STAFF REPORTS
The Buffalo Wings scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on to defeat the Rochester Red Wings, 6-5, Monday night at Sahlen Field. The victory improved the Herd’s record to 32-18 in their last 50 games and helped them keep pace with division-leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, who walked off a victory over Syracuse.
With the matching wins, Buffalo remains five back of the RailRiders in the IL North.
Playing as the ‘Buffalo Wings,’ the Herd needed all three of their eighth-inning tallies for the victory, thanks to a Jaylin Davis two-run homer in the Rochester ninth. Jonathan Davis broke a 3-3 tie with a line drive double off the wall in left to score the first run as Andy Burns trotted home from third.
The outfielder’s 17th double of the year also set up runners at second and third, and with two outs Richard Urena singled home both runs to give the Buffalo Wings a 6-3 edge that proved to be just enough for the victory.
Buffalo trailed 2-0 early but took the lead with one swing of the bat from Patrick Kivlehan. With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, the slugger ripped a single through the left side to score Davis and Socrates Brito. As the throw from Rochester’s Alejandro De Aza came in wide of the plate, it glanced off the glove of catcher Tomas Telis and rolled through his legs and into the Red Wings’ dugout. That allowed a third run to score on the plate.
Rochester tied the game at three in the seventh on the second of two doubles from Twins’ prospect, Nick Gordon.
T.J. Zeuch started for the Bisons and delivered a quality start over seven innings. The tall righty struck out five and allowed just three runs on five hits and a walk. He got 13 groundball outs, including one scary one in the second inning. Telis lined a pitch right back up the middle that knocked Zeuch’s glove off just in front of his face. Zeuch recovered in time to make the play to first and then immediately tried to waive off any help by motioning he was fine.
Bisons’ All-Star Kirby Snead earned the win with an inning of shutout reliever and Zach Jacksonnotched his first Bisons’ save by pitching the ninth.
Buffalo and Rochester square off again Tuesday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch from Sahlen Field.
