The Bisons first roadtrip of the 2011 season got off to a great start. By the end of Sunday, the club will be more than happy to return to Coca-Cola Field.

The Pawtucket Red Sox swept a pair of games from Buffalo on Sunday, dropping the Herd to 1-4 on their first venture away from Western New York.

The Bisons defeated the Yankees 4-0 on Wednesday to begin their five-game roadie, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rallied to win the next two games to take the series. Buffalo then dropped two games in Pawtucket to fall to 4-7 on the season.

Sunday afternoon started with the PawSox completing a 2-1 victory in 10 innings of the suspended game the night before. The IL-north division rival then battered the Bisons for 10 runs in a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.

Saturday night’s match-up was suspended after eight innings with the game tied at one. When it resumed on Sunday, the Bisons put runners on first and third with only one out in the ninth inning but couldn’t score. Justin Turner grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 10th, Daniel Nava singled home Yamaico Navarro of reliever Manny Alvarez to hand Buffalo their third straight loss.

Buffalo came out swinging in game two, but couldn’t hold on to a 2-0 advantage. Just promoted from Double-A Binghamton, Josh Stinson yielded four runs in the third inning on three Pawtucket doubles. Nate Spears took the righty deep in the fourth and Navarro doubled home a sixth run to knock Stinson from the contest.

Pawtucket built a 10-2 advantage before the Bisons could dent the scoreboard again. Ruben Tejada and Nick Evans collected RBI-singles in a four-run rally in the seventh. Trailing 10-6, the Bisons put a pair of runners on base in the ninth inning, Pawtucket reliever Rich Hill struck out Lucas Duda on three pitches to end the game.

 

TO SUM IT UP: The Pawtucket Red Sox swept a pair of games from Buffalo on Sunday, dropping the Herd to 1-4 on their first venture away from Western New York…Sunday afternoon started with the PawSox completing a 2-1 victory in 10 innings of the suspended game the night before. The IL-north division rival then battered the Bisons for 10 runs in a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.

GAME 1: Suspended game taken in 10th

GAME 2: PawSox plate 10 to win

FUN FACTS: Dillon Gee was promoted to the Mets to start for New York in Atlanta on Sunday. The righty allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work to earn a 3-2 win over the Braves. The win snapped the Mets’ seven-game losing streak…Zach Lutz drove in the Bisons only run in the suspended game with a pinch-hit RBI-double in the seventh inning…The Bisons did not hit a home run during their five-game roadtrip.

WHAT’S NEXT: Buffalo opens an eight game homestand, hosting Rochester at 6:05 p.m. Monday night.  Jenrry Mejia (1-0, 0.00)  gets the opener for the Bisons.

Sunday, April 17, 2011 (1:05 p.m.) – McCoy Stadium
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (4-5, T4th(-1.5), North)
G1: LHP Justin Hampson (0-0, 2.08)
G2: RHP Josh Stinson (NR)

Pawtucket Red Sox (4-5, T4th(-1.5), North)
G1: RHP Scott Atchinson (0-0, 1.23)
G2: LHP Kris Johnson (0-1, 23.14)

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Pawtucket Red Sox in both games of a two-game series from McCoy Stadium (1:05 p.m.). The teams will finish last night’s suspended game before playing a second, nine-inning contest. After today’s games, the Bisons will return home to host an eight-game homestand against Rochester and Lehigh Valley.

VS. RED SOX: The Bisons are 2-2 against the PawSox this season. Buffalo hosted Pawtucket April 9-12 with the two teams splitting a four-game set. Pawtucket outscored the Herd 25-14 due in large part to a 15-1 victory on Monday, April 11. Last season, the Bisons and Red Sox split both four-game series at McCoy Stadium.

…WAIT FOR IT: The Bisons had one suspended game last year. Buffalo’s game on July 23 in Toledo was suspended after five innings before the Mud Hens collected a 12-6 win the following day.

HISTORIC WIN: One of the Bisons most historic wins in the modern era was a suspended game against Pawtucket. On April 23, 2007, the Red Sox led 3-0 in the bottom of the first before wind and rain halted the game. The game was restarted on May 5 and the PawSox eventually took a 14-6 lead into the bottom of the ninth. The Bisons rallied to score nine runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 15-14. INF TRENT DURRINGTON earned the win for Buffalo after entering the game for the final out of the top of the ninth.

