ROCHESTER, NY – A pair of three-run innings by the Rochester Red Wings helped the team defeat the Buffalo Bisons 7-6 on Saturday afternoon at Innovative Field. The loss was the third straight for Buffalo in the series.
The Bisons broke through first once again, opening up a 1-0 lead over Rochester in the top of the first inning. Addison Barger picked up a two-out double and scored promptly thanks to a Spencer Horwitz double of his own. The run batted in was the first of the season for Horwitz, coming off of Wily Peralta.
Rochester answered with three runs against Herd starter Luke Bard, countering for a 3-1 lead through one inning. Nomar Mazara’s RBI base hit helped the Red Wings get on the scoreboard, while Wilson Garcia added a pair of RBIs with a two-out single. Bard worked the first three frames for the Bisons in his second spot start of the season.
The Herd answered right back in the top of the second frame, scoring twice and tying the score 3-3. Rob Brantly led off the top of the inning with a base hit and was followed up by a Rafael Lantigua single. Both runners scored on a Nathan Lukes base hit to right. The single increased Lukes’ RBI total to six on the season. The Red Wings once again answered to enjoy a 4-3 lead through two.
However, back-to-back walks starting the top of the third inning allowed the Bisons to re-take the lead over Rochester 5-4. Brantly’s RBI single scored Barger and was followed up by a Lantigua sacrifice fly that scored Horwitz. Peralta was charged with all five runs in 1.2 innings pitched. The righty was relieved by Odalvi Javier.
Buffalo’s lead was extended to two runs, 6-4, thanks to a lead-off base hit by Wynton Bernard in the top of the fifth. The double extended Bernard’s hitting streak to six straight games. He scored two batters later when Lantigua hit into a ground ball double play.
The Red Wings pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth against Junior Fernandez. A pair of errors helped the Rochester cause, along with a pair of RBI base hits. Darren Baker’s third hit of the game pushed the go-ahead run across and a 7-6 lead against Buffalo.
Buffalo’s last chance with a runner in scoring position came in the top of the eighth. Tanner Morris led off the frame with a double, before being replaced by Otto Lopez as a pinch runner. With one out, Lukes hit a fly ball to right center field that was caught by Mazara. He was able to double off Lopez and end the threat.
Jordan Weems pitched the top of the ninth and was able to record his first save of the season with a one-two-three top of the ninth inning.
The Bisons and Rochester will close out their six-game series on Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. scheduled first pitch. Righty Drew Hutchison will make the start for Buffalo.
