SYRACUSE, NY – The Buffalo Bisons took advantage of a miscue in the top of the fourth inning and never looked back in their 14-2 trouncing of the Syracuse Mets on Wednesday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. Buffalo scored 12 unanswered runs on their way to evening up the series.
Rafael Lantigua provided the early offense for the Herd with a two-run homer that scored Nathan Lukes in the top of the first inning. Lantigua’s 11th homer of the season came off of Syracuse starter Justin Jarvis to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Syracuse would answer back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third frame on a home run of their own against Mith White. Luke Ritter launched his 13th home run of the year scoring Rony Mauricio, evening the score 2-2.
However, two errors on a groundball off the bat of Jamie Ritchie in the top of the fourth extended the frame for the Bisons to score three times and enjoy a 5-2 advantage. Lukes drove in a pair of runs with a two RBI double scoring Ritchie and Mason McCoy. Spencer Horwitz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for his 68th RBI of the season and extending the lead to three. Horwitz would remain in the game for the half inning but was removed in the bottom of the inning.
The Herd scored another three spot in the top of the sixth thanks to an Orelvis Martinez two-run base hit that scored Lukes and Lantigua. The young infielder took the spot in the batting order previously occupied by Horwitz prior to his hit by pitch. Ernie Clement’s sacrifice fly one batter ballooned Buffalo’s lead to 8-2 through six innings.
McCoy blasted his first home run with the Bisons, and 12th in Triple-A overall, in the top of the seventh to open up a 11-2 lead for Buffalo. McCoy now has a combined 61 RBIs between Buffalo and the Tacoma Rainiers.
Clement extended his hitting streak to 16-straight games with a one-out RBI single in the top of the eighth frame. His single to right field scored Martinez and made the score 12-2.
Martinez put the exclamation point on the win with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth and capped the scoring at 14-2.
Mitch White opened for the Bisons, going four innings in a no decision. Brandon Eisert was one of five relievers that helped keep the Syracuse offense to two runs and six hits in the loss. The southpaw was credited with his fourth win of the season in the process.
The Bisons and Mets will meet on Thursday evening at 6:35 p.m. for the third game of their six-game series in Syracuse.
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