After getting shutout by the International League’s best pitching team on Wednesday, Darrell Ceciliani didn’t waste any time putting a point on the board as he jumped on the first pitch of the game and drove it onto the berm beyond the right-field wall.
The center-fielder crushed another two innings later, powering the Buffalo Bisons to a 6-5 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at PNC Field on Thursday.
Ceciliani picked up a third RBI in the fourth, sending a long sacrifice fly to the corner in left to bring in Casey Kotchman and give the Herd a 4-0 advantage.
Coming off the longest outing of his 11-year career, Chris Leroux worked six full frames. The right-hander cruised through the first three innings before running into some trouble in the fourth. Down by four, the RailRiders sent eight men to the plate to score four of their own, quickly tying the game.
Ike Davis reached on a single and was doubled home by Tyler Austin. Jonathan Diaz poked a base hit to right field and was taxied to the plate on Pete Kozma’s first home run of the year.
Leroux got things back on track in the fifth, using just four pitches to work a brisk 1-2-3 inning. The rangy Canuck sat down all three again in the next inning, ending his night with seven hits, a walk and four strikeouts – enough to pick up his seventh win of the season.
Buffalo was gifted a 5-4 lead in the sixth as Tyler Webb balked with two out and Wilkin Castillo on third. Andy Burns grounded out on the next pitch to end the frame.
The bonus score proved to be vital in the long run.
The Bisons added another an inning later as Matt Dominguez led off with his 12th double of the year. Two batters later, Melky Mesa drove in the third baseman by drilling a liner off of the top of the wall for a two-bagger of his own.
Unfortunately for the Herd though, Mesa pulled up lame as he reached second base and had to be replaced by Alexi Casilla.
The Riders made it a one-run contest again in the bottom of the eighth. Aaron Judge drew a walk, the first issued by Danny Barnes as a Bison, and rounded the rest of the bases on Tyler Austin’s second double of the night.
Ryan Tepera then shut things down in the ninth, punching out a pair of batters around a fully-extended catch by Andy Burns in shallow left field to earn his 12th save.
The win snaps the Bisons’ seven-game losing streak to the RailRiders.
The Herd will now take the cow path home to battle the Iron Pigs inside the familiar fences of Coca-Cola Field for a three-game series beginning Friday night – the final set before the three-day All-Star break.
BISONS NOTES:
Darrell Ceciliani is the third member of the Herd to hit two home runs in a game this season. Domonic Brown accomplished the feat on April 20 — also at PNC Field. Casey Kotchman belted a pair in Rochester on June 6…The eighth-inning run surrendered by Danny Barnes was his first as a Bison, ending his scoreless streak at 8.1 innings…Ryan Tepera moves into third in the International League in saves…The victory improves Buffalo’s road record to 28-18, second in the I.L. to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at 31-15.
from Bisons.com via IFTTT
