The Chiefs outlasted Jenrry Mejia and it earned them a win.

With the Mets’ top prospect out after eight brilliant innings, Syracuse scored three in the 10th inning for the 4-1 victory over the Bisons on Monday night from Coca-Cola Field.

Centerfielder Michael Martinez doubled home two runs in the 10th off Mike O’Connor before scoring himself on a perfect suicide squeeze bunt from Carlos Maldonado. Josh Wilkie retired the Bisons in order in the bottom of the 10th to preserve the win.

With the loss, and a 6-4 Columbus win over Indianapolis, the Bisons fell 3.5 games behind the Clippers for the league’s lone wild card spot.

The story early in the game was the work of the 20-year old Mejia. The Mets #1 prospect proved why he is so highly rated with strike after strike. The flamethrower struck out nine batters, including seven of the first eight he faced.

Mejia had a dominating fastball that reached as high as 97 mph. Through the first four innings, the Chiefs didn’t get a ball out of the infield off the righty. Martinez broke up the Mejia’s no-hit bid with a one-out home run in the top of the sixth.

Mejia then got some help from his newest teammates to keep the game tied. Kirk Nieuwenhuis threw out the speedy Boomer Whiting at the plate to end the sixth inning. In the seventh, a drawn-in Justin Turner threw Brian Bixler out at the plate trying to score on a one-out grounder.

The Bisons scored their only run of the game on Mike Cervenak’s eighth home run of the season with two outs in the second inning.

BISONS NOTES: Mejia was great, but the Chiefs got a great outing out of their starter, as well. Shairon Martis allowed just one run on five hits in seven innings…Mejia’s outing was his longest since May 2, 2009 when he threw eight scoreless from Single-A St. Lucie…With runners at the corners and one out in the ninth inning, the Bisons hit into a 1-9-3 doubleplay. Right Fielder Leonard Davis was pulled into the infield and was playing just to the left of the second base bag.

Buffalo Bisons
72-63, 2nd(-10.5)
RHP Jenrry Mejia (NR)

Syracuse Chiefs
70-65, 3rd(-12.5)
RHP Shairon Martis (5-7, 3.76)

Monday, August 30, 2010
Coca-Cola Field – Buffalo, NY

TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Syracuse Chiefs in the first game of a two-game series from Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The Herd is coming off a 2-3 roadtrip to Syracuse and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Tonight’s game starts the Buffalo’s final homestand of the season. The Bisons will host the Yankees for a three-game in two-game series starting Wednesday.

WILD RACE: The Bisons have fallen back to 2.5 games behind the Columbus Clippers in the IL Wild Card. Along with the Herd’s loss last night, the Clippers were 10-5 winners over Indianapolis. Buffalo has nine games left while Columbus has eight contests remaining in 2010.

THRUWAY CUP: The Syracuse Chiefs (18-8) can clinch the 2010 Thruway Cup with a victory over the Bisons (15-13) tonight. The Herd is 6-8 against the Chiefs this season, including a 3-3 mark at Coca-Cola Field. The teams split a two-game series in Syracuse last week, August 26-27.

OH JENRRY: RHP JENRRY MEJIA will make his Bisons debut tonight. The 20-year old righty is rated the Mets’ top prospect by Baseball America. Mejia made the Mets Opening Day roster and was 0-2 with a 3.25ERA in 30 relief appearances. As a starter with Double-A Binghamton, Mejia was 2-0 with a 1.32ERA in six starts.

BATTING RACE: OF JESUS FELICIANO enters tonight’s game on a five-game hit streak. In the stretch, Feliciano has averaged .500 (8-16). The outfielder has been held without a hit in just one of his last 16 games with the Bisons. With a .344 average, Feliciano is just 32 plate appearances shy of qualifying as the top hitter in the International League.

BISONS BITS: INF RUSS ADAMS has 21RBI in only 20 games this month. With 55RBI this season, Adams is just three RBI shy of INF MIKE HESSMAN’S team-leading total of 58…INF MIKE CERVENAK is hitting .322 (29-90) with nine extra-base hits in 24 games in August…LHP MIKE O’CONNOR has not allowed a run in his last 16.1 innings of work, a stretch that spans nine-plus games. The southpaw has 64 strikeouts in 64.1 innings of work…RHP DILLON GEE fanned 11 batters on Saturday and now has an IL-best 161 on the season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (65-65) beat the Astros, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon to take two of three from Houston. Former Bisons catcher JOSH THOLE went 2-3 with his second home run of the season. RHP R.A. DICKEY gave up just one run on six hits in seven innings of work to improve to 9-5 on the season. The Mets are in Atlanta tonight for the start of a four-game series with the Braves (7:10 p.m.)

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Yankees’ top prospect Jesus Montero launched a pair of home runs and drove in four as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre clinched the IL North division with a 5-1 victory over the Bisons. Yanks’ starter D.J. Mitchell allowed just one hit in seven innings in his first win of the season.

Buffalo had just two hits, while Montero had the game’s two biggest knocks. The catcher launched a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the third to stake the Yankees to an early lead.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre held the 5-0 advantage into the top of the ninth. Buffalo had just one hit prior to the final frame, but started to rally with a lead-off single by Andy Green. Lucas Duda and Nick Evans followed with walks to load the bases with no outs.

The Yankees quickly turned to IL-saves leader Jonathan Albaladejo, but the Bisons still got on the board with a Russ Adams’ sacrifice fly. After a second out, Albaladejo hit Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the foot to load the bases and bring the game-tying run to the plate.

However, it wasn’t meant to be for the Bisons on Sunday as Mike Cervenak flew out to centerfield to end the game.

