BUFFALO — The Bisons’ shutout the Indianapolis Indians 1-0 in the second game of a three-game series on Wednesday, A hot and humid Coca-Cola Field proved to be the sight of a pitcher’s duel, with both starters going at least 7.0 innings, and both clubs totaling just four hits apiece. Buffalo also moves back to the .500 mark in the win, at 59-59.
A solo-home run by Ryan Goins in the bottom of the first put the Herd up 1-0. Goins has hit well in his latest stint as a Bison, batting .297 in 18 games in Buffalo.
“Just a straight fastball,” Goins said of the pitch that he deposited into the right field Bully Hill Party Deck. “I put a good swing on it and got it out of the park.”
Scott Diamond worked masterfully on the mound for Buffalo. The righty retired the first seven hitters to face him, allowing just four hits and no earned runs in an 8.0 inning victory, his eighth of the year. He lowers his ERA at home to 2.21 this season.
“The best he’s looked all year right there,” Bisons’ manager Gary Allenson said of Diamond. “He’s had some other well pitched games, but that was really good. He had a good curveball tonight, best curveball of the year. He obviously spotted his fastball. If you asked him, he’d probably hand a lot of credit to Erik Kratz behind the plate.”
“I got to probably give a major shout out to Kratz behind the plate,” Diamond said of his outing, caught by veteran catcher Erik Kratz. “He stole so many strikes tonight for me. He just made it so much easier to give me a big target and just throw strikes, as many as possible.”
Kratz has started seven game behind the plate for the Herd this year, with pitcher’s owning a 3.51 ERA with him as the backstop.
“I think with the way he was framing outside, and just the game that he was calling, I think maybe a shook him off twice, and those were the ones that probably led to the base hits,” Diamond said of Kratz.
Indianapolis starter Trevor Williams was nearly as good as Diamond, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing just three other hits after the Goins’ home run. He benefitted from 10 groundouts through the first four innings. The Herd had two hitters reach on errors in the bottom of the third, but Williams escaped the jam to keep the score at 1-0. Goins came up with a runner on second in the fifth, but Williams punched him out for his third strikeout of the inning, and fourth of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Casey Kotchman reached second on a check-swing chopper in front of home plate, which catcher Elias Diaz overthrew on an attempted play at first base. Kotchman was stranded at second, when Erik Kratz popped up and Jio Mier struck out.
Dustin Antolin saved his first game since June 27 with a perfect ninth inning, preventing Diamond from becoming the first Bison with a complete game this year.
Last night, and tonight, was very warm, sticky, humid, and [Diamond]’s pitch count wasn’t that high, he’s gone 110 before, but I just figured with what the weather was, it was probably enough,” Allenson said of the decision to remove Diamond.
The Herd did not take advantage of four errors for Indianapolis, the most a Bisons’ opponent has made this season.
The final game of the Bisons’ three-game set with Indianapolis will take place on Thursday, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. Chris Leroux is scheduled to throw for Buffalo, while Kelvin Marte will pitch for the Indians.
BISONS NOTES:
With Jose Bautista going on the disabled list for Toronto on Wednesday, Junior Lake has been recalled to the Blue Jays… Also before Wednesdays game, Bisons’ closer Ryan Tepera was recalled to the Blue Jays. Tepera was 17 for his last 17 in save chances with Buffalo. In his place, Danny Barnes rejoins the Herd after a three-game stint with Toronto… Scott Diamond passed the 140 innings pitched plateau in the game, the first Bisons’ starter to reach that total since Justin Germano in 2013… Diamond threw 8.0 innings for the second time this season. Only Diamond and former-Bison Wade LeBlanc have gone that deep into a ballgame for the Herd this season… The Indians have yet to beat Buffalo this year, as the Herd improves to 5-0 this year against them… Matt Dominguez ended his hitting streak at six games, going 0-4.
from Bisons.com via IFTTT
