BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo Bisons picked up their second win of the week, defeating the Rochester Red Wings 10-8 on a picturesque Thursday night at Sahlen Field.
The pitching was the story of the first four innings, with Buffalo and Rochester being scoreless through four for the first time this week. However, an explosive fifth inning would introduce a new tone to the game.
The visiting Red Wings got the scoring started, when a one-out RBI single by Derek Hill gave Rochester a 1-0 lead. Hill found himself in scoring position after stealing second base, setting the stage for Carter Kieboom to bring him home with an RBI single and extend the Rochester lead to 2-0.
Despite having two outs, Rochester would keep the offense coming. Following Kieboom’s single, Travis Blankenhorn hit a home run to open up a 4-0 lead for the Red Wings. The inning would remain alive with a Matt Adams double and a Nomar Mazara walk, before a Franklin Barreto home run blew the game open at 7-0.
The game once defined by defense was now a race to double digits, which Rochester would continue thanks to a Francisco Arcia single that scored Richie Martin to make it 8-0 before the bleeding would stop for Buffalo.
The Herd would begin the response quickly, with Rafael Lantigua and Ernie Clement getting on base with no outs. Spencer Horwitz scored Lantigua with an RBI single to give Buffalo their first run of the day, 8-1.
A Wynton Bernard walk loaded the bases for Buffalo, allowing Otto Lopez to single and score Clement and keep the bases full, now trailing 8-2.
Following a pair of outs but with the bases still loaded, Jamie Ritchie stepped to the plate and hit his first triple of the season, clearing the bases, and giving the Herd life despite trailing 8-5.
Tanner Morris added to the Buffalo rally, hitting a single of his own to bring Ritchie home and cut the deficit to two, 8-6.
The bats would once again go silent for both teams until the seventh inning, where the Herd looked to rally to further chip away at the Rochester lead.
Tyler Heineman and LJ Talley reached base to allow Ritchie to once again deliver in the clutch with a two-RBI double that knotted things up at 8-8. Ritchie’s day at the plate saw him collect his first extra-base hits of the season for Buffalo, while raising his batting average to .250 (9-36).
The Herd were not satisfied with the tie, continuing the push to take the lead for the first time in the game. After a Morris groundout advanced Ritchie to third, Lantigua would hit a sacrifice fly to bring him home and give Buffalo a 9-8 lead.
Buffalo would once again load the bases, this time with Wynton Bernard at the plate. Bernard drew a walk, scoring Clement and gifting Buffalo a 10-8 lead that would prove to be insurmountable for Rochester.
Hayden Juenger and Paul Fry combined to throw four hitless innings for Buffalo in the win, with Junger earning his fourth win of the season and Fry collecting his fourth save of the season in the win. The duo struck out five of the 13 batters they faced, allowing only one walk combined.
Buffalo and Rochester will meet again on Friday, with a Honda fridaynightbash at Sahlen Field. Casey Lawrence is set to take the mound for Buffalo, while Joan Adon is scheduled to start for the Red Wings.
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