Monday, August 8, 2011 (7:06 p.m.) – Alliance Bank Stadium

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

Buffalo Bisons (48-66, 5th(-16.5), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (7-5, 3.59)

Syracuse Chiefs (49-64, 4th(-16.0), North)
LHP Tom Milone (8-6, 3.62)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Syracuse Chiefs in the first game of a two-game series at Alliance Bank Stadium (7:06 p.m.). This is the final stop for the Herd on its four-team roadtrip that began in Lehigh Valley, Rochester and Pawtucket. The 10-game trip was shortened to nine games with yesterday’s rainout against the Red Sox. Buffalo is 4-3 so far on the trip.

VS. THE CHIEFS: The Bisons are 3-7 in their first 10 games against Syracuse this year. This is the Herd’s third trip to Central New York this year following a two-game split, July 4-5, and a 3-1 series loss July 18-21. Since 2009, the Bisons are just 7-15 at Alliance Bank Stadium.

ROSTER MOVE: The Mets have recalled INF RUBEN TEJADA today. The infielder was with New York for 52 games between May 17 and July 21 and hit .250 (42-168) with 19RBI. The 21-year old had averaged .246 (51-207) with 13 extra-base hits in 54 games with the Bisons this season.

ROSTER MOVEII: The New York Mets recalled OF MIKE BAXTER. The Mets claimed Baxter off waivers from the San Diego Padres on July 22 earlier this year. He was batting .256 (10-39) with four runs scored, two triples, one home run and five RBI in 11 games for the Bisons after batting .438 (7-16) with four RBI in four games for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his team-high 21st start this afternoon. The righty leads the Bisons with seven wins, 107 strikeouts and a 3.59ERA. His strikeout total is tied for the 5th most in the International League and is already the 9th-highest for a Bisons pitcher in the Modern era. RHP DILLON GEE set the single-season strikeout mark in 2010 with 165 strikeouts.

SMOOTH AS SATIN: INF JOSH SATIN brings a 13-game hit streak into today’s contest, over which he has averaged .412 (21-51). It is tied for the second longest active streak in the International League behind only Durham’s Leslie Anderson (19 games). Satin extended his hit streak Saturday night with a double of Pawtucket’s LHP Royce Ring and now has nine hits in 11 at-bats against lefties since joining the Bisons (.818 average).

BISONS BITS: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has 78RBI on the season, tied for the 2nd most in the International League…RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN has struck out six or more in seven straight starts…Since returning from the DL, OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ has hit .304 (7-23) with four doubles, a home run and four RBI in six games.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (56-57) lost to the Braves by a 6-5 score on Sunday afternoon. In the game, INF JOSE REYES suffered a strain of his left hamstring while former Bisons INF DANIEL MURPHY sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee. The Mets look to rebound tonight against San Diego at 7:10 p.m.

Sunday, August 7, 2011 (1:05 p.m.) – McCoy Stadium
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (48-66, 5th(-16.5), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (7-5, 3.59)

Pawtucket Red Sox (64-50, 2nd(-0.5), North)
RHP Kyle Weiland (8-7, 3.20)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Pawtucket Red Sox in the final game of a four-game series at McCoy Stadium (1:05 p.m.). Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Bisons need a win today to split the four-game set. Buffalo is 4-3 on their season-long four-team, 10-game roadtrip. The roadtrip will conclude with a pair of games in Syracuse on Monday and Tuesday.

VS. THE RED SOX: The Bisons are facing the Red Sox for the final time in 2011 today. The Herd is just 4-11 against Pawtucket this season. Nine of the last 11 contests between the Bisons and the PawSox have been decided by three runs or less with six one-run games.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his team-high 21st start this afternoon. The righty leads the Bisons with seven wins, 107 strikeouts and a 3.59ERA. His strikeout total is tied for the 5th most in the International League and is already the 9th-highest for a Bisons pitcher in the Modern era. RHP DILLON GEE set the single-season strikeout mark in 2010 with 165 strikeouts.