Southpaw Michael Antonini (1-3) took the loss for Buffalo. He allowed all five runs in six innings as he was also touched for a Colin Curtis home run in the bottom of the sixth.

The Bisons will now return to Coca-Cola Field for the start of a five-game in four-day series against the Chiefs and then the Yanks. Mets’ top prospect Jenrry Mejia is expected to pitch against Syracuse on Monday.

BISONS NOTES: Mike Cervenak finished the game 0-4 to see his 10-game hit streak come to an end…Before the ninth inning, the Bisons only hit was a third inning single by Jesus Feliciano…The Bisons drew six walks in

Buffalo Bisons
72-62, 2nd(-9.5)
LHP Michael Antonini 1-2, 4.50

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
81-52, 1st(+9.5)
RHP D.J. Mitchell 0-0, 6.35

Sunday, August 29, 2010
PNC Field – Moosic, PA

Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons face the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the final game of a three-game in two-day series at PNC Field (5:05 p.m.). The Herd split a doubleheader with the Yankees on Saturday night, winning 4-0 and losing 2-1. Following tonight’s game, the Bisons will return home for their final homestand of the 2010 season.

WILD RACE: Last night, the Bisons were able to gain another half-game in the IL Wild Card race. Buffalo now trails Columbus by just 1.5 games for the IL’s lone wild card spot. The Herd has 10 more games to play with a doubleheader on Wednesday against the Yankees. The Clippers have nine games left.

vs. THE YANKS: The Bisons are 7-5 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, including a 5-2 mark at PNC Field. The Herd won three of four in Moosic to begin the season, April 8-11, and won the only game in a rain-shortened series on August 11.

FOR STARTERS: LHP MICHAEL ANTONINI will start for the Bisons tonight. The southpaw worked a season-high eight innings in his last outing, August 24 against Pawtucket. However, Antonini allowed four runs to fall in defeat. Overall, Antonini is 1-2 with a 4.50ERA in four starts since joining the Herd on August 9. He has worked at least six innings in each of his starts.

ROSTER MOVE: The Bisons have added RHP JENRRY MEJIA to their roster as the 20-year old is expected to start on Monday. The Mets #1 rated prospect, Mejia was 2-0 with a 1.32ERA in six starts with Double-A Binghamton. To make roster room, RHP JOHN LUJAN has been transferred to Binghamton.

FELICIANO BACK: OF JESUS FELICIANO had three hits in six at-bats in yesterday’s doubleheader. Feliciano now has a .346 (103-298) average in 80 games with the Herd. He is 33 plate appearances shy of league qualification. His average would lead all hitters by nine points.

WELL CERVED: INF MIKE CERVENAK has hit in 10-straight games, the longest active streak on the team. Since August 21, the infielder has averaged .436 (17-39) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and six runs scored.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (64-65) lost 4-1 to the Astros last night from Citi Field. The Mets were just 1-10 with runners in scoring position. Former Bisons’ INF IKE DAVIS went 2-3 with a walk in the loss. LHP JOHAN SANTANA allowed four runs in seven innings to fall to 10-9 on the season. New York hosts the Astros again today at 1:05 p.m. in the rubber match of their three-game set.

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The Buffalo Bisons and Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees split a crucial doubleheader on Saturday from PNC Field. The Bisons took game one 4-0, before dropping the second game 2-1. Both games were very exciting and had the energy of playoff baseball.

The Bisons did gain ground in the Wild Card race with Columbus losing their game tonight 8-0 against Indianapolis. Buffalo finds themselves 1.5 games back of the Clippers with 10 games remaining on the schedule.

In the first game of the doubleheader Kei Igawa and Dillon Gee were in a pitchers duel. Igawa faced the minimum 12 batters through the first four innings. Gee threw a shutout through 5.2 innings and tied a season high with 11 strikeouts to bring his season total to 161.

The Bisons however, jumped on Igawa in the seventh inning. The Herd started off the frame getting three hits off the starter, including a two-run double off the bat of the hot Russ Adams.

Buffalo would add a two-run homer from Mike Cervenak, his seventh long ball of the year, to go up 4-0. They would hold on to win by that final in the first game of the double dipper. In the first game the Yankees left 12 men on base in just seven innings and went 0x10 with runners in scoring position.

In game number two the Bisons once again saw a low scoring affair.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run from Jorge Vazquez, his 15th of the year. The lead would hold up until the sixth inning when the Bisons struck back.

After Royce Ring got the first two outs of the frame, the Yankees brought in their star closer Jonathan Albaladejo. He already broke the International League record for saves earlier this year and has 42 total saves on the season. Albaladejo is also eight saves shy of establishing a new Minor League record for saves in a year.

However, this would not be his night and he would blow just his second save of the season. With the bases empty and two away in the inning, Valentino Pascucci hammered a fastball over the left field wall for his 16th homer of the year and to tie the game 1-1.

But the Yankees got that run right back in the top of the 7th. The speedy Greg Golson led off the frame with a double down the third base line. Two batters later it was Vazquez again providing the go-ahead run, this time with a bloop base hit into right field to easily score Golson and help the Yankees retake the lead 2-1.

The Bisons and Yankees will play the rubber match and the final game on top of Montage Mountain in 2010 tomorrow, with a 5:05 p.m. start time from PNC Field.

BISONS NOTES: With a hit in both games today Mike Cervenak has extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games…In his first games back with Buffalo since being sent down from the big leagues, Jesus Feliciano went 3×6 in the two games…With one win and one loss tonight the Bisons are now 5-2 at PNC Field this season