The Buffalo Bisons used nine innings of solid pitching from four members of their staff to edge the Norfolk Tides by a score of 3-2 at Coca-Cola Field on Tuesday.
Wilmer Font was terrific, earning his first win in what was his third start as a Bison.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan gave up a run in the first but nothing more across 5.2 innings of work. After allowing a one-out single in the third, Font faced the minimum before making way for the bullpen 11 batters later.
“I felt pretty good. I was working down in the zone, working a lot on the slider,” said the 6-foot-4 righty.
“Trying to throw it like a fastball was the key.”
Chad Girodo promptly finished off the sixth inning as he caught Mike Yastrzemski looking at a third strike.
Nearing the end of his rehab time with the Herd, Franklin Morales came on to pitch the seventh. The left-hander struck out a batter but gave up a run on a single and a triple, bringing his ERA to an even 2.00 over nine appearances.
Ryan Tepera struck out three Tides as he fired two scoreless frames to seal the 3-2 win for the Herd.
“He did a nice job,” said Gary Allenson of his starter, before expanding on the usage of his relief corps.
“Girodo hadn’t pitched in three days and had a chance to face a lefty and Morales needed a full inning. Ryan’s thrown multiple innings for us and he did a great job there for the final two innings.”
Dalton Pompey got the offense started early.
Trailing 1-0 in the first, the center fielder lined a single straight up the middle to leadoff the inning. Ryan Goins, in his fourth rehab game with the Herd, advanced Pompey 90 feet with a bunt single.
Pompey then stole third and was chauffeured home on a sac fly from Chris Colabello.
“He’s obviously a big spark plug for us at the top of the order and makes some things happen there,” noted Buffalo’s manager of his leadoff batter.
“We don’t have a lot of team speed so he probably looks like a rocket ship there compared to some of our other guys.”
The RBI was Colabello’s third in just his second rehab game with the Bisons.
Matt Dominguez and Casey Kotchman each drew a walk to begin the bottom of the second. A sacrifice bunt from Wilkin Castillo then bumped up both runners by a base.
David Adams lofted a liner over short to plate Dominguez before Pompey beat out a possible double-play ball, allowing Kotchman to cross home for Buffalo’s third run.
BISONS NOTES:
Prior to Tuesday’s action, infielder Shane Opitz was transferred back to Double-A New Hampshire…Ryan Tepera has successfully converted each of his 14 save opportunities…Ryan Goins is 4-for-17 after four games of rehab…Dalton Pompey’s stolen base was his team-leading 12th this season.
from Bisons.com via IFTTT