SMOOTH AS SATIN: INF JOSH SATIN brings a 13-game hit streak into today’s contest, over which he has averaged .412 (21-51). It’s the second longest active streak in the International League behind only Durham’s Leslie Anderson (18 games). Satin extended his hit streak last night with a double of Pawtucket’s LHP Royce Ring and now has nine hits in 11 at-bats against lefties since joining the Bisons (.818 average).

ROSTER MOVE: Yesterday, the Bisons welcomed back C MIKE NICKEAS from a stint with the Mets and INF ZACH LUTZ from the disabled list. Nickeas has hit .208 in 50 games with the Bisons this year and Lutz has averaged .314 in 39 games around three stints to the disabled list. To make roster room, C DUSTY RYAN was transferred to Double-A Binghamton.

BISONS BITS: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has 78RBI on the season, tied for the 2nd most in the International League…RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN has struck out six or more in seven straight starts…Since returning from the DL, OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ has hit .304 (7-23) with four RBI in six games.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (56-56) beat the Braves, 11-7, in a slugfest from Citi Field last night. Former Bisons INF JUSTIN TURNER homered twice and drove in four runs for New York. Former Bisons RHP DILLON GEE gets the Ball today in the rubber-match with the Braves this afternoon at 1:10 p.m.

Saturday, August 6, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – McCoy Stadium
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (48-65, 5th(-16.5), North)
LHP Pat Misch (6-6, 4.50)

Pawtucket Red Sox (63-50, 2nd(-1.5), North)
RHP Tony Pena Jr.  (7-5, 3.83)   

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Pawtucket Red Sox in the third game of a four-game series at McCoy Stadium (6:05 p.m.). The Bisons and PawSox have split the first two games of the series with each team winning in their last at-bat. Buffalo is now 4-2 on their season-long four-team, 10-game roadtrip. The roadtrip will continue on Monday in Syracuse.

VS. THE RED SOX: The Bisons have just two wins in their last 10 games against the Red Sox. Overall, the Herd is 4-10 against Pawtucket this season. Nine of the last 10 contests between the Bisons and the PawSox have been decided by three runs or less with six one-run games. Three of Buffalo’s four wins against Pawtucket this year have been by one run.

DISCH ON MISCH: LHP PAT MISCH is 3-1 with a 4.26ERA in his four starts since the All-Star Break. The southpaw picked up his sixth win of the season on July 31 with seven shutout innings against Lehigh Valley. It was Misch’s team-high ninth quality start of the season. The last time the pitcher visited McCoy Stadium he allowed just two unearned runs in 6.1 innings but took the loss in a 2-0 loss on July 9.

SMOOTH AS SATIN: INF JOSH SATIN has a 12-game hit streak, the longest active streak for a Bisons batter. During the stretch, the infielder has averaged .426 (20-47). The Triple-A rookie has two hits and a walk in each of his last four games. With 21 hits and seven walks, Satin has gotten on base an average of two times in his first career 14 games at the Triple-A level.

Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI collected his 76th and 77th RBI with his first-inning home run last night. The slugger ranks 2nd in the IL behind only Yankees INF Jorge Vazquez (81). Pascucci has gone back-to-back games without driving in a run just once since the All-Star Break. Overall, the veteran has 27RBI in 22 games since the mid-summer break.

ROSTER MOVE: The Mets announced last night that they have purchased the contract of INF NICK EVANS. This will be Evans’ third stint with the Mets this season. He has averaged .313 in 64 games with the Herd this season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (55-56) lost to the Braves, 4-1, last night from Citi Field. New York had just four hits in the game, with two coming from INF DAVID WRIGHT. RHP R.A. DICKEY allowed just two runs in seven innings but fell to 5-10 on the season. The Mets will host the Braves again tonight at 7:10 p.m.

Fernando Martinez’ third double of the night put the Herd ahead in the eighth, but Brett Carroll’s walk-off bloop two-run single gave the PawSox a 6-5 win Friday night.

Dale Thayer took the loss, dropping to 3-3 on his fourth blown save. Pawtucket reliever Jason Rice earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Fernando Martinez knocked three doubles with two RBIs, including the go-ahead run in the eighth.

In the first, Valentino Pascucci launched his 17th home run of the season, a two-run shot for his 76th and 77th RBIs, in the first inning, scoring Josh Satin, who extended his hit streak to 12 games in the previous at-bat.

