Saturday, July 2, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet HD 713        
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (36-47, T4th(-12.0), North)
LHP Mark Cohoon (2-4, 7.63)

Syracuse Chiefs (34-45, T4th(-12.0), North)
LHP Tom Milone (6-5, 3.51)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons welcome the Syracuse Chiefs in the first game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The Bisons are now 6-2 on their 10-game homestand that began with a four-game sweep of Norfolk and was followed by a split of a four-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Buffalo is an even 23-23 at home this season.

VS. THE CHIEFS: The Bisons are 1-1 against the Chiefs this season as the two teams split a season-opening series in Buffalo. It has been 84 days since the two Thruway rivals squared off. With that, there are only nine players on the Bisons active roster who played in that two-game set to begin 2011. The Herd’s active roster has just two hits in only 17 at-bats against Chiefs pitching this season.

ON THE BUMP: LHP MARK COHOON makes his seventh start for the Herd tonight. Cohoon work a season-high six innings and allowed only three runs in a victory over Norfolk his last time out. His four strike outs against the Tides was also an individual high for the Triple-A rookie.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN made his team-high 15th start of the season last night. The International League All-Star worked seven innings and allowed only four hits with eight strikeouts. Schwinden is currently sixth in the  International League with a 2.87ERA. He is also leading the Bisons with five wins and 75 strikeouts.

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF NICK EVANS’ went 2-3 in last night’s game for his 25th multi-hit performance on the season. That total is 11 more than any other Bisons batter. Evans had a hit in 20 out of his last 21 games with a .494 average (40-81). In the first eight games of this homestand, the slugger has led the herd with a .500 average (15-30). 

BISONS BITS: Last night, INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI went 1-4 and currently has the longest active hitting streak on the Bisons with a seven-game stretch (.269, 7-26)…Last night’s game was the first time the Herd lost in the last at-bat at home this season (previously 5-0).

METS UPDATE: The Mets (41-41) lost 5-1 in the first game of the Subway Series against the New York Yankees, last night . Former Bisons LHP JON NIESE allowed three runs in six innings of work to fall to 7-7 on the season. The Mets collected 10 hits in the game, but all were singles. The Mets host the Yankees again today at 4:10 p.m.

After eight and a half innings of scoreless baseball, two huge Bisons throwing errors cost the Herd two-runs in the ninth-inning as they dropped Friday’s game, 2-0, to Lehigh Valley at Coca-Cola Field.

After Michael O’Conner retired Lehigh Valley in order in the eighth-inning he walked the leadoff batter in the ninth-inning. Ryota Igarashi entered the game and attempted to pick Pete Orr off first base, but Valentino lost the throw and it sailed down the right-field line allowing Orr to scramble to third.

“In Irgarashi’s case he’s got a base-stealer on first and one that warrants a throw, and that’s part of his assignment,” manager Tim Teufel said. “This one got away from him a bit got to the inside and I think hit-off Pasucci and went off into the outfield.”

Irgarashi got the next batter to line-out to Luis Hernandez and then walked Tagg Bozied to set up the double-play ball. But Delwyn Young smacked a ground ball just under Pascucci’s glove and rolled into right-field scoring the first run of the game.

Lehigh Valley added a second run after Raul Chavez let a pick-off throw to first base sail wide of the bag and into right-field. Young moved from first to third and Bozied scored to give the IronPigs a, 2-0, lead in the ninth-inning.

“We didn’t execute at the right time,” Teufel said. “A leadoff walk always hurts, and especially late in the game, and then you compound that with a bad pick-off at first and you put the defense and everybody else in a bad position.”

Michael Schwimer closed out the last two-innings for the IronPigs, giving them the win and a series split with the Bisons.

Chris Schwinden showed why he is a 2011 International League All-Star selection, getting IronPigs to swing at breaking balls in the dirt and whiff on high fastballs cruising bye at the letters. Schwinden retired the first ten-batters in order before giving up a ground-rule double in the third inning.

“I tell you what, Schwinden continues to look good, he did his job and really pitched a great game and had good stuff, had a lot of swing and misses can’t say enough about the job he did,” Teufel said.

Schwinden escaped a bases loaded jam in the fifth-inning after giving up two-singles to leadoff the inning. After giving up a third-single to load the bases Schwinden retired the next two-batters on a strike out and fly-out.

“Me and Chavez were working well together, cutter was working well, curveball, getting them off-speed with the change-up and curveball so that really helped us out a bit today,” said Schwinden.

After escaping the fifth-inning Schwinden retired the next six-IronPigs to face him. He got three consecutive batters on strikes, and two of the three on called third strikes.

Schwinden worked seven-innings, gave up four-hits, and posted eight-strike-outs while giving up no-runs, and got a no-decision for his effort. The eight-strike-outs are the second highest mark Schwinden has reached in 2011. He totaled nine-strike-outs in his first start of the year on April, 14 against Pawtucket.

Schwinden’s counterpart Lehigh Valley starter Brian Bass matched Schwinden’s effort using a heavy sinker to retire 13 of the first 16 batters he faced with ground-ball outs. Not until the final out of the sixth-inning did Bass get a fly-ball out.

The Herd threatened Bass in the first-inning but couldn’t put a run across after getting two-runners on. Statistically Bass has the most trouble in the first-inning, entering Friday’s game with a 8.40 ERA in the first frame.

Game Notes: Chris Schwinden was selected to the 2011 International League All-Star game…Just a day after going, 0-4, and breaking his 19-game hit Nick Evans went, 2-3, with a walk…Since giving up a first-inning homerun on June 26 he has pitched 12 straight scoreless innings.

