The Bisons were bested by the IronPigs on Saturday, falling 9-1 in a rain shorted affair. In the middle contest of a three-game series at Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo was held to just four hits, coupled with three home runs by Lehigh Valley.

A big five-run top of the second inning gave the IronPigs a comfortable lead, while lefty James Russell tossed six-shutout innings in the contest. Two of Russell’s three wins at Triple-A this season have come against the Herd.

Cam Perkins took Bisons’ starter Scott Diamond deep in the bottom of the second, knocking a two-out line-drive shot off the left field foul pole, putting Lehigh Valley up 1-0. Emmanuel Burriss continued the two out magic for the IronPigs, driving home Brock Stassi with a RBI single. To cap off the inning, Taylor Featherston connected for a three run home run, his 11th of the year.

“The last time [Diamond] faced these guys at their place they hit him around there too,” Bisons’ manager Gary Allenson said postgame. Diamond allowed eight earned runs in a loss to the IronPigs on June 18. “He just had that mulligan inning, two outs and nobody on. I think he got away from his changeup, maybe went to his curveball a little too much.”

Diamond settled down after his 37-pitch second inning, not allowing a hit from the third to the fifth inning, before Darin Ruf doubled to begin the sixth. On a single by Cam Perkins later in the inning, Bisons’ centerfielder Dalton Pompey threw Ruf out at home plate attempting to score.

The Bisons’ starter left after allowing five earned runs in 6.0 innings of work, and falls to 6-8 on the year.

In the bottom of the first, Bisons’ leftfielder Darrell Ceciliani ripped a line drive to center, out of the reach of a sliding Darnell Sweeney. Two batters later, Jesus Montero gave a Russell pitch a drive to left center, which stayed in the park for a long, inning-ending out. Tony Sanchez doubled to lead off the bottom of the third, but was stranded at third when James Russell fanned Ceciliani, ending the inning.

Ben Rowen relieved Diamond in the seventh, and Andrew Knapp scored Nick Williams with a RBI single in the eighth, following Williams’ fifth triple of the year.

James Russell tossed 6.0 innings of shutout ball for Lehigh Valley, yielding just two hits. Phil Klein entered in the bottom of the seventh, and benefitted from a sparkling play from his third baseman, Taylor Featherston. Casey Kotchman chopped a line drive to third, which Featherston dove to stop, and fired a strong throw to first, retiring the side.

In the top of the ninth, J.P. Crawford made it 9-0 with a three-run home run off Colt Hynes, drilling a ball over the right-centerfield wall in the pouring rain, which began to fall in the late innings.

The Herd showed some life in the bottom of the ninth, as Matt Dominguez drilled his second-straight ninth inning home run in as many days. “It was probably a moot point, that courtesy solo homer by Matt Dominguez in the ninth inning,” Allenson said. “Last night it was a little closer, and tonight it wasn’t very close. A delay followed the Dominguez’ blast, which resulted in an early stoppage of play with one out in the bottom of the ninth. The ninth inning rain delay was the first at Coca-Cola Field this season.

The Bisons now fall further back in the IL North, trialing Rochester, Lehigh Valley, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the division.

“I think we found out in the last week and a half that Scranton and Lehigh Valley are significantly better than us right now,” Allenson said postgame. “We have to have our A-game working from all three spots, our pitching, hitting and defense, and were not getting it done right now. We still have about 50 games to go, but we’re dropping back, and we need to start turning it around.”

The Bisons’ last game before the All-Star break will take place on Sunday at 1:05 p.m from Coca-Cola Field. Casey Lawrence will be opposed by IronPigs’ starter Anthony Vasquez, in the finale of the Herd’s three-game home series.

BISONS NOTES:
Matt Dominguez takes the team lead in home runs away from Jesus Montero, becoming the first Bison to reach 10 homers this season… Tony Sanchez extended his on base streak to an IL best 23 straight games with his third inning double… Scott Diamond has now allowed eight hits or more in five of his last 10 starts, and has given up 13 earned runs in his last 11.0 innings against Lehigh Valley… The three home runs allowed by the Bisons ties the most the team has given up this season. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre connected for three homers against Buffalo on July 6.

from Bisons.com via IFTTT