Pawtucket’s slugging first baseman, Lars Anderson, countered Pascucci with his own homer in the bottom of the frame, tying the game after Che-Hsuan Lin doubled and scored on a pair of ground outs.

The PawSox took the lead in the second, when Pascucci attempted to turn a double play to shortstop Ruben Tejada with runners on the corners and one out, getting the out at second, but not at first.

Daniel Nava scored before Jose Iglesias reached first base as starter Miguel Batista missed the catch at first.

Brett Carroll added to the Pawtucket lead in the third against Batista, scoring Nate Spears on a single after Spears led off the inning with a walk and made his way to third on two groundouts.

The Herd tied the game at four in the sixth, when Fernando Martinez’ double with two runners on brought home Mike Baxter and Nick Evans’ grounder scored Satin from third.

Batista and PawSox starter Kevin Millwood both left the game after six innings without a decision.

Batista allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with five strikeouts to two walks. Millwood allowed four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Another major league veteran, Hideki Okajima, replaced Millwood for the seventh.

Satin, Jesus Feliciano and Ruben Tejada each collected two hits.

Southpaw Mike O’Connor worked out of an inherited bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh.

Game Notes: Satin is 20-for-47 over his streak… Carroll made his Pawtucket debut Friday… Batista and Millwood faced each other in Buffalo July 25, when the Herd won 8-7 and Batista struck out a season-high nine… Thayer leads the Herd with 16 saves… The Herd falls to 4-10 against the PawSox in 2011.

 

Friday, August 5, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – McCoy Stadium
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, WGR Sportsradio 550, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (48-64, 5th(-15.5), North)
RHP Miguel Batista (1-0, 5.14)
Pawtucket Red Sox (62-50, 2nd(-1.5), North)
RHP Kevin Millwood (5-1, 4.12)      

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Pawtucket Red Sox in the second game of a four-game series at McCoy Stadium (7:05 p.m.). The Bisons are currently 4-1 on a season-long 10-game roadtrip that began with a two-game sweep in Lehigh Valley and a split of a two-game set in Rochester. The roadtrip will continue on Monday with two games in Syracuse.

SMOOTH AS SATIN: INF JOSH SATIN has a 11-game hit streak, the longest active streak for a Bisons batter. During the stretch, the infielder has averaged .409 (18-44) with five multi-hit performances. Since his promotion on July 22, the Triple-A rookie has hit in 12 of his 13 games with the Herd and accumulated four doubles, one home run, 10RBI and six walks.

BISONS CHARTS: OF JESUS FELICIANO collected three hits and now has 350 hits in his Bisons career. The outfielder is just the fifth Bisons player to reach that plateau in the modern era and first since INF Brandon Phillips (Bill Selby is modern era leader with 378). In three seasons, Feliciano has hit .313 (350-1,119) as a Bison, the 2nd-highest average in the club’s modern era.

VS. THE RED SOX: The Bisons are 4-9 against Pawtucket. The Herd got its first win at McCoy Stadium this season with last night’s 5-4 win. It was just Buffalo’s second win in their last nine games against the PawSox. The last time the Bisons won a series in Pawtucket was a two-game sweep, July 9-10, 2009.

ON THE BUMP: RHP MIGUEL BATISTA will make his 7th appearance of the season with the Herd. In his last start, Batista earned his first win of the season on July 30 against Lehigh Valley IronPigs with 5.2 innings of work. The righty struck out eight batters and allowed just one run. In his last start against Pawtucket, Batista worked six innings and struck out a season-high nine batters in an 8-7 Bisons win on July 25.

THE CLOSER: RHP DALE THAYER notched his 15th save of the season last night. That total is good for 5th-most in the IL. The last Bisons pitcher to record more than 15 saves in a season was RHP Jake Robbins, who closed out 23 games in 2005. Thayer has converted 14 of his last 15 save opportunities.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (55-55) host the rival Braves tonight at Citi Field (7:10 p.m.) for a three-game set. The Mets are eight games behind the Braves for the National League’s lone wild card spot. RHP R.A. DICKEY will get the start for New York tonight against Atlanta’s ace RHP Tim Hudson.