 

The Bisons put their 10-singles to good use scoring four-runs in a, 4-2, win over Lehigh Valley Thursday night at Coca-Cola Field.

“Everybody chipped in, it was different ways that we scored, it was a very fruitful game, timely hitting, and guys did a real nice job out there defensively,” manager Tim Teufel said.

 

Bubba Bell led the offensive charge leading off the third-inning with his first of three-base hits. Mike Nickeas followed Bell’s lead and singled into left-field putting two-runners on with no-outs. Bisons starter Dylan Owen helped his cause by moving the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

“Everything felt pretty good tonight, I was seeing the ball really well, and you know it’s just one of those nights that you can just throw the bat out there and you’re going to get a couple hits,” said Bubba Bell.

Luis Figueroa singled in Bell for the Bisons first run tying the game at one. With Nickeas at third and Figueroa at first, Michael Fisher grounded into a fielder’s choice allowing Nickeas to score, putting the Herd ahead, 2-1.

After one out in the fourth-inning Bell singled for the second time Thursday night scoring Jesus Feliciano. Luis Hernandez scored on Nickeas’ single into center-field to make it, 4-1. Bell singled again in the sixth inning, but was left stranded after Nickeas and Jason Botts struck out.

Bell was red hot going three for four, with a run driven in and a run scored. The IronPigs finally retired Bell in his final at-bat of the game to end the eighth-inning.

“Bell drove in a big run, and continues to swing the bat well,” Teufel said.

The Herd got a solid start from Owen, pitching six-innings and giving up two-runs on solo-homeruns in the third and sixth inning. After giving up the solo-shot in the third inning Owen retired the next eight batters in a row.

“Owen was just outstanding on the mound; he gave us what we needed.” Teufel said. “We needed to get deep in the game and he brought us deep enough.”

The IronPigs second-run came in the sixth-inning when Owen gave up a solo-homerun. Owen has given up three-runs or fewer in his last five starts. He gave up two-runs in his last start leaving after 5.1 innings and a no-decision.

Owen got the win Thursday after pitching six-innings, giving up six-hits, two-runs, and striking-out five IronPigs. Dale Thayer closed out the game for his team leading sixth-save of the season.

“I think everybody did a really good job, both sides of the ball actually,” said Bell. “It’s good, we’ve started coming together, we’re playing well as a team right now, and I think that once you can get some momentum going with that it makes it a lot easier for us to play as a team.”

Game Notes: Nick Evans failed to get a hit for the first time in 19-games, ending a season high hit-streak for the Bisons…Dale Thayer closed out Thursdays game pitching the final two-innings and taking the team lead in saves with six…The Bisons are now, 6-1, during their current homestand.

Thursday, June 30, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (35-46, T4h(-12.0), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (2-4, 4.56)

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (46-33, 1st(+3.5), North)
RHP Tyson Brummett (0-1, 5.19)

TODAY’S GAME: After splitting the first two games of a four-game series, the Bisons will host the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Field tonight (7:05 p.m.). The Bisons are now 5-1 on their 10-game homestand that began with a four-game sweep of Norfolk. Buffalo‘s record is 22-22 at home this season. Following tomorrow’s series finale, the Bisons will host Syracuse for two games.

DEALIN’ DYLAN: RHP DYLAN OWEN will make his 9th start of the season tonight. The right-hander has not given up more than three runs in each of his last four starts. Owen’s ERA is a full point lower at home (4.10) than it is on the road (5.14) in the same number of starts. In his last outing against Norfolk, Owen went 5.1IP giving up two runs in a no decision. In his one previous start against the IronPigs this season, he earned the win pitching six scoreless innings while strucking out six on April 25.

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF NICK EVANS’ has tied the International League best 19-game hit streak for 2011. Columbus’s Luis Valbuena hit in 19-straight May 22-June 9. Evans erupted for five hits, which marks the first time all season that a Bison player recorded five hits in one game. Evans is just the 8th Bisons player to reach 19 games with a hit streak in the modern era. During his streak, the slugger has averaged an amazing .514 (38-74) with 11 doubles, three home runs and 15RBI.

GET IGGY WITH IT: RHP RYOTA IGARASHI closed out the Bisons 7-5 win against the IronPigs yesterday. With the save, Igarashi is now tied for the team lead with RHP DALE THAYER at five. He now has made 10 consecutive scoreless outings out of the bullpen. Since June 8, the reliever has yielded just six hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. He has yet to allow a hit with runners in scoring position (0-13).

BISONS BITS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN was selected to the International League All-Star Team. He currently leads the team in the all Triple Crown pitching categories with five wins, 67 strikeouts, and a 3.12ERA…The Mets recalled OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ this afternoon.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (41-39) continue their hot hitting with a 16-9 win in Detroit last night. New York has now scored 52 runs in their last four games. C RONNIE PAULINO and OF ANGEL PAGAN both had four hits in the victory. New York takes on the Tigers again today at 1:05 p.m.

The New York Mets today announced that they have selected the contract of Buffalo Bisons OF FERNANDO MARTINEZ. He will fill the roster spot that opened when the Mets placed OF Willie Harris on the paternity leave list for the birth of his child.

Martinez has played 45 games with the Bisons this season and hit .266 (42-158) with six doubles, six home runs, 23RBI and 21 runs scored. He has made 33 starts in right field for the Bisons and six as the club’s designated hitter this season.

 For Martinez, this will be his second stint with New York this season. The outfielder was with the Mets from May 12-29.