Evans walked one in and Mike Baxter drove in two on a single.

Starter Dylan Owen earned his fifth win, allowing five earned runs on eight hits over 7 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and no walks.

After raising his average to .355 in 31 at-bats, Satin said he’s adjusting to playing at the Triple-A level with every game.

“The way they pitch you is a little different from what I’ve been used to,” Satin said. “I’ve kind of started to figure out what they want to throw in different counts and different situations.”

The Bisons padded the lead with three more in the fifth with Satin and Valentino Pascucci driving in a pair on singles and Baxter taking a pitch to the side with the bases loaded.

Four Yankee singles gave Scranton a two-run lead after the first inning, including RBI hits by Mike Lamb and Brandon Laird.

Owen allowed a third-inning, two-run homer to Jorge Vazquezin the third.

Consecutive eighth-inning doubles by Laird and Jordan Parraz, the latter against John Lujan, cut Buffalo’s lead to three.

Dale Thayer finished ninth in order, including a double play, for his 12th save.

Game Notes: Fernando Perez reached base five times, walking his first four trips to the plate before a single… The record for walks by an opponent remains Joe Gannon’s 12 in Ottawa on April 23, 2004… Pascucci’s infield single gave him his International League-leading 72rd RBI. Vazquez trails him with 70.

Friday, July 29, 2011 (7:35 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, WGR Sportsradio 550 AM, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (43-63, 5th(-19.0), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (4-5, 4.44)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (57-47, 3rd(-4.0), North)
RHP Andrew Brackman (2-6, 7.22)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the final game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (7:35 p.m.). The Herd needs a win tonight to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees. Buffalo is just 1-6 on an eight-game homestand that ends tonight. Tomorrow, the Bisons will begin a season-long 10-game roadtrip with stops in Lehigh Valley, Rochester, Pawtucket and Syracuse.

VS. THE YANKS: The Bisons have lost five straight games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and are now just 4-8 against the Yankees this season. The last time the Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the Herd at Coca-Cola Field was August 13-16, 2009.

DEALIN’ DYLAN: RHP DYLAN OWEN will make his 14th start of the season for the Herd. Owen allowed three runs in five innings on Sunday in a loss to Pawtucket and has allowed four earned runs or less in his last 13 starts. He gave up four runs in three innings in his last outing against the Yankees, a loss on April 14 at PNC Field (0BB, 4K).

ROSTER MOVE: OF NICK EVANS has rejoined the Bisons from New York and INF MICHAEL FISHER has been sent to Double-A Binghamton. Evans was with the Mets since July 7 and hit .267 (4-15) with three runs, a triple, a home run, three RBI and three walks in nine games. The slugger has 28 multi-hit performances with the Bisons this season, six more than any other player.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the International League with 71RBI on the season, three more than Gwinnett’s Stefan Gartrell and Scranton/Wilkes Barre’s Jorge Vazquez. The slugger also shares the IL lead in walks (57) with Pawtucket’s Lars Anderson and is 2nd with a .513 slugging percentage and 4th with a .388 on-base percentage. Pascucci holds the Bisons top active hit streak have hit in nine straight games since July 20 (.364, 12-33).

BISONS BITS: INF LUIS FIGUEROA is batting .300, which puts him 16th in the IL…Since joining the Bisons on  July 22, INF JOSH SATIN is batting a .346 and currently riding a five-game hit streak (8-18, .444)…The Bisons are 5-3 in eight fridaynightbash! games at Coca-Cola Field this season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (54-51) completed a four-game sweep of the Reds yesterday with a 10-9 win over Cincinnati. Former Bisons OF LUCAS DUDA went 2-4 with a run, a double, three RBI and a walk. The Mets travel to Washington tonight (7:05 p.m.) for a three-game series against the Nationals.

For the second night in a row the Bisons went into the late innings with a chance for a win, but for the second night in a row a late Yankees home run beat them. Jorge Vazquez’ home run didn’t leave the park in a rocket ship but it counted all the same.

The Home run bounced off the top of the wall in right field giving Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. The Bisons dropped their third game in a row 6-3 against the Yankees at Coca-Cola Field.

