A near-cycle by Jason Botts, four Nick Evans hits and a quality start by Chris Schwindenhelped the Bisonseven the series with a game two 9-1winover the Bulls Tuesday night in Durham.

Buffalo jumped on Bulls starter Lance Cormier early, benefitting from a pair of Durham mistakes.

After Luis Figueroa reached on an error by Durham second baseman Felipe Lopez and a Michael Fisher single, Cormier balked in the game’s first run. Buffalo took a second run when Valentino Pascuccihit into a double play with Fisher on second and Zach Lutz, who singled, on first.

Figueroa again reached on an error in the second, when Cormier’s errant toss to first hit him in the back before the Buffalo shortstop reached second base. Cormier was also credited with a fielding error before the throw, but escaped the inning with a diving stop by first baseman Russ Canzlerfor a ground out by Fisher.

Nick Evans made it a 3-0 lead, driving in Bottsafter he lined a double off the “blue monster” wall in left field. After a 4-for-5 night, Evans has eight multi-hit games in his last 11. Jesus Feliciano drove in Evans with a single to give Schwindena four-run cushion.

Schwinden cruised with three hitless innings before three singles and a sacrifice fly by Canzlercut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth. He allowed just that run, three hits and a walk over six innings, striking out three.

Cormier left after four innings, his longest start as a Bull, allowing four runs (only one earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Cormier’s reliever, Ryan Reid, allowed an RBI triple to Bottsand Evans’ third single, scoring Bottsin the fifth.

With a seventh-inning solo shot, Bottshit just a single shy of the cycle. Bottsflew out to center field in a nine-pitch battle with Mike Eckstromin his final plate appearance.

Lutz sealed the game with a two-run homer in the ninth, his second bomb of the series.

Game Notes: Fisher takes his hit streak to 15 games, the longest active stretch in the International League… Schwinden(4-3) took the win for the first time since May 16 after two losses and three no-decisions… Ryotapitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings before John Lujan closed out the ninth.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (29-43, T4th(-15.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (3-3, 3.19)

Durham Bulls (39-31, 1st(+2.0), South)
RHP Lance Cormier (0-0, 1.59)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Durham Bulls in the second  game of a four-game series from Durham Bulls Athletic Park (7:05 p.m.). The Herd lost the series opener to the Bulls on Monday night by a score of 2-1. After Thursday, the Bisons return home for a season-long 10-game homestand against Norfolk, Lehigh Valley and Syracuse.

VS. THE BULLS: The Bisons are 0-1 against Durham this season. Last year, the home team ruled this season series with seven of the eight wins. The pattern continued last night as Durham won the series opener. Since 2009, the home team has won 14 of 17 games in this match-up.

ON THE BUMP: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his 13th start of the season for the Bisons tonight. The righty did not factor into the decision in his last outing on June 16 against Norfolk after allowing three runs (one earned) in 5.2 innings of work. He also struck out seven Tides’ batters. On the year, Schwinden is 3-3 and leads all Buffalo starters with a 3.19ERA and 57 strikeouts.

GONE FISHIN’: INF MICHAEL FISHER owns the longest active hit streak in the International League. The Triple-A rookie has hit in 14 straight contests with a .304 (17-56) batting average. Fisher has also added four doubles, five RBI and 11 runs scored during the stretch. The streak is the second longest for a Bisons batter this season (OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS, 16 games).

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF/OF NICK EVANS brings a 10-game hit streak into action tonight. Evans has averaged .447 (17-38) during a streak that began in May before a month-long promotion to the Mets. The slugger is the fourth Bisons batter to reach double-digit games in a hit streak this year. Evans has had a very productive roadtrip thus far, batting .444 (8-18) with six RBI.

BISONS BITS: OF JESUS FELICIANO has an eight-game hit streak heading into tonight (.323, 10-31)…INF ZACH LUTZ hit his first home run since April 12 in last night’s loss. Lutz missed 44 games with a right hamstring injury and a left ring finger injury….The Bisons last victory at Durham Bulls Athletic Park was a 9-3 win on May 29, 2009.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (35-37) had an off day on Monday as they get ready to host the Oakland Athletics for a three game series. Former Bisons’ ace RHP DILLON GEE gets the start tonight. He has won his first seven decisions of the season and looks to snap the Athletics’ five-game winning streak.

On a hot Monday night in Durham, the Bisons could only muster one run on nine hits in a 2-1 loss to the Bulls.

Jason Botts represented the tying run with a pinch-hit, two-out single in the ninth, but reliever Jake McGee saved the game with a ground out hit by Mike Nickeas.

The Bisons managed three first-inning hits against Durham starter Chris Bootcheck, but couldn’t score. With Luis Figueroa on third, Bootcheck caught Michael Fisher in a rundown at first, but first baseman Dan Johnson made a throw home just in time to catch a sneaking Figueroa.

After a single by Valentino Pascucci put Fisher on third, Bootcheck rebounded to retire the next 10 batters he faced until a fifth-inning leadoff single by Nick Evans.

Fisher’s first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the best active streak in the International League. Nick Evans also extended a streak to 10 games with a 2-for-4 night.

