BISONS:
Justin Turner, 2B
Luis Hernandez, SS
Jorge Padilla, CF
Mike Jacobs, 1B
Fernando Martinez, RF
Mike Cervenak, 3B
Lucas Duda, LF
JR House, C
Pat Misch, LHP

CHIEFS:
Boomer Whiting, LF
Justin Maxwell, CF
Chase Lambin, 2B
Jason Botts, 1B
Kevin Mench, RF
Seth Bynum, 3B
Jamie Burke, C
Pedro Lopez, SS
Jason Jones, RHP

Power numbers coming through at minors’ highest level
By Justin Sheinis / Buffalo Bisons

Despite standing in the batter’s box at an imposing 6’5″ and 240 pounds, Lucas Duda was not known as much of a home run hitter coming into 2010.

The Mets 7th round pick of the 2007 Draft had just 24 total homer in his first three pro seasons combined. He had four long balls in his first year with Single-A Brooklyn, 11 in 2008 with Single-A St. Lucie and nine more last season with Binghamton at the Double-A level.

However, Duda has broken out of his shell in 2010…and in a big way.

The newest power hitter in the Mets’ system has 13 home runs already this year, seven of which have come in a record-breaking debut with the Buffalo Bisons.

“There’s a lot of work in the [batting] cages,” Duda explained. “But ultimately, you get a pitch to hit and luckily you put some good wood on it and it leaves the yard.”

Duda has found the sweet spot regularly with the Herd since a June 14 promotion from Binghamton. The outfielder has driven in 22 runs in only 20 games and matched an all-time Buffalo record by homering in five consecutive games from June 29 – July 2.

That put Duda firmly in the Bisons record books with some impressive names, including Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famers Ollie Carnegie, Carlos Garcia and Bill Selby. That last Bison to homer in five straight was third baseman Andy Marte in 2006.

The great week at the plate was also noticed by the International League, who dubbed him with its Batter the Week. He led the IL with five home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage during the stretch. He is the third Bison to win the honor this year, joining Mike Hessman and Jesus Feliciano.

Duda’s arrival at Triple-A was actually supposed to happen earlier in the season. The Mets had their eyes on the prospect early, but a right hamstring strain slowed down Duda’s progress.

“Before he injured himself at Double-A, he was swinging great,” said New York Mets minor league field coordinator and former Bisons manager Terry Collins, who was in town to witness the impressive homer streak. “He was just weeks away from coming here (Triple-A) in April or May, but now he’s here and I’m glad he is because he is showing everyone that he belongs here.”

“Before the injury I felt great, but obviously that slowed me down a little bit,” Duda said. “I think now I’m starting to pick up some good at-bats and have some good swings.”

Duda’s good swings have mean runs on the board for the Bisons. But although the honors and attention that have come from the home run stretch are nice feathers in Duda’s cap, in the end his objective for the season remains the same.

“I would rather win some games than have that streak and honor, that’s always the bigger goal.”

A seesaw battle saw the Bisons on the losing end of a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Syracuse Chiefs on Tuesday night from Alliance Bank Stadium.

The Bisons took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Chiefs came right back to tie it in the bottom half of the frame. Syracuse then took a 3-1 lead in the home half of the third, before the Bisons came right back and scored three in the very next half inning to go on top 4-3.

However the final swing was the way of the Chiefs, when they platted two in the sixth off reliever John Lujan. With men on second and third, Pedro Lopez hit a two-run double to right-center field to put Syracuse up 5-4.

The Bisons threatened in the ninth. With the bases loaded and one out, Valentino Pascucci struck out followed by a groundout to end the game and strand the tying run at third base.

Lucas Duda continued his hot hitting, going 3-4 with a run scored and two RBI, to bring his RBI total to 22 in his time with Buffalo.

The Bisons look to get back to their winning ways tomorrow night with the series finale in Syracuse.

BISONS NOTES: With a single in the first inning, Jorge Padilla is now on a 10-game hitting streak…The three-hit game was the second of the year for Lucas Duda…Bobby Livingston made the start in place of Raul Valdes, who was recalled by New York yesterday.

BISONS:
Luis Hernandez, SS
Russ Adams, 2B
Jorge Padilla, CF
Mike Jacobs, 1B
Fernando Martinez, RF
Mike Cervenak, 3B
Lucas Duda, LF
JR House, C
Bobby Livingston, LHP

CHIEFS:
Boomer Whiting, LF
Justin Maxwell, CF
Chase Lambin, 2B
Jason Botts, 1B
Seth Bynum, 3B
Carlos Maldonado, C
Chris Duncan, 1B
Pedro Lopez, SS
Jeff Mandel, RHP

The Buffalo Bisons completed their biggest comeback of the season only to see it squandered by a walk-off home run from Chiefs third baseman Seth Bynum to lose 8-6 at Alliance Bank Stadium.

The Chiefs touched the Bisons up for three early runs off of starting pitcher Tobi Stoner in the first inning. Stoner then gave up one run in the fifth and two in the sixth to see the Bisons trailing 6-1.

Stoner who was credited with the no decision gave up a season-high amount of earned runs when he allowed six of them in his five and two thirds innings of work.

The Bisons then stormed back in the seventh inning however scoring four runs. Three of those runs came off of the bat of IL Batter of the Week, left fielder Lucas Duda when he homered to right field. Duda’s three run blast and sixth home run in the last nine games pulled the game to within two runs until Fernando Martinez hit a pinch-hit solo home run later in the inning to trim the Chiefs lead down to one.

First baseman Mike Jacobs then hit his 11th home run of the season in the eighth inning to tie the game and bring the game back to even. The Bisons could not drive in any more runs and the game stood tied heading into the bottom half of the ninth.

Pitcher Manny Acosta was brought in to keep the game knotted up and send it into extra innings. Acosta got the first out of the inning by striking out Chiefs second baseman Chase Lambin. Acosta then allowed a single to first baseman Jason Botts to put the winning run on the bases.

In the next at-bat to Bynum, Acosta had two consecutive pitches get by catcher J.R House to move Lambin to third and put him within 90 feet of winning the game. Bynum then won the game and unraveled the Herd’s comeback by sending a 2-2 pitch from Acosta deep to right center field for a walk-off home run.

It was the first walk-off home run the Herd had given up this season and first since Rochester’s Justin Huber did it to the Bisons last August in a Red Wings victory. The tough loss drops the Herd’s record now to 44-42 while the Chiefs improve to 49-38 for the season.

BISONS NOTES: Third baseman Mike Cervenak was the only member of the Bisons to have a multi-hit game today. Cervenak went 3-4 with three singles and an RBI. Duda who was named the IL Batter of the Week today becomes the third Bison to do so this year. For the week Duda led all International League batters with five home runs, including a five-game home run streak, 11RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage last week. The Bisons will play their third game of the four-game series against the Chiefs tomorrow when Raul Valdes (1-0, 0.93 ERA) takes on Jeff Mandel (4-3, 4.70 ERA).