STAFF REPORTS
Fifteen singles, three doubles, a three-run home run and four lead changes.
Talk about playing the hits – 18 of them.
With seven different hitters producing multi-hit games, the Bisons muscled their way to an 9-7 victory over the Syracuse Mets, Saturday night in front of 8,498 fans on-hand for Strike-Out Cancer Night at Sahlen Field.
Leading the way offensively for the Herd was the duo of Andy Burns and Patrick Kivlehan. Burns recorded his first four-hit game of the season while Kivlehan’s three-run home run off Syracuse reliever Chris Flexen in the fourth provided the exclamation point of his three-hit, four RBI night and turned a one run lead into an 8-4 Buffalo advantage.
Similar to last night’s series opener, it was the Mets who built an early lead, this time against Bison starter T.J. Zeuch. In the top of the first, a lead-off triple from Arismendy Alcantara led to Danny Espinosa‘s RBI double one at-bat later. Rene Rivera‘s sharp hit towards the third base line was enough for Espinosa to score, extending Syracuse’s lead to 2-0. Zeuch got out of the jam, though, striking out Travis Taijeron for his lone strikeout of the night.
The Bisons then came to the plate and responded by using the small ball as their first 10 hits of the game were all singles. After loading the bases with three straight hits in the first, Rowdy Tellezprovided the power against Syracuse starter Zach Lee with his first of two RBI singles on the night to send Jonathan Davis home for Buffalo’s first run. Moments later, Kivlehan’s RBI single to left-center field brought home Socrates Brito to tie the game at 2.
The dominance continued for the Herd as Burns got in on the scoring action as his single into right field brought home Urena for Buffalo’s 3-2 lead. This play extended his hit streak to seven straight games.
The scoring picked up again in the third when Dilson Herrera‘s two-run home run to left-center field gave Syracuse the lead again, 4-3, before Zeuch ended the frame with two lineouts to the outfield.
The Bisons once again responded with their backs against the wall. After Burns’ one-out single placed him and Jordan Patterson first and second, Michael De La Cruz recorded Buffalo’s first extra-base hit of the game with his two-run double for Buffalo’s 5-4 lead.
Zeuch then got out of another tough situation in the fourth as a lead-off walk to Gregor Blancoturned into a Buffalo double-play ball with Buffalo’s new second baseman Santiago Espinalinvolved. Other than two base hits in the sixth, Zeuch had a solid start to record his third win of the year as Syracuse’s four runs came on only five hits and three walks.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Brito’s double and Urena’s single led to Kivlehan’s timely home run. Working a 1-1 count, the designated hitter recorded his 21st home run of the season and his 17th in Buffalo alone along with 59 RBI in Triple-A.
The scoring then resumed in the top of the eighth with Alcantara scoring Rivera on a RBI single against new reliever Bryan Baker. Buffalo got one back though when Tellez hit his second RBI single of the night to send Brito home. The veteran now has 19 RBI in 19 games with the Herd and is on a five-game hitting streak.
Now trailing 9-5 in the ninth, the Mets made things interesting as Travis Taijeron and Ali Sanchezboth scored on wild pitches after loading the bases. But Baker recovered as he drew back-to-back strikeouts against Gregor Blanco and Rymer Liriano to even the series.
