BUFFALO – The Buffalo Bisons had an explosive night at the plate on Saturday with five home runs and 15 hits, leading to a strong 14-7 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRidersat Sahlen Field while sporting their Buffalo Wings uniforms for the first time since 2019. The victory keeps the Herd in the lead in the International League’s second half.
The RailRiders didn’t waste any time getting on the scoresheet Saturday night as Oswaldo Cabrera hit a solo home run over the right field wall in the top of the first inning, good for his first home run of the season and a 1-0 game.
Rafael Lantigua didn’t let the Bisons’ deficit last for long as he kept the long ball theme of the night going with a two-run home run shot over the left fielder’s head in the bottom of the second, 2-1. The 356-foot shot was Lantigua’s seventh home run of the season and his 46th and 47th RBIs this season.
The baseball kept flying beyond the walls of Sahlen Field on Saturday night as Nathan Lukes made it a 4-1 game in the bottom of the third inning with a two-RBI home run to right, scoring himself and Cameron Eden to extend the Bisons lead.
The Bisons’ offense stayed smoking hot in the bottom of the fourth inning as Eden doubled on a line drive to left field, allowing Orelvis Martinez and Stevie Berman to round home and score, 6-1. Lukes tacked on his third RBI of the night when he knocked Eden home off of a ground ball to center, which made it a 7-1 ballgame. The home runs kept on coming for the Bisons as Ernie Clement hammered the ball over the right center field wall, giving the Bisons a commanding 9-1 lead.
The Herd’s offense didn’t cool off there in the bottom of the fourth as Davis Schneider turned the jets on and tripled on a line drive to left field, scoring Spencer Horwtiz to make it an overwhelming 10-1 Buffalo lead. It was Schneider’s first triple of his Triple-A career. Tanner Morris didn’t let the Bison fun stop there as he singled to the right fielder, making it a 11-1 game when Schneider touched home on the batted ball.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre started chipping away at Buffalo’s lead slowly in the top of the fifth as Everson Pereira hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot making the score 11-3.
Wes Parsons had a solid outing for the Herd on Saturday night in his eighth start of the season. In five innings of work, Parsons struck out eight opposing batters and only registered four hits against. This was Parsons’ third start this season where he recorded eight or more strikeouts.
The Bisons added on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Luis De Los Santos’ pinch hitting appearance led to him reaching base on a fielding error and scoring Lantigua, 12-3.
In the bottom of eight inning Schneider continued to do what he’s done for the Herd all season: hit monsters home runs. He made it a 13-3 game with a solo home run that was hit so hard, the left fielder didn’t even turn around to try and make a play.
Lantigua liked what he saw from Schneider so much, he decided to do it himself. Lantigua hit his eighth home run of the year to far left field to make it a 14-3 game.
The RailRiders made a last second effort to close the gap in the top of the ninth as Jake Lamb singled on a ground ball to center field, scoring Brandon Lockridge to make it a 14-4 game. Cabrera continued to claw at the Bisons lead as he doubled on a fly ball to second, making it a 14-6 when Jamie Westbrook ran home. Pereira made it 14-7 game when he doubled on a sharp line drive to left, scoring Cabrera.
The Bisons and the RailRiders will close out their six-game set on Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field in downtown Buffalo with a 1:05 p.m. scheduled first pitch. RHP Zach Thompson is set to take the mound for the Herd and RHP Mitch Spence will be on the bump for the opposing RailRiders.
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