Mitch White dominated early and Rafael Lantigua won it late as the Bisons edged out the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 3-2, Saturday night at Sahlen Field.
Lantigua’s game-winning bloop single in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Herd snap their three-game skid against the Pigs and allowed them to keep pace with the first place Durham Bulls, who were victorious again in Charlotte on Saturday.
Lantigua’s was the super hero Buffalo needed on Marvel Super Hero™ night in front of 9,210. After Cameron Eden led off the ninth with a single and then became just the sixth Bisons player all time to steal 50 bases in a season, Lantigua blooped a single over the drawn in infield and just inside the right field foul line to score Eden from third.
The RBI was Lantigua’s team-best 78th of the season and gave Buffalo their seventh walk-off victory on the season. The win improves Buffalo’s second half record to 35-25.
The game was knotted at two after eight innings thanks to an IronPigs rally against the Bisons bullpen, spoiling a terrific outing by Bisons starter, Mitch White. After White allowed just one run on two hits over seven innings, Lehigh Valley scored in the eighth thanks to a two-out double from Weston Wilson. Brewer Hicklen drew a one-out walk off reliver Zach Pop and stole second to get into score position. Wilson then successfully challenged a called strike three to keep his bat alive before lining the game-tying hit down the third base line.
Lehigh Valley had a chance to take the lead in the eighth inning as Darick Hall followed Wilson’s double with a line-drive single to center. But Eden’s throw to home was a good one, and when Wilson didn’t slide, catcher Stevie Berman was able to apply the tag for the final out of the inning.
It’s a tough no-decision for White who was terrific on the mound for Buffalo, delivering his best outing of the season. He retired the first five batters he faced and 11 of the first 12 IronPigs to come to the plate. He held Lehigh Valley hitless until a two-out triple in the fourth inning by Matt Kroon that truly should’ve just been a single. A sinking line drive to center by Kroon was misjudged by Eden. Eden made a head-first dive, but the ball bounced in front of him skipped over Eden and rolled all the way to the wall for a two-out triple.
On the very next pitch, Simon Muzziotti laid down a perfect surprise bunt for an infield single, scoring Kroon.
Buffalo quickly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Orelvis Martinez drew a one-out walk and came around on pair of softly-hit singles from Luis De Los Santos and Tanner Morris. The Herd then took the 2-1 lead in the seventh on the fourth hit of the night from Nathan Lukes, an RBI single to center that scored Morris.
The win for Buffalo went to rehabbing Blue Jay reliever, Erik Swanson. Swanson pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning, picking up a strike out.
The Bisons close out their 12-game homestand on Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. game against the IronPigs.
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