ROSTER MOVE: The Mets have recalled Bisons RHP DILLON GEE today. The righty will start for New York today in Atlanta. Gee was 1-1 with a 4.63ERA in two starts for the Bisons this season. Last year, Gee set a Bisons modern era record with 165 strikeouts.

NEW STARTER: RHP JOSH STINSON will start game two for Buffalo after being promoted from Double-A Binghamton today. Stinson was the B-Mets Opening Day starter and was 1-0 with a 3.27ERA in two starts. Stinson made four starts with the Bisons last season, going 2-2 with a 2.57ERA. He threw a complete game in the Herd’s 2010 season finale, September 6 in Rochester.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (4-11) lost both ends of a doubleheader in Atlanta last night. New York fell 4-2 in game one before being shutout, 4-0, in the night cap. Former Bisons LHP PAT MISCH allowed a run in two innings of relief in game one. RHP DILLON GEE squares off against the Braves at 1:35 p.m. this afternoon.

The Bisons game against the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium on Saturday night has been suspended in the ninth inning because of rain. The Bisons were coming to the plate in the top of the ninth inning of a 1-1 game.

Saturday night’s game will be concluded on Sunday afternoon starting at 1:05 p.m. Following that game, the teams will play the nine-inning game scheduled for that day.

The game was halted just before the ninth inning as Buffalo OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis was coming to the plate against Pawtucket RHP Scott Atchinson. LHP Justin Hampson completed the bottom of the eighth inning for Buffalo.

Just promoted from Double-A Binghamton, RHP Chris Schwinden struck out a Bisons season-high nine batters in five innings of work. He will not earn a decision in the game. The Herd got their run with two outs in the top of the seventh inning as Zach Lutz doubled home Justin Turner.

Saturday, April 16, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – McCoy Stadium
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons (4-5, T4th(-1.5), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (NR)

Pawtucket Red Sox (4-5, T4th(-1.5), North)
RHP Brandon Duckworth (1-0, 0.00)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons take on the Pawtucket Red Sox in the first game of a two-game series from McCoy Stadium (6:05 p.m.). The Bisons are coming off a 2-1 series loss to the Yankees in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the club’s first roadtrip. On Monday, the Bisons return home to host an eight-game homestand against Rochester and Lehigh Valley.

VS. RED SOX: The Bisons are 2-2 against the PawSox this season. Buffalo hosted Pawtucket April 9-12 with the two teams splitting a four-game set. Pawtucket outscored the Herd 25-14 due in large part to a 15-1 victory on Monday, April 11. Last season, the Bisons and Red Sox split both four-game series at McCoy Stadium.

ROSTER MOVE: The Mets have selected the contract of Bisons LHP PAT MISCH. The Bisons 2010 Most Valuable Pitcher made one start with the Herd this season. The southpaw allowed five runs in seven innings on April 9 in a loss to Pawtucket.

NEW STARTER: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN will make his Triple-A debut with the Bisons today. The 24-year old Visalia, CA-native has thrown two scoreless relief outings for Double-A Binghamton this season. The righty made 14 starts for the B-Mets a season ago, going 3-6 with a 5.48ERA and 63 strikeouts in 70.2 innings of work. Schwinden was the Mets 22nd round pick in the 2008 first-year players draft.

A NIEU HIGH: OF KIRK NIEUWENHUIS enters tonight’s game on a Bisons’ season-high five-game hit streak. Since Monday, the outfielder has averaged .353 (6-17) with two RBI and four runs scored. Along with his eight hits on the year, Nieuwenhuis has eight walks, second-most in the International League. He enters tonight’s game with a .432 on-base percentage.

HOT HITTER: INF ZACH LUTZ got the night off last night, but still enters Saturday’s contest as one of the Bisons hottest hitters. Lutz takes a four-game hit streak into tonight’s game (.500, 7-14), three of which have been multi-hit performances. Overall, Lutz leads the Bisons with .333 average (9-27) and three doubles so far this year.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (4-9) were rained out again on Friday. After playing a doubleheader on Thursday in New York, the Mets will have to play two in Atlanta today. RHP D.J. CARRASCO will get the start in game one with RHP MIKE PELFREY starting game two. The Mets are currently five games out of first place in the N.L. East.