The Bisons posted their most lopsided victory of the season with a 13-5 win over Durham on Thursday afternoon. Buffalo had season highs in runs scored (13), hits (15) and margin of victory (8), most runs in an inning (6), and walks taken (7).

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Corey Sullivan collected four hits, Jesus Feliciano and Luis Rivera both had three hits, while Wily Mo Pena added two for the Herd.

Buffalo and Durham square off Friday night at 7:35 in game 2 of the series. Southpaws Jonathon Niese (BUF) and Jason Cromer (DUR) will be on the hill.

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TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons host the Durham Bulls in the first game of a four-game set at Coca-Cola Field (1:05 p.m.). The Bisons are 1-3 so far this homestand after a series defeat to the Indianapolis Indians prior to yesterday’s league-wide off day. Following this series, the Bisons will travel to Syracuse for a three-game in two day set with the Chiefs.

VS. THE BULLS: The Bisons are 1-3 against the Bulls this season, having lost a four-game set in Durham, May 29-June 1. The Herd has not lost a season series to Durham since the 1999 season. Since then, Buffalo has five season-series wins and four splits. Overall, Buffalo is 49-43 all-time against the Bulls (.533 winning pct), including a 24-20 mark at Coca-Cola Field.

COACHING MOVE: The Mets have promoted Bill Masse as the Bisons new Hitting Coach. Masse held that position with Binghamton (AA) and led the B-Mets to the 4th highest team average in the Eastern League (.269). Prior to 2009, Masse compiled a 610-560 record as a minor league manager. He made the playoffs in four of his last five years, a stretch that began with a Florida State League title with the Tampa Yankees in 2004. Former Bisons Hitting Coach Luis Natera has been transferred to Binghamton. Also this week, Bisons Coach Bobby Malek became the hitting coach for the Rookie Kingsport Mets.

ROSTER MOVE: The Bisons have activated OF Chip Ambres today. Ambres was acquired by the Mets from Boston yesterday after hitting .259 (48-185) with three home runs and 18RBI in 52 games with Pawtucket (AAA). Ambres is coming off a career year, hitting .279 with 22 homers and 77RBI with Portland (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League. To make roster room, OF Matt Watson was transferred to Binghamton (AA).

BULLY FOR THE PEN: RHP Adam Bostick has not allowed a run in three outings (5.0IP) since joining the Herd. RHP Elmer Dessens has converted his last eight save opportunities. His eight saves are T6th most in the International League. LHP Jon Switzer has made six consecutive scoreless appearances for Buffalo. He has allowed just one hit and struck out seven in his last 5.0 innings. RHP Tim McNab has allowed just one run in his last 12.2 innings.

The New York Mets today announced that Binghamton Mets Hitting Coach Bill Masse will take over as the new Hitting Coach for the Buffalo Bisons. The Mets have re-assigned coach Luis Natera to the same position with Binghamton.

Masse, 42, is in his first season in the Mets organization and his 13th season as a coach/manager in the minor leagues. As their hitting coach, the B-Mets currently rank 4th in the Eastern League with a .269 team batting average. The club is also 4th in the E.L. in walks (219) and 2nd in stolen bases (42).

Prior to joining Binghamton, Masse spent the previous nine seasons as a minor league manager in the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Montreal Expos organizations. He amazed a 610-560 record (.521 winning pct) and made the post season in four of his last five years as a manager. That streak started with a Florida State League Championship in 2004 with the Tampa Yankees (75-58).

In 2008, Masse led San Diego’s Double-A affiliate San Antonio to a 75-65 record and a playoff birth. He spent the 2007 season with Toronto’s Double-A affiliate New Hampshire and 2001-2006 in the Yankees system. After two years as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University, Masse joined the Expos system from 1997-2000.

Masse was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1988 draft out of Davidson College (NC). He played seven seasons in the Yankees minor league system and hit .269 with 71 home runs and 341RBI in 678 career games. In 1993, he hit .316 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs, 91RBI and 17 stolen bases with Triple-A Columbus and was named the Yankees Minor league Player of the Year. He retired as a player in 1995.

The New York Mets today announced that they have acquired OF Chip Ambres from the Boston Red Sox. The veteran outfielder has been assigned to the Buffalo Bisons.

Ambres, 29, was hitting .259 (48-185) with nine doubles, three home runs and 18RBI in 52 games with the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) this year. He has hit .282 (11-39) with 14RBI with runners in scoring position and has played all three outfield positions.

Ambres is coming off a career season in 2008. With Portland (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, Ambres hit .279 with career highs in home runs (22) and RBI (77). He also played 24 games over two stints with the San Diego Padres last season (.195, 8-41).

Ambres, a 2004 International League All-Star with Pawtucket, signed as a free agent with the Mets in 2007. That year, he hit .274 (117-427) with 21 home runs and 71RBI at New Orleans (AAA) before playing three games in New York with the Mets (.333, 1-3, 1RBI).

To date there has only been one no-hitter thrown in Buffalo. It belongs and will stay with Bartolo Colon, despite Daniel McCutchen’s best efforts on Tuesday night.

McCutchen no-hit the Herd for 6 1/3 until Jesus Feliciano’s single busted up the bid and just two batters later the shutout was gone after Michel Abreu’s RBI single.
Unfortunately, the Indy offense was as strong as its pitcher, building a 9-0 lead before the Bisons would get on the board. Buffalo would fall 10-2 and Indianapolis would take three of the four in the series.

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Colon’s no-hitter was thrown on June 20, 1997… No Bisons’ team has ever been faced with a no-hit bid by the opposition going into the bottom of the ninth.