BUFFALO BISONS
Jason Pridie – CF
Jesus Feliciano – RF
Mike Jacobs – 1B
Mike Hessman – 3B
Chris Carter – LF
Mike Cervenak – DH
Josh Thole – C
Andy Green – 2B
Ruben Tejada – SS

RA Dickey – RHP

DURHAM BULLS
Fernando Perez – CF
Rashad Eldridge – RF
Elliot Johnson – 2B
Hank Blalock – 3B
Matt Shealy – 1B
Chris Richard – LF
Joe Dillon – C
Angel Chavez – SS
Alvin Colina – DH

Heath Phillips – RHP

The International League’s top offense was too much for the Bisons to handle on Wednesday night.

Durham got home runs from Chris Richard, Angel Chavez and Rashad Eldridge in a 9-2 victory over Buffalo on Wednesday night.

The Bulls had just three hits over the first five innings against Bisons’ starter Tobi Stoner, but two of them left the yard. Richard opened the scoring with a lead-off shot in the third inning while Chavez hit one out in left field with two outs in the fifth for the 2-0 lead.

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Durham entered the game hitting .300 as a team. They also had a large lead on the rest of league in total home run (25) and stolen bases (31) after just 20 games.
Eldridge hit his first homer of the season with one out in the sixth inning. Justin Ruggiano and Hank Blalock followed with back-to-back doubles to build a 4-0 lead and knock Stoner from the game.

The Bisons cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning as Mike Hessman and Chris Carter produced RBI-singles. The Herd then had two cracks with the tying runs on base, but Bulls’ reliever Mike Ekstrom got Russ Adams and Josh Thole to fly out to end the threat.

Durham added two runs of insurance in the eighth inning and three more in the ninth for the 9-2 win.

Both Jesus Feliciano and Jason Pridie extended their hit streaks to seven games. Each have averaged over .400 during their stretches. Chris Carter finished the game 2-4 with a double and an RBI.

BUFFALO BISONS
Jason Pridie – CF
Jesus Feliciano – RF
Mike Jacobs – 1B
Mike Hessman – 3B
Chris Carter – LF
Russ Adams – 2B
Josh Thole – C
Alex Cintron – DH
Ruben Tejada – SS

Tobi Stoner – RHP

DURHAM BULLS
Fernando Perez – CF
Rashad Eldridge – RF
Justin Ruggiano – LF
Hank Blalock – 3B
Dan Johnson – DH
Joe Dillon – 2B
Chris Richard – 1B
Angel Chavez – SS
Alvin Colina – C

Jeremy Hellickson – RHP

By Justin Sheinis / Buffalo Bisons

After a four-year absence, Mike Jacobs is back to where it all began.

“Being back with the Mets is kind of like a feeling of coming home,” Jacobs said.

Drafted in the 38th round of the 1999 draft by the Mets, the 29-year old spent his first seven professional seasons with the organization. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 2005, before moving on to play for the Florida Marlins and most recently, the Kansas City Royals.

Jacobs ‘returned home’ by signing a minor league deal with the ‘Amazins this off-season with an invite to spring camp. The Mets wanted depth at first baseman, a wise notion as Daniel Murphy started the season on the disabled list.

That void was filled by Jacobs to start the year. But New York quickly turned their eyes toward red-hot prospect Ike Davis and after just two weeks, the switch was made. Davis joined New York and Jacobs was designated for assignment.

Jacobs now had the difficult decision to make: become a free agent or return to the minor leagues for the first time in over five seasons.

“This last week has kind of been tough,” Jacobs stated. “[Being designated] gave me a chance to just clear my head a little bit and spend some time with the family.”

After some careful thought, Jacobs accepted his assignment and joined the Bisons in Pawtucket on Sunday. He’s made it clear he’s excited to help the Herd win as well as prove that he is worthy of another shot at the big leagues.

Jacobs got off to a great start in his new setting, homering in his first game with the Herd.

“I think when your in the big leagues and you’re wanting to do something so much, you’re wanting to hit for power, drive in runs and hit home runs, that you kind of force things a bit, and put a little to much pressure on yourself and try to do to much,” said Jacobs.

Playing [at Triple-A] kind of clears your mind. It eases it a little bit and let’s you get back to having fun. Back to just playing baseball. Whether I’m here for a week, two weeks, a month or the whole year, I’m actually looking forward to it.”

Jacobs has good reason to feel comfortable with the Mets. He thrived in his early years with the organization, even winning the Sterling Award in 2003 for the top minor league player in the system.

For the two years prior to ’03, Jacobs had a familiar face work with him. Bisons manager Ken Oberkfell was at the helm for Single-A Capital City in 2001 and Single-A St. Lucie in 2002 during the slugger’s time in the system.

“I’ve been around him a long time. He’s a great guy and a great manager. He let’s us go out there and play,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs’s meteoric rise to the majors began with a spectacular debut on August 21, 2005, Jacobs smashed a three-run pinch-hit home run in his first ever major league at-bat. He then continued to hit three more homers in his next three games, setting an all-time major league record for the most home runs by a player in the first four games of his career.

Jacobs went on to hit .310 with 11 homers and 23RBI in just 30 games with the Mets that season.

However, after the 2005 season, Jacobs was part of a trade with the Marlins that landed Carlos Delgado in New York and sent Jacobs to Florida. In three years with the fish, he hit 69 homers, including a career best 32 long balls in 141 games in 2008.

In 2009, Jacobs hit 19 home runs with the Royals. He had one, the 100th of his career, during his brief time with the Mets this season. He hopes to add to that total soon.

“Obviously I want to be in the big leagues. Right now it’s not working out, but I am going to make the best of the opportunity that I have down here,” declared Jacobs.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Mike Jacobs and Mike Hessman had the biggest hits on Tuesday night as they led the Herd to a 9-5 victory over the Durham Bulls. Jacobs had a three-run double and Hessman launched a pair of two-run homers as Buffalo used a key two-out rally to defeat the IL’s top team.

The Bisons scored five runs with two outs in the fourth. Jacobs struck first with a booming double to left field that cleared the bases and tied the score at three. Four pitches later, Hessman hit his fifth home run of the season to drive in Jacobs as well as himself.

The active leader in minor league home runs struck again in the bottom of the eighth inning to clinch the victory. After the Bisons tacked on an insurance run on Jesus Feliciano’s RBI-double, Hessman launched his 317th career minor league home run. This one was clearly his most impressive blast in a Buffalo uniform as it flew past the protective netting in left field and onto Oak St.

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Hessman now has six home runs and 18RBI in 18 games with the Bisons.

The Bisons bullpen earned the victory for the Herd as Kiko Calero (2-0) got the win and John Lujan earned his second save. Along with Mike O’Connor the trio combined to toss 4.1 innings of shutout relief.

Dillon Gee started for the Herd and allowed five runs in 4.2 innings of work.

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