When you play 144 games each year, there are days were nothing goes your way. Monday night at Coca-Cola Field was one of those days for the Buffalo Bisons.

Pawtucket pummeled the Herd to a 15-1 score in the third-game of the four-get set. Tony Thomas hit his second grand slam in three days and J.C. Linares added a three-run shot as the Bisons fell to 2-3 on the season.

Buffalo didn’t help their own cause, committing four fielding errors.

The Red Sox did the bulk of their damage in the middle innings. Already holding a 1-0 advantage, Pawtucket plated three more in the fourth inning and then chased starter Casey Fossum four batters into the fifth. Linares greeted reliever Dylan Owen with a three-run home run to give the PawSox an 8-0 lead.

The PawSox scored six more in the sixth inning with Thomas clearing the bases with a slam to right field.

Buffalo broke up the shutout in the seventh inning as Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled and scored when Pawtucket shortstop Jose Iglesias missed played Raul Chavez’s grounder.

The Bisons’ offense couldn’t get going despite the addition of 2010 MVP Lucas Duda. Optioned from the Mets on Sunday night, the slugger reached on an error in four trips to the plate.

BISONS NOTES: Ryota Igarashi had his contract selected by the Mets a day after he collected the Bisons first save of the season in a 2-1 win over Pawtucket…Owen was promoted earlier in the day from Double-A Binghamton. The Bisons placed Boof Bonser on the disabled list after the starter left Sunday’s game through 3.2 innings of work.

Pawtucket Red Sox (3-2) 15, Buffalo Bisons (2-3) 1
April 11, 2011

TO SUM IT UP: A six run sixth inning for the Pawtucket Red Sox opened up an eventual 15-1 win over Buffalo on Monday night… The sixth inning included a grand slam by Tony Thomas, his second slam of the series… JC Linares added a three run shot for Pawtucket… Six Red Sox finished the game with a multi-hit performance. 

FAST FACTS: After being optioned to Buffalo by the Mets on Sunday, Lucas Duda reported for duty and started in RF, while finishing 0-4 in his return… Raul Chavez collected his first of the season… Zach Lutz rifled two doubles… Fernando Martinez snapped an 0-9 skid and finished 1-3… Ruben Tejada has hits in 4 of the 5 games this season… Three of Buffalo’s six hits were doubles… Every PawSox batter reached base at least twice….

Buffalo	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Pridie, LF	4	0	0	0	0	2	3	.217
Turner, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.182
Duda, RF	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000
Evans, N, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.231
Martinez, F, DH	3	0	1	0	1	1	0	.313
Lutz, 3B	3	0	2	0	1	0	1	.250
Nieuwenhuis, CF	3	1	1	0	1	0	3	.200
Tejada, SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	5	.316
Chavez, R, C	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.071
Totals	33	1	6	1	3	6	19
BATTING 2B: Lutz 2 (2, Duckworth, Rice), Nieuwenhuis (1, Pena, To). TB: Martinez, F; Lutz 4; Nieuwenhuis 2; Tejada; Chavez, R. RBI: Chavez, R (1). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Tejada; Turner; Chavez, R. GIDP: Evans, N; Tejada. Team RISP: 0-for-8. Team LOB: 8. Buffalo IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Fossum (L, 0-1) 4.1 8 7 7 3 3 0 14.54 Owen 1.1 5 7 2 2 2 2 13.50 Tankersley 1.1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0.00 Thayer, D 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 7.71 Alvarez, Ma 1.0 1 1 1 1 1 0 10.13

WHAT’S NEXT: The series finale for Buffalo and Pawtucket… Dillon Gee takes the mound for the second time this season, looking to rebound from an Opening Day loss… Kris Johnson takes the ball for Pawtucket at 6:05 p.m.

Monday, April 11, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – Coca-Cola Field
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com

Buffalo Bisons
(2-2, T2nd(-1.0), North)
LHP Casey Fossum (NR)

Pawtucket Red Sox
(2-2, T2nd(-1.0), North)
RHP Brandon Duckworth (NR)

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons host the Pawtucket Red Sox in the third game of a four-game series at Coca-Cola Field (6:05 p.m.). The series is tied a game apiece after an 8-3 PawSox win on Saturday and a 2-1 victory by the Herd on Sunday. Buffalo is now 2-2 on its season-opening homestand that started with a split of a two-game series against the Syracuse Chiefs. Buffalo’s first roadtrip of 2011 will start on Wednesday in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

VS. RED SOX: With yesterday’s win, the Bisons evened the 2011 season series with Pawtucket at a game apiece. The Herd’s win was only its second in its last seven games hosting the PawSox at Coca-Cola Field. Since Buffalo’s return to the IL in 1998, the Bisons hold the 110-100 edge over Pawtucket.

RETURN HOME: Tonight, LHP CASEY FOSSUM returns to the Coca-Cola Field mound for the first time in nearly two years. The southpaw began the 2009 season with the Bisons, but pitched only two games before being promoted to New York. His only appearance at home that year was against Pawtucket almost two years ago to the day. On April 12, 2009, Fossum threw five shutout frames in a game the Bisons eventually won in 15 innings, 4-2.

BULLY FOR THE PEN: The Bisons bullpen allowed just one hit in 5.1 innings of work yesterday. RHP JOSE DE LA TORRE became the first IL pitcher to reach two wins this season as he fanned three in 1.2 innings. LHP MIKE O’CONNOR and RHP MANNY ALVAREZ combined for 2.1 more scoreless before RHP RYOTA IGARASHI earned the four-out save.

MVP RETURN: The Mets have optioned OF LUCAS DUDA to the Bisons. The 25-year old was the Herd’s 2010 MVP after hitting .314 with 17 home runs and 53RBI in only 70 games. Duda was also named New York’s Sterling Organizational Player of the Year last season.

ROSTER MOVES: RHP RYOTA IGARASHI has been promoted to the Mets after two scoreless outings with the Herd. The righty tossed two shutout innings on Friday night before earning the Bisons first save of the season on Sunday with a pair of strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (4-5) lost 7-3 to the Nationals in 11 innings yesterday. New York led 3-1 after seven before Washington rallied for the win. RHP CHRIS YOUNG allowed just one run in seven innings but did not earn a decision. INF JOSE REYES had three hits in the loss. New York hosts the Rockies tonight at 7:10 p.m.

The New York Mets announced today that they have optioned OF LUCAS DUDA to the Bisons. New York also announced that they have selected the contract of Bisons RHP RYOTA IGARASHI.

Duda, 25, was the Bisons Most Valuable Player in 2010 after hitting .314 (83-264) with 23 doubles, 17 home runs and 53RBI in only 70 games with the club. He was first promoted to the Herd on June 14 and tied a Bisons all time record by homering in five straight games, June 28, July 18. His 17 home runs were tied for 2nd on last year’s club while his RBI total was 4th.

Duda was also awarded the New York Mets Sterling Organizational Player of the Year in 2010. He hit .118 (2-17) with one RBI in eight games with the Mets to start the 2011 season.

Igarashi saw action in two games for the Bisons this season. After tossing two shutout innings on Friday night against Syracuse, he earned a four-out save against the Pawtucket Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.