STAFF REPORTS
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BUFFALO — The Bisons collected nine hits and took advantage of four Rochester fielding errors en route to a 5-2 over the Red Wings at Coca-Cola Field.
The four miscues by the Red Wings led to four unearned runs for Buffalo while the Bisons fielders made no mistakes behind a 15-strikeout performance by their pitching staff.
The first two errors of the game were made on consecutive plays in the second inning by Rochester’s Niko Goodrum. The second baseman dropped a potential doubleplay ball off the bat of the recently-activated Shane Opitz, allowing the Bisons to load the bases with only one out. Goodrum then charged and booted a chopper from Chris Coghlan to give Buffalo the game’s first run.
Buffalo doubled their lead from 2-0 to a four-run advantage in the sixth thanks to another Red Wings’ error. Third baseman Leonardo Reginatto dropped Luke Maile’s grounder with one out in the frame. After the Bisons loaded the bases on hits from Chrstian Lopes and Ian Parmley, Opitz lined a single into center for his first two RBI on the season.
Stake to a four-run lead, five Bisons relievers combined to strike out a season-best 15 batters. Back from his big league debut with the Blue Jays, Casey Lawrence fanned four in three innings while Mike Bolsinger struck out the side in the fourth. Matt Dermody got the win on Wednesday by striking out all five batters he faced and Leonel Campos got the final six outs, three via punchouts, to earn his first save of the season.
Rochester did pull to within 4-2 late in the contest before Maile drove in his first run with the team thanks to a two-out single in the seventh inning.
The Bisons will look for the series win over Rochester with Thursday’s homestand finale, a 1:05 p.m. first pitch.
With the victory, the Bisons re-take sole possession of first place in the International League North Division.
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