Bootcheck allowed one earned run on seven hits with five strikeouts without a walk.

Durham’s Desmond Jennings powered a Dylan Owen pitch over the right field wall for a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, the game’s first score. Over six innings, Owen allowed six hits with the two runs off the home run, striking out five to two walks.

Zach Lutz hit a long ball of his own, cutting the lead in half with a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning against Bootcheck.

Game Notes: Monday’s game marked the first between the Herd and the Bulls. The Bulls won the 2010 series 5-3… Dale Thayer, a former Bull, pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings in relief of Owen… Jesus Feliciano stretched his hit streak to eight games with a single in the seventh inning… The game started with a temperature of 85 degrees.

Monday, June 20, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (29-42, T5th(-14.0), North)
RHP Dylan Owen (2-3, 5.00)

Durham Bulls (38-31, 1st(+2.0), South)
RHP Chris Bootcheck (2-1, 3.82)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Durham Bulls in the first  game of a four-game series from Durham Bulls Athletic Park (7:05 p.m.). The Herd began this eight-game roadtrip with a series split in Norfolk. After Thursday, the Bisons return home for a season-long 10-game homestand against Norfolk, Lehigh Valley and Syracuse.

VS. THE BULLS: Tonight’s contest is the Bisons first against Durham this year. Last season, the home team ruled this season series. Buffalo won three of four at Coca-Cola Field (April 27-30), while the Bulls swept the Herd at DBAP (June 8-11). In the last two seasons, the home team has won 13 of 16 games in games between the Bisons and the Bulls.

ON THE BUMP: RHP DYLAN OWEN makes his seventh start and 12th appearance for the Bisons today. The righty lost his last outing on June 13 against Columbus after allowing three runs in 4.2 innings of work. As a starter this season, Owen is 2-3 with a 3.71ERA in six appearances.

GONE FISHIN’: INF MICHAEL FISHER owns the longest active hit streak in the International League. The Triple-A rookie has hit in 13 straight contests with a .308 (16-52) batting average. Fisher has also added four doubles, five RBI and 11 runs scored during the stretch. The streak is the second longest for a Bisons batter this season (OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS, 16 games).

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF/OF NICK EVANS brings a nine-game hit streak into action tonight. Evans has averaged .441 (15-34) during a streak that began in May before a month-long promotion to the Mets. Evans drove in five runs yesterday for the first time as a Bison, going 2-4 with three runs scored.

BISONS BITS: Today is the 14th anniversary on the Bisons lone modern era no-hitter. RHP BARTOLO COLON tossed a no-no in a 4-0 victory over the New Orleans Zyphers on June 20, 1997…The Bisons batted around twice yesterday in scoring a season-high 16 runs. It was the most runs scored by the Herd since the final game of the 2010 season (16-1 win over Rochester, 9/6/10)…OF JESUS FELICIANO has a seven-game hit streak (.333, 9-27).

METS UPDATE: The Mets (35-37) lost to the Angels yesterday by a 7-3 score. OF CARLOS BELTRAN went 1-2 with an RBI and three walks. Former Bisons INF RUBEN TEJADA and C JOSH THOLE each had two hits in the loss. The Mets are off tonight and will welcome in the Oakland A’s for a three-game set starting Tuesday.

Sunday, June 19, 2011 (1:15 p.m.) – Harbor Park
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (28-42, 6th(-14.0), North)

Norfolk Tides (27-41, 4th(-10.0), South)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Norfolk Tides in the final game of a four-game series from Harbor Park (1:15 p.m.). Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Herd needs a win today to earn a split of the four-game set. The roadtrip continues for Buffalo tomorrow as the Bisons will travel to Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a four-game series with the Bulls.

VS. THE TIDES: The Bisons are 1-2 against the Tides this year and are in danger of losing their first series at Norfolk since 2004. The Herd lost three of five games in an extended series, May 29 – June 1, 2004 (rainout in Buffalo). That is the only series the Bisons have ever lost at Harbor Park. The Herd has eight series wins (two sweeps) and four splits in Norfolk since 1998.

GONE FISHIN’: INF MICHAEL FISHER now owns the second-longest hit streak for a Bison this year. Since June 6, Fisher has hit in 12 straight games, averaging .292 (14-48) with three doubles, five RBI and nine runs scored. It’s the longest active streak in the International League and only four games shorter than OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS’S team-high 16-game stretch in April.

IN THE WATER: OF JESUS FELICIANO continues to enjoy Tides’ pitching. In 16 career games against Norfolk, the veteran has averaged .368 (25-68) with 10 runs scored and 11RBI. Feliciano had three hits last night and will bring a six-game hit streak into today’s action. Since June 9, Feliciano has averaged .333 (8-24) with a double and a run scored.

EVANS ALMIGHTY: INF/OF NICK EVANS extended his hit streak to eight games last night. Evans has averaged .433 (13-30) during a streak that began in May before a month-long promotion to the Mets.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (35-36) defeated the Angles, 6-1, last night from Citi Field. RHP MIKE PELFREY pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits with five strikeouts. OF CARLOS BELTRAN homered and drove in three. The Mets host the Angles for the rubber-match of their three-game set today at 1:10 p.m.