BUFFALO – The Buffalo Bisons extended their season best winning streak to eight games thanks to an emphatic 12-4 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Tuesday night at Sahlen Field. The win helped the Herd move even with Lehigh Valley in the International League second half standings.
The Herd cashed in five runs in the bottom of the second inning to open up a 5-0 lead over Lehigh Valley. Addison Barger led off the inning with a single, he was one of three runners aboard when Stevie Berman belted a one-out grand slam off of T.J. Zeuch. It was Berman’s first at-bat back with the Bisons following a stint on the Injured List. The bases clearing homer gave Buffalo a 4-0 lead.
Cameron Eden followed right up with a triple and scored two batters later thanks to a Rafael Lantigua RBI base hit. The run scoring single gave Lantigua the team lead with his 76th RBI of the year to extend the Bisons lead to 5-0.
Buffalo scored one run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tanner Morris. Barger led off the second straight inning with a base hit and scored the run to balloon the lead to 6-0 over the Iron Pigs. Zeuch allowed all six runs through three frames.
The Bisons added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on an Eden two-run home run off of Brett Schultz. The home run was Eden’s third of the season scoring Berman for an 8-0 lead through four.
Andrew Bash logged five innings of no-hit work in his start for the Bisons. Bash struck out three while walking four in his sixth start for the team. Bash received help in the field on several plays to keep Lehigh Valley hitless through five.
The IronPigs were able to answer back for three runs in the top of the sixth against the Buffalo bullpen to trim the deficit. Rafael Marchan picked up a pair of RBIs with a two-run double off of Jimmy Burnette to make the score 8-2. Lehigh Valley would tally for one more run before Brandon Eisert recorded a pair of outs. An RBI groundout by Drew Ellis cut Buffalo’s advantage to 8-3 through five and a half frames.
Damiano Palmegiani added his first career Triple-A home run in the bottom of the sixth to get two runs right back for the Bisons. Lantigua walked before Palmegiani’s estimated 378 foot homer to left field making it 10-3 Herd.
The Bisons tacked on two more runs following a Lehigh Valley error to extend the lead to 12-3 through six innings. Leo Jimenez collected his first two career Triple-A RBIs with a base hit to right field that scored Barger and Orelvis Martinez.
Lehigh Valley would scratch one more across with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to trim the deficit to 12-4.
The two teams are scheduled to meet at 6:0 p.m. on Wednesday evening for the second game of their six-game series. Zach Thompson will start for the Bisons in the contest.
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