BUFFALO:
Jesus Feliciano – RF
Russ Adams – 2B
Mike Jacobs – 1B
Mike Hessman – 3B
Valentino Pascucci – DH
Josh Thole – C
Andy Green – LF
Ruben Tejada – SS
Emmanuel Garcia – CF
Bobby Livingston – LHP

CHARLOTTE:
Brent Lillibridge – SS
CJ Retherford – 2B
Jordan Danks – CF
Dayan Viciedo – 1B
Tyler Flowers – C
Josh Kroeger – LF
Stefan Gartrell – RF
Donny Lucy – DH
Rob Hudson – 3B
Jeff Marquez – RHP

After throwing a complete game shutout in his last outing against the Norfolk Tides, starting pitcher Pat Misch took the mound tonight against the Charlotte Knights. Misch was once again dominant as he pitched another gem in a 3-1 win for the Bisons at Coca-Cola field on Thursday night.

Over seven innings of work, Misch gave up only three hits and allowed one run. That one run came in the fifth inning when designated hitter Donny Lucy hit his first home run of the season. Lucy took a 1-0 pitch and launched it over the left field wall to tie the game at one. Lucy’s home run ended Misch’s streak of 14 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.

The Herd would answer in the bottom half of the inning however. Shortstop Ruben Tejada led off the inning with a single to left field and would eventually score when left fielder Jesus Feliciano sent a double to right field to give the Herd a lead they would not relinquish. The Herd would add an insurance run in the seventh inning when Tejada was again driven home by Feliciano on a sacrifice fly. For the night Tejada was 2-3 with a single and a double and Feliciano went 1-3 with two RBI and extended his hitting streak to nine games. After going 1-3 Feliciano’s league high batting average dropped one point to .368.

First baseman Mike Hessman was unable to add to his league high totals of home runs and RBI tonight as he went 0-4 and struck out twice. Hessman did however show off his glove again tonight as he took away a base hit from Knights center fielder Josh Kroger. Kroger hit a line drive right down the first base line and Hessman was able to reach out and snag it to end the inning.

Right handed pitcher Ryota Igarashi pitched one inning for the Herd in his rehab assignment for the Mets. In his inning of relief, Igarashi allowed only one hit when shortstop Brent Lillibridge doubled to center field. Igarashi threw 19 pitches in his inning of work and made the most of them as 13 were for strikes.

The Knights threatened in the ninth inning when Kroeger and right fielder Stefan Gartrell both reached base off of singles with only one out. With Kroeger on third and Gartrell on first, relief pitcher Elmer Dessens settled down and retired the next two batters to secure the win for the Herd and pick up his sixth save of the season.

For the Knights starting pitcher Carlos Torres was credited with the loss. Torress went seven innings and gave up six hits and allowed all three runs that the Herd would score on the night. The win improves the Bisons record to 24-17 and with the loss the Knights drop to 17-25.

BISONS NOTES:The Bisons will finish up their four game series with the Knights tomorrow night. Bobby Livingston (1-5, 4.35 ERA) is slated to start for the Herd while the Knights will send Jeff Marquez (4-3, 3.72 ERA) to the mound. In his last start Livingston went six innings and gave up five hits leading to four runs in a 5-4 Bisons loss.

BUFFALO:
Jesus Feliciano – LF
Russ Adams – 2B
Mike Jacobs – DH
Mike Hessman – 1B
Valentino Pascucci – RF
Josh Thole – C
Andy Green – 3B
Ruben Tejada – SS
Emmanuel Garcia – CF
Pat Misch – LHP

CHARLOTTE:
Brent Lillibridge – SS
CJ Retherford – 2B
Dayan Viciedo – 1B
Tyler Flowers – C
Josh Kroeger – CF
Stefan Gartrell – RF
Donny Lucy – DH
Luis Rodriguez – 3B
Javier Colina – LF
Carlos Torres – RHP

After the Bisons conclude their homestand on Friday night, Buffalo travels to Lehigh Valley for a short 4-game, 5-day stint away from Coca-Cola Field. The Bisons return to host Toledo and Syracuse over another 8-game homestand.

Without looking to far ahead, here are a few notables about each of the next three clubs Buffalo is preparing to play.

LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS:
POOPED PIGS: A 10:35 a.m. game Thursday probably won’t feel good for the ‘Pigs, who wound up playing in a 3:08 game Wednesday night. After ending a then franchise
record, 15-inning marathon Monday at midnight in Gwinnett, the Pigs boarded a bus for the Atlanta airport at 4 a.m. Tuesday only to play a franchise-record 16-inning game Tuesday night! During this time, the bullpen has a combined 21 IP in the last 3 G. Take out RHP Oscar Villarreal (2 IP, 4 ER), and the corps has allowed just 2 R in 19 IP.

SILENCING OF THE BATS?: Wednesday, the Pigs snapped a franchise-long, 24.0-inning scoreless draught on Dane Sardinha’s 9th-inning, 2-run single. In the last 10 G,
LHV has averaged just 2.5 R/G (they averaged 4.9 R/G in the first 29 G prior), batted just .204 (74-362) — dropping from .268 (6th) as a team to .253 (a season-low 11th),
and batted just 12-73 (.164) with RISP* — dropping from .291 to .265 overall.

RETURN OF HONDO: Thursday, RHP John Ennis — who was originally on the DL on the Pigs 2010 Opening Day Roster — rejoined the team from Reading (Double-A),
where he was 0-0, 1.35 in 4 G (6.2 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 8 K). One of just two members of all three LHV Opening Day Rosters (Tracy), Ennis was shut down after just one
game in 2009 and underwent Tommy John Surgery. Ennis went 4-3, 3.67 in 40 G with Lehigh Valley in 2008 before having his contract sold to Japan.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES: In his IL career (7/7/09-pres.), former Marlin RHP Nate Bump (33) is now an impressive 11-2, 2.34 in 18 GS (119 IP, 31 ER)…… RHP Brandon
Duckworth (34) had his win blown on 5/17, but is 1-0, 1.89 in 7 G, 2 GS and averaging 11.8 SO/9. In addition, he’s allowed just one extra-base hit in 2010 (68 AB)……
LHP Brian Mazone (33) has not allowed a R in his last 9.2 IP…… LHP Mike Zagurski (27) had not allowed an ER in his last 7 G (8 IP) and leads IL relievers in K/9 at
14.26 (28 K in 17.2 IP).

SYRACUSE CHIEFS:
STRASBURG DOES IT AGAIN: Twenty-one year old right-hander Stephen Strasburg pitched 6 1/3 innings on Wednesday night to earn a win against Rochester. Strasburg allowed just three hits and struck out nine. He has now struck out 22 batters in 18 1/3 innings and opponents are batting just .068 against him. The eleventh largest crowd in Frontier Field history watched Strasburg lead Syracuse to a 5-1 victory.

MOVIN’ ON UP (AND DOWN): The Nationals announced after Monday’s game that lefty Chuck James and right-hander Andrew Kown, both starting pitchers, had been transferred to Double-A Harrisburg. They have been replaced by reliever Victor Garate and starter Jeff Mandel. He has started one game–April 29 at Toledo–and did not earn a decision. Mandel will start tonight at Rochester.

THREE, MAYBE FOUR: After losing three games in a row to Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium, the Chiefs have now won three games in a row. This puts Syracuse on the verge of their longest winning streak of the season. Prior to today, the Chiefs have won four games in a row just once from April 22-25.

TOLEDO MUD HENS:
ON A ROLL: After losing three in a row to drop to .500 at 18-18, the Mud Hens have won their last five games and stand at 23-18 – just 2.0 games back of Columbus in the

IL West. The five-game winning streak is the longest streak of the season for the Hens. The Mud Hens remain undefeated on Mondays and Tuesdays (6-0 each day). The rest of the week, Toledo has gone 11-18, including 1-4 on Wednesdays.

PITCHING DUEL: Monday’s game between Toledo and Indianapolis featured just eight hits and three runs, lasting a brisk two hours and six minutes. Enrique Gonzalez out-dueled Brad Lincoln, throwing a complete game two-hit shutout, as the Hens won 3-0. It was the first Toledo complete game shutout since September, 2008 (Virgil Vasquez).

HEN EGGS: RHP Jay Sborz is third in the League with nine saves…… RHP Casey Fien has compiled a 0.90 ERA (20.0 IP / 2 ER) over his last 14 outings… RHP Robbie Weinhardt has not allowed a run over his last nine outings, tossing 14.0 scoreless innings…… LHP Daniel Schlereth has not allowed a run in his last eight outings, fanning 16 batters in 10.2 scoreless innings…,,, OF Ben Guez is hitting .407 (11-27) with two doubles, a home run and three RBI over his last nine games.

Third baseman Mike Hessman continued his hot streak Wednesday night at Coca-Cola field in a 10-6 Bisons win. Hessman wasted no time to add to his league high totals of home runs and RBI as he hit his 14th home run of the season in the first inning. Hessman sent a 0-2 pitch to left field for a two run shot off of Charlotte starter Lucas Harrell to give the Herd a 3-0 lead.

Hessman then got to work on the defensive side when he showed off his glove in the third inning. Hessman snagged a low liner from Knights catcher Donny Lucy to end the inning and saving a run from being scored.

After four scoreless innings the Knights came back with their own three run inning in the top half of the sixth. In the bottom half of the frame Hessman drew a leadoff walk and would eventually score on a Ruben Tejada sacrifice fly to center field. Hessman went 1-2 on the night with two walks, three runs and added two RBI. Hessman now has 47 RBI on the season. He has also reached base on nine of his 11 plate appearances so far for the series against Charlotte.

The Herd’s offense then erupted in the seventh inning. Batting around the order, the Bisons had the first seven batters get on base. Right fielder Jesus Feliciano and second baseman Russ Adams led off the inning with back to back doubles. First baseman Valentino Pascucci added another double when he drove the ball to right field allowing Adams and Mike Jacobs to score. Left fielder D.J Wabick recorded his first three RBI of the season when he hit a bases clearing double to extend the lead to 10-3.

Starting pitcher Dylan Owen had a solid outing in his Triple A debut. Picking up the win, Owen pitched seven innings and gave up six hits while allowing only three runs. Owen also struck out seven in his debut.

The Knights gave a run at a comeback in the top half of the ninth inning. Charlotte left fielder Stefan Gartell and first baseman Javier Colina both hit home runs in the ninth to trim the lead to four. Bisons reliever Jose De La Torre eventually settled down and recorded the final outs to seal the win.

For the Knights starting pitcher Lucas Harrell was credited with the loss after throwing five and a third and allowing four runs off of seven hits. The Knights bullpen could not hold down the Herd as they pounded them for six runs. Knights reliever Scott Elarton only recorded one out before he was caught in the crosshairs during the Bisons explosive seventh inning. Elarton went one third of an inning and gave up four hits and allowed five runs.

With the win the Bisons improve to 23-17 and the loss drops the Knights to 17-24. The win for the Herd ended their seven game losing streak against the Knights, dating back to last season.

BISONS NOTES:Jesus Feliciano went 1-5 on the day to bring his league leading average down to .368. Former Bisons pitcher R.A. Dickey started for the Mets against the Washington Nationals. Dickey went six innings and only allowed five hits and two runs while getting the no decision in a 5-3 Mets loss.