Mauro Gomez took the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning from Ryota Igarashi just over Fernando Martinez’ outstretched glove for a walk-off home run, giving the Gwinnett Braves a 4-3 win over the Bisons and a 3-1 series victory.

The Herd had a chance in the top of the frame with the game tied when Raul Chavez hit a deep single, but second baseman Brandon Hicks’ relay throw from left field caught the Herd catcher rounding first base before he could retreat.

Jesus Feliciano walked against reliever Jaye Chapman, but never advanced from first base.

John Lujan pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings with four strikeouts before Igarashi allowed the walk-off.

In the second, Fernando Martinez singled and Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled before Luis Hernandez gave the Bisons the first lead with a sacrifice fly.

Stefan Gartrell finished his menacing series the Bisons with his fourth home run – a two-run blast – of the four-game set in the . Gartrell went 0-for-4 Friday, but hit 6-for-9 with eight runs and eight RBI the last three games.

After Gartrell’s homer, Chavez produced a run in the fifth after a single, a throwing error by shortstop Julio Lugo, a sacrifice bunt by starter Chris Schwinden and a Luis Figueroa RBI single.

Dan Nelson, pinch hitting for Gwinnett starter Yohan Flande in the fifth, broke the 2-2 tie with a bunt single that scored Hicks. Flande’s line closed at two runs – one earned – on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks in five innings.

Luis Hernandez picked up his second RBI of the night and tied the game at three in the sixth with a single against reliever Ben Swaggerty after Nieuwenhuis’ second double. Nieuwenhuis went 3-for-4 in the loss

Schwinden left the game with a no decision after six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Game Notes: Buffalo finishes its eight-game road trip 3-5 and splits the season series with Gwinnett 4-4… Chavez threw out his 18th base runner out of 34 attempts from behind the plate (53 percent)… Home-plate umpire Kelvin Bultron ejected Valentino Pascucci for arguing a called third strike to end the top of the fifth… Jason Botts replaced Pascucci.

 

Monday, June 6, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) – Coolray Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com
 
Buffalo Bisons (26-32, 4th(-10.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (3-3, 3.04)

Gwinnett Braves (28-28, 2nd(-3.0), South)
LHP Yohan Flande (2-2, 4.54)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Gwinnett Braves in the final game of a four-game series from Coolray Field (7:05 p.m.). The Herd trails 2-1 in the series and need a win today to earn a split. The Bisons are 3-4 on their current roadtrip that ends today. Starting Tuesday, the Bisons will begin an eight-game homestand against Indianapolis and Columbus.

*The Bisons will begin an 8-game homestand Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. game against Indianapolis and Columbus.

VS. THE BRAVES: Today’s game is the final regular season matchup between the Bisons and Braves this year. The Bisons are 4-3 against the Braves with a chance to win the season series tonight. The Herd has completed two other season series, earning even 4-4 splits with Louisville and Charlotte.

SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN makes his 10th start of the season this year. The Triple-A rookie is coming off his shortest outing of the season, a 4.2-inning loss in Charlotte last Tuesday. Schwinden leads the Bisons with a 3.04ERA and 44 strikeouts in 50.1 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .193 off the righty.

OUR PAL VAL: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has at least one RBI in six of the Bisons’ seven games this roadtrip. He also has seven RBI in the seven games against Gwinnett this season. Pascucci’s 29RBI since May 10 are five more than any other hitter in the International League. In that 25-game span, the slugger has hit .329 with eight doubles, five home runs and 12 runs scored.

HOT HITTER: OF JESUS FELICIANO will be sad to see this roadtrip end. The outfielder has averaged .500 (9-18) with a pair of runs scored during the Herd’s trip south. The stretch has raised Feliciano’s season average 37 points to .278. In 22 road games this season, Feliciano is hitting .301 with 10RBI.

BISONS BITS: The Bisons are just 5-11 against left-handed pitchers this year, including an 0-8 record on the road…With a win tonight, the Bisons would split their 11th series already this season. The  club had 14 series splits in all of 2010…Since returning from the disabled list on May 28, OF LUCAS DUDA has hit .406 (13-32) with five home runs and 10RBI in 10 games.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (28-31) collected a 6-4 victory over the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball. Former Bisons RHP R.A. DICKEY allowed just one run in eight innings to improve to 3-6 on the season. INF JOSE REYES had two hits and two runs scored. The Mets are off today before beginning a 10-game roadtrip on Tuesday.

Mike Minor proved to be a major problem in Gwinnett Sunday afternoon, taking a run at perfection into the seventh inning before a Bisons rally fell just short in a 7-5 G-Braves win.

Minor sat down his first 18 batters before walking Luis Figueroa to start the seventh. Valentino Pascucci then broke up the no-hitter with one out on a bloop single to left field.

The former Atlanta first round-pick southpaw struck out nine in eight shutout innings with just a walk and a hit, leaving the game with a 7-0 lead to start the ninth.

Reliever Jose Lugo allowed singles to Jesus Feliciano, Figueroa and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to load the bases with no outs in the ninth inning, losing the shutout by walking Pascucci. Lucas Duda followed Pascucci with a one-run single.

Fernando Martinez cut the lead to three with a pinch-hit, two-run single. Jairo Asencio inherited two runners with still no outs from Lugo before Michael Fisher drove in Duda with a fielder’s choice.

Asencio escaped with the save as Raul Chavez hit into a game-ending double play.

