Buffalo, N.Y. – For the second time in their six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Buffalo Bisons saw a big inning be the difference in a defeat, as a six-run fifth was enough to put away any chance they had at winning in an 8-3 loss at Sahlen Field on Friday night.
Buffalo drew first blood in the bottom of the second as they faced IronPigs starter Andrew Painter, the No. 2 pitching prospect and No. 5 overall prospect in MLB. With one out, Leo Jiménez walked and Riley Tirotta singled up the middle, bringing Jiménez to third. Phil Clarke then drove in Jiménez with a sac fly for the game’s first run.
Lehigh Valley struck back immediately in the top of the third, as Payton Henry took Bisons starter CJ Van Eyk to deep center for a solo shot to start the frame and tie the game at 1.
The IronPigs took their first lead in the top of the fifth as they plated six runs. Henry had his second RBI of the game with a high chopper over Michael Stefanic at third base, which allowed Rafael Lantigua to score from first on a close play at the plate. Two batters later, with runners at the corners, Rodolfo Castro drilled a three-run homer off the netting in left field for a 5-1 lead.
A couple of batters later, with two outs, Óscar Mercado doubled off the glove of a diving Stefanic for an RBI to knock Van Eyk from the game. Cal Stevenson then greeted Andrew Bash rudely with an RBI single to make it 7-1, capping off Lehigh Valley’s six-spot.
After making it through at least five innings in his first five Triple-A starts, Van Eyk failed to do so for the second straight start, as his seven earned runs in 4 and two-third innings came on seven hits, two of them homers, and two walks. He struck out two batters, though.
Buffalo began to make Painter shake in the bottom of the fifth as they had back-to-back one-out hits from Josh Rivera and Will Wagner. Stefanic then reached on a fielding error by Castro, loading the bases and knocking the Lehigh Valley right-hander out of the game.
Nicholas Padilla entered in relief, but Joey Loperfido got the best of him with an RBI single to left, making it 7-2. However, that would be all as Will Robertson grounded into an inning-ending double play following him. Loperfido notched his eighth multi-hit game in June on Thursday, going 2-for-5 and his RBI knock.
In the top of the sixth with two men in scoring position, Loperfido made a great over-the-shoulder catch as he drifted back on a sacrifice fly by Justin Crawford, which made it 8-2 IronPigs.
Buffalo threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh. Base hits by Rivera and Loperfido and a walk by Robertson loaded the bases with two outs for Jiménez, but he grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
The back end of the Buffalo bullpen did well to keep the team in the game, as Ryan Burr and Tommy Nance combined to throw three scoreless innings.
Buffalo would not go away easily in the bottom of the ninth, as hits by Rivera and Stefanic against Josh Walker to start the frame, helped by a Wagner walk in between, produced a run, making it 8-3. Stefanic extended his hitting streak to nine games, but the rally would end there as Walker got a lineout followed by a game-ending double play hit into by Robertson.
The Bisons and IronPigs are set to face off in the fifth game of the series Saturday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Lazaro Estrada will start on the mound for the Herd. You can tune in to the game live on MyTV Buffalo starting at 6:30 p.m. with Pat Malacaro and Duke McGuire. You can also listen to the action on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com starting at 6:15 p.m. with Paul Hamilton.
All WNY is made possible thanks to coffee and sleep deprivation.
We appreciate your readership. We like money, too.