STAFF REPORTS
Mike Ford hit three of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s six home runs to power the RailRiders to a 10-2 victory over the Bisons on Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field. Ryan Lavarnway, Mandy Alvarezand Cliff Pennington also left the yard to deal rehabbing starter Clay Buchholz a loss in his Blue Jays organizational debut.
Cavan Biggio homered for the Bisons in the defeat, his second of the season.
Buchholz only allowed four hits in five innings in his first start of 2019, but all of them left the yard. Ford, who also homered against the Bisons on Saturday, drove a 2-2 offering from the righty into the Bully Hill Party Deck to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre the lead two batters into the contest. He then struck for a two-run shot in the third when a two-out Bisons fielding error extended the inning.
With the game winding down in the ninth, Ford homered again, launching a solo shot into the parking lot beyond the right field wall. The RailRiders first baseman is just the second opponent to hit three home runs in a game at Sahlen Field and the first to do it in 21 years. When Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was known as the Red Barons, Gary Bennett hit three homers against the Bisons.
Following Ford’s first two homers, Lavarnway gave the RailRiders the 4-0 lead in the fourth, leading off the inning with a blast over the left-field netting. Two batters later, Alvarez added the fourth homer of the game with his shot into the pavilion area in right center.
Pennington’s homer, a three-run blast into the party deck, was part of a four-run RailRiders’ ninth inning.
Pennington’s homer, a three-run blast into the party deck, was part of a four-run RailRiders’ ninth inning.
Buchholz did pick up five strikeouts without issuing and a walk and did not allow any hits other than the home runs. He finished his outing after five innings and three earned runs allowed, throwing 48 of his 70 pitches for strikes.
RailRiders starter David Hale kept the Bisons off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth inning. Roemon Fields singled with one out in the frame and scored when Eric Sogard doubled over the head of Zach Zehner in left field. Biggio then added a home run in the eighth inning.
Buffalo left nine men on base in the game.
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