BUFFALO – On Wednesday afternoon at Sahlen Field, the Buffalo Bisons scored the first four runs in the second game of a six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but their opponents scored nine unanswered runs to set down the Herd 9-4.
Jonatan Clase walked and Michael Stefanic singled through the right side of the infield to begin the bottom of the first against Gabe Mosser. Then, RJ Schreck got the scoring started with a hard-hit two-run double down the first-base line. With one out, Yohendrick Pinango pulled a ball into right for his own RBI double and a 3-0 lead for the Herd. Then with two on and two out, Josh Rivera blooped an RBI single into center to make it 4-0.
Pinango hit in his fifth straight game on Wednesday and his double was his fourth of the month.
The IronPigs answered back in the second with a couple of runs. They loaded the bases with one out against the rehabbing Alek Manoah, who started for the Herd, then Justin Crawford lined one hard into right for a two-run double to get his team on the board. Alec Bohm then chopped one to third for an RBI groundout, making it 4-3 and knocking Manoah out of the game.
In his first rehab assignment in 2025 with the Herd, Manoah gave up three earned runs on two hits, three walks, a hit batter and a strikeout.
A walk and an error to start the top of the fourth put runners at the corners against Bobby Milacki, the first man out of the Buffalo bullpen. With one out, Justin Crawford executed a safety squeeze to tie the game at 4.
Adam Macko was the next man out of the Bisons bullpen in the fifth. Donovan Walton doubled just inside the third-base bag to lead it off, then he scored on a two-out single by Brewer Hicklen to give the IronPigs their first lead at 5-4. Macko escaped a bases-loaded, two-out situation to limit the damage.
Bohm hit a one-out solo homer in the top of the sixth to extend the IronPigs’ lead to 6-4.
Rodolfo Castro doubled to lead off the seventh inning for the IronPigs, then with two outs, Robert Moore hit a two-run homer, his first in Triple-A, to make it 8-4.
A single for Clase and a walk by Schreck in the bottom of the eighth against José Alvarado couldn’t produce anything for the Bisons.
Schreck extended his on-base streak to 10 games, as he went 1-for-3 with a walk and his first inning two-run double.
Crawford singled to start the top of the eighth inning, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sac fly by Walton, increasing the lead to 9-4.
Phil Clarke walked with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but Lehigh Valley’s Lou Trivino struck out back-to-back batters to keep the Herd scoreless in the frame.
Joe Mantiply worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, and he was the only Buffalo pitcher not to allow a run in this game. Lehigh Valