For the first time in 12 games, the Buffalo Bisons scored more than four runs.
In fact, they doubled that Saturday evening, taking a second game in a row from the Syracuse Chiefs with an 8-2 win at Coca-Cola Field.
The Herd got on the board early facing an unfamiliar foe in Joe Ross. After Dalton Pompey walked and Ryan Goins singled, Jesus Montero drove in his team-leading 53rd RBI. Goins crossed home a batter later on a groundout, giving starter Scott Diamond some run support to work with.
Buffalo went up 3-0 in the fourth as Matt Dominguez kept a ball just fair down the left-field line for a double, then came around to score on a two-base hit from A.J. Jimenez.
The Chiefs came within one in the sixth as a single and an error put two runners in scoring position with none out. Matt Dermody did his best to limit the damage as Syracuse scored twice on back-to-back groundball outs.
The Bisons then put the game out of reach as they batted around in the bottom of the seventh.
The Herd loaded the bases and, with two out, a passed ball brought plated an insurance marker before Domonic Brown came through with a two-run liner to right-center field.
“Brown’s was the big hit,” said manager Gary Allenson postgame.
“A two-out, two-run single there – that gave us some breathing room.”
Brown finished the night with a pair of singles and four runs batted in.
On his 30th birthday, Diamond fired five full frames of shutout ball on just three days rest. The native of Guelph, Ontario fanned five Chiefs without issuing a walk, using just 68 pitches to qualify for his seventh win of the year.
“If anything it made it a little easier because I didn’t have as much time to think about how to approach the Chiefs,” said Diamond of his irregular start.
“I think because I got to watch Hutchison throw and Copeland yesterday, I was able to take a little bit from their game plan and put it into my own.”
Buffalo capped the scoring with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. A.J. Jimenez reached on an error and was driven in a few batters later by Chris Colabello, who came around to score on Brown’s second single of the night.
In his second rehab start for the Chiefs, Ross made it through 4.2 innings before reaching his predetermined pitch count. The 23-year-old struck out four batters and was charged with all three runs scored against him.
Ben Rowen, Aaron Loup and Dustin Antolin shutout the final three innings to secure the win for the Herd.
BISONS NOTES:
Domonic Brown went 2-for-5, extending his hitting streak to 15 games…Aaron Loup struck out four batters and is yet to give up a run after 11 appearances with the Bisons…Buffalo has won seven of its last eight contests with Syracuse…The Herd is back to .500 once more, at 54-54.
from Bisons.com via IFTTT