After his two-home run, five-RBI outburst Saturday, Stefan Gartrell walked in his first two plate appearances against Herd starter Mark Cohoon, but scored both times. He homered again in the fifth, a solo shot.

In his last two games, Gartrell hit 6-for-7 with three homers, six RBI, seven runs scored and two walks.

While Minor flourished, Cohoon allowed six runs (all earned) on eight hits in five innings with three strikeouts and two walks in his second start as a Bison.

Aggressive base-running gave Gartrell the first run of the game as he took home from third on a fielder’s choice hit by Brandon Hicks, just avoiding the tag of catcher Raul Chavez.

In the fourth, Hicks built a cushion for Minor with a three-run blast against Cohoon.

Hicks hit another homer for his fifth RBI in lefty Mike O’Connor’s first relief appearance since being optioned from the Mets.

Game Notes: Major league veteran shortstop Julio Lugo made his Gwinnett debut after signing with Atlanta last month… The Bisons face two more southpaws in their next two games in Gwinnett’s Yohan Flande and Indianapolis’ Justin Wilson… Pascucci stretched his team-high hit streak to six games… Pascucci earned his 34th RBI with his bases loaded walk… Duda has 10 RBI in as many games.

Sunday, June 5, 2011 (2:05 p.m.) – Coolray Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (26-31, 4th(-9.0), North)
LHP Mark Cohoon (1-0, 9.00)

Gwinnett Braves (27-28, 2nd(-3.0), South)
LHP Mike Minor (2-2, 2.56)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Gwinnett Braves in the third game of a four-game series from Coolray Field (2:05 p.m.). The series is tied 1-1 after the Bisons 3-2 win on Friday and the Braves 7-1 victory last night. The Bisons are 3-3 on their current roadtrip that began with a four-game split in Charlotte. Starting Tuesday, the Bisons will begin an eight-game homestand against Indianapolis and Columbus.

VS. THE BRAVES: The Bisons are 4-2 against the Braves this season. The Herd won three of four in their back-to-back doubleheaders against Gwinnett last weekend at Coca-Cola Field. Dating back to last season, Buffalo has won seven of its last nine games against the Braves.

TODAY’S STARTER: LHP MARK COHOON will make his second career Triple-A start this afternoon. The southpaw won his Bisons debut last Monday in Charlotte. Cohoon allowed five runs in five innings of a 7-5 win over the Knights. He started the season at Double-A Binghamton and was 1-3 with a 3.81ERA in nine total starts (52.0IP, 44K).

ZIPPIDY DUDA: OF LUCAS DUDA has been on fire since returning from a two-week stint on the disabled list on May 27. In his last nine games, Duda has averaged .429 (12-28) with two doubles, five home runs and nine RBI. In his first 103 career games at Triple-A, Duda has 56 extra-base hits, including 29 doubles, two triples and 25 home runs.

OUR PAL VAL: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has driven in nine runs in his last eight games. Pascucci’s 28RBI since May 10 are four more than any other hitter in the International League. In that 24-game span, the slugger has hit .329 with eight doubles, five home runs and 11 runs scored. Pascucci’s team-high 33RBI on the season rank tied for seventh in the IL.

NOT RIGHT: The Bisons are scheduled to face three straight left-handed pitchers starting today with Gwinnett’s LHP Mike Minor. The Herd is just 5-10 against southpaws this year, including an 0-7 record on the road. Buffalo is an even 21-21 when facing right-handed starters.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (27-31) blanked the Braves last night, 5-0. Former Bisons RHP DILLON GEE pitched seven shutout innings and became the first Mets rookie pitcher to win his first six decisions as a starter. INF JOSE REYES added his N.L.-leading 10th triple in the loss. The Mets host the rival Braves again tonight at 8:05 p.m.

Stefan Gartrell drove in five runs on a 4-for-4 night to make Pat Misch’s return to the Herd’s mound a rough one, leading the Gwinnett Braves to a 7-1 win Saturday at Coolray Field in Georgia.

Kirk Niewenhuis also made his return since leaving the lineup after a diving catch May 24, playing center field and hitting 0-for-3 with a walk in the second spot.

Misch, who started the season in Buffalo and was an International League All-Star in 2010, was designated for assignment by the Mets May 27. The southpaw allowed six runs (all earned) on seven hits over six complete innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

Back-to-back first-inning doubles by Lucas Duda and Valentino Pascucci gave the Bisons an early run off of Braves starter Julio Teheran. Duda continued his torrid pace on the road trip, now hitting 10-for-22 with seven RBI and three home runs in his last six games.

However the Braves responded in the bottom of the frame with RBI hits by Gartrell and Wilkin Ramirez to take a 2-1 lead. Gartrell added two more RBI with a home run against Misch with Ed Lucas on base the third.

Gartrell repeated the feat, victimizing Misch for another two-run bomb in the fifth.

Teheran settled in to post scoreless innings until righty reliever Jaye Chapman replaced him for the top of the seventh. In total Teheran allowed one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk for the win.

Brian Sweeney replaced Misch in the seventh, tossing a scoreless inning before a Brandon Hicks single scored Gartrell in the eighth.

Fernando Martinez was the only Bison with multiple hits, going 2-for-4.

Game Notes: Misch is the only member of the Herd’s original rotation on the team… Pascucci increased his team lead to 33 RBI… Jeff Fiorentino replaced Ramirez in the middle of a fourth-inning at-bat after Ramirez fouled a ball off of his leg… Sweeney pitched out of the bullpen for his second consecutive appearance after five starts… The Bisons left six runners on base to the G-Braves’ five.