“The Pitch Vazquez hit out, I mean it was low, it was down, and he just dropped the head on it and hit it out opposite field so you have got to give him a lot of credit,” said manager Tim Teufel.

After Vazquez’ home run in the eight the Yankees loaded the bases and added two more runs on a single and sacrifice fly to left field.

Valentino Pascucci tied the game in the sixth inning at 3-3 when he crushed his 16th home run of the season sending the ball bouncing down the highway beyond the left-field wall.

“It was almost the same pitch as my first at-bat when I flew out to left field, I came back to the dugout, I was like ‘I hope I see that one again sometime again’ and there it was,” Pascucci said. “And I put a good swing on it.”

The Yankees had taken an early 3-0 lead before the Bisons pulled within one run in the fourth inning. Jason Botts kicked off the inning by earning his second walk of the night, Josh Satin followed with his second single of the night.

Both Bisons scored on a Jesus Feliciano single into left-field, Feliciano was thrown out trying to take second base.

Mark Cohoon left with a no decision after five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, two walks and three strike outs. Cohoon has allowed three runs or less in seven of his last eight starts.

The Yankees might have taken the lead earlier in the game if Satin hadn’t made a spectacular diving play on line drive to third base. Satin picked the ball, got up, threw to second and onto first for an inning ending double play.

“Satins defensive play, the backhand was outstanding, to turn a double play on that is a tough play, a game changer at that point,” said Teufel. “Things could have been very ugly if he misses that ball.”

Game Notes: For the seventh time in eight starts Mark Cohoon gave up three runs or less in a game…Valentino hit his 16th home run of the season Thursday taking his RBI total to 71 which leads the International League…For the second night in a row the Yankees game winning run came on a solo-home run late in the game.

Thursday, July 28, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13        
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (43-62, 5th(-19.0), North)
LHP Mark Cohoon (3-6, 6.20)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (56-47, 3rd(-5.0), North)
LHP Greg Smith (3-2, 5.45)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the third game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (1:05 p.m.). The Herd has lost two straight to the Yankees to begin this set and are now just 1-5 on the eight-game homestand. On Saturday, the Bisons will begin a season-long 10-game roadtrip with stops in Lehigh Valley, Rochester, Pawtucket and Syracuse.

VS. THE YANKS: The Bisons have lost four straight games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and are now just 4-7 against the Yankees this season. Buffalo has not won a home series over the Yanks since sweeping a three-game set, June 27-29, 2008. Since returning the International League in 1998, the Bisons and Yankees have evenly split the 218 games between the teams.

ON THE HILL: LHP MARK COHOON will make his 11th start of the season for the Herd. The southpaw allowed three runs in five innings on Saturday in a loss to Pawtucket. Cohoon has allowed three earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts. He gave up three runs in six innings in his last outing against the Yankees, a loss on July 7 at PNC Field (0BB, 7K).

ROSTER MOVE: C DUSTY RYAN has been promoted from Double-A Binghamton. The catcher played three games with the Bisons in April before missing 75 games on the disabled list with a right knee meniscus tear. He joined the B-Mets on July 5 and hit .238 (15-63) with three home runs in 15 games. The Mets recalled C MIKE NICKEAS earlier today.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the International League with 70RBI on the season, two more than Gwinnett’s Stefan Gartrell. The slugger also leads the IL in walks (57) and is tied for 3rd with a .389 on-base percentage. Pascucci brings a season-high eight-game hit streak into tonight’s game with a .391 (11-29) average since July 20.

BISONS BITS: C DUSTY RYAN has yet to play at Coca-Cola Field as all three games he played earlier this season were on the road…All nine Bisons starters had exactly one hit in yesterday’s loss…The Bisons enter tonight’s game with a season-high eight players on the disabled list.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (53-51) have traded OF CARLOS BELTRAN to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for RHP ZACH WHEELER. Wheeler was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2009 and was 7-5 with a 3.99ERA from Single-A San Jose this year. Baseball America rank Wheeler as the 35th best prospect in the minor leagues.

Bisons starter Chris Schwinden used four pitches to strike out Greg Golson in the third inning of Wednesdays game for his 100 punch out of the 2011 season. Schwinden becomes the 16th pitcher in Bisons history to fan 100 plus batters.
“I don’t try to be a strike out pitcher, it just seems to happen I guess,” Schwinden said.

Schwinden held Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to two-runs through seven innings, and kept the Herd in the game but it wasn’t enough in the end as the Jordan Parraz homered in the ninth inning to give the Yankees a 3-2 win at Coca-Cola Field.

John Lujan replaced Schwinden in the eighth inning striking out four of the five batters he faced in the eighth and ninth before being beaten by the sixth batter. Parraz smoked the home run over the netting in left field and onto Oak Street.

“Lujan was dominating on up to that point, had great stuff, he just left a pitch up a little bit. It was a slider that didn’t do much and Parraz put a good swing on it,” said manager Tim Teufel. “Parraz is a pretty good hitter, makes good contact, knows the strike zone, and he got a pitch he could handle and drove it out of the yard.”

The Yankees have out homered the Bisons 15-8 in the 2011 season including the game winner Wednesday. The Bisons fall to 1-5 on the current home stand with two games left before heading on the road.

Before the ninth the game was deadlocked at two-runs apiece. The Yankees got up early on the Bisons after a two-out run scoring double in the second inning and a solo-home run in the fifth. The home run was just the 10th that Schwinden has given up.

“Schwinden threw real well, gave us a chance to win the ball game, he left with the game in a tie and it was a whale of a game for him,” said Teufel.

Raul Chavez delivered the tying runs for the herd on a two-out double into the left-center-field gap scoring Josh Satin and Fernando Perez.

Game Notes Chris Schwinden notched his 100th strikeout in the third inning, Schwinden leads the team with 101 strike outs…Schwinden and John Lujan combined to strike out 10 Yankees Wednesday…The Yankees have out homered the Bisons 15-8 in the 2011 season…The Bisons are now 1-5 on the current home stand and 4-7 when playing Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 (1:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet (HD 713)         
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (43-61, 5th(-18.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (6-5, 3.52)

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (55-47, 3rd(-5.0), North)
RHP Lance Pendleton (3-3, 2.95)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the second game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (1:05 p.m.). The Herd is just 1-4 so far on this eight-game homestand that started with a series loss to Pawtucket. The Bisons begin a season-long 10-game roadtrip on Saturday night in Lehigh Valley.

VS. THE YANKEES: The Bisons are 4-6 against the Yankees this season. The teams split a four-game set at Coca-Cola Field from May 9-12 in the Yanks only other trip to Western New York. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has out-homered the Herd 13-8 in their season series this year.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his team-high 19th start today. The Herd’s All-Star has lost two straight since the break, including on July 22 against Pawtucket (4.1IP, 4R). Schwinden’s last victory was July 6 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he allowed four runs in six innings to the Yankees. Schwinden has struck out six or more in five straight starts.

FULL TANK: Last night, LHP TAYLOR TANKERSLEY became the first Bisons reliever to strike out six in an outing since LHP Mike O’Connor had that total in the first game of a doubleheader on August 21, 2010 vs. Pawtucket. The southpaw now has 58 strikeouts in only 44.0 innings of work. His 11.86 K/9.0IP ratio is second-best among all International League relievers.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the International League with 70RBI on the season. The slugger is on pace for 97RBI on the season. Only three Bisons players have every reached 100RBI in one year, most recently accomplished by OF Ernie Young in 2004. Pascucci also leads the IL in walks (57) and is 3rd with a .391 on-base percentage.

BISONS BITS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN has a team-high 95 strikeouts. He could become the 16th Bisons pitcher in the modern era to fan 100 in a season today…Last night, OF MIKE BAXTER became the first Bisons player to homer in his first at-bat with the team since INF JAVIER VALENTIN on May 15, 2009. Baxter was claimed by the Mets off waivers (San Diego) on July 22.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (52-51) moved back above .500 with an 8-6 win in Cincinnati last night. OF CARLOS BELTRAN had a hit, two walks and three runs scored while former Bisons OF JASON PRIDIE had a two-run double that gave New York the lead. The Mets face the Reds again this afternoon at 12:35 p.m.