BUFFALO – The Buffalo Bisons season long winning streak was stopped at eight games thanks to an 8-5 extra innings loss to the Lehigh Vallet IronPigs on Wednesday night at Sahlen Field. The defeat dropped the Herd to third place in the International League second half standings, a game behind Lehigh Valley as well.
Zach Thompson made his second start since being activated off of the injured list last week and lasted 2.2 innings for Buffalo. The right hander surrendered one run after a lead off double in the top of the third inning by Matt Kroon. The speedy designated hitter advanced to third on a groundout and scored thanks to a sacrifice fly by Esteban Quiroz. The run gave Lehigh Valley a 1-0 lead through two and a half innings.
Yosver Zulueta followed Thompson and recorded a big strikeout to end the threat in the third. The 24-year-old logged two innings of relief, racking up a pair of strikeouts without allowing a walk. He turned the game over to Hayden Juenger with two out in the top of the fifth inning with Buffalo still trailing 1-0.
The Bisons were able to use a lead off base hit and walk in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game with the IronPigs. Orelvis Martinez led off against Tyler Phillips with a wringing base hit and scored on a ground ball double play by Leo Jimenez. The double play tied the game 1-1 through six frames.
Lehigh Valley answered right back in the top of the seventh thanks to a pair of walks to start the inning. Cal Stevenson scored the go-ahead run after a walk issued by Paul Fry to start to the of the inning. Stevenson scored on a Matt Kroon RBI double. Kroon’s second hit of the game gave the IronPigs a 2-1 lead. The deficit became 3-1 for the Herd thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Darick Hall.
Damiano Palmegiani added his first hit of the night for the Bisons to help trim Lehigh Valley’s lead to a run, 3-2. Palmegiani’s RBI double scored Nathan Lukes against Luis Ortiz. Lukes scored after collecting his second hit of the night on a one-out single. He moved into scoring position thanks to an Ortiz balk.
Just like the inning prior, Lehigh Valley tallied two more runs for a 5-2 lead. The visitors took advantage of three walks with back-to-back sacrifice fly ball outs scoring a run. Both runs came against Bisons reliever Connor Cooke.
Buffalo took advantage of four walks in the bottom of the eighth issued by Hector Perez to tie the game 5-5. Lukes and Palmegiani hit back-to-back RBI singles to trim the deficit to a run, 5-4. Barger drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game and end the relief appearance for Perez.
Neither team could push across the game-winning run in the ninth inning, sending the game to extra innings.
Dustin Peterson’s bases clearing double in the top of the 11th was all the offense Lehigh Valley would need in extra innings. His extra-base hit scored three to give the IronPigs an 8-5 lead. Ben Bowden closed out his second inning of relief to preserve the win for the visitors.
The Bisons and Lehigh Valley are scheduled to meet for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch on Thursday night. It will be the third game of the six-game series at Sahlen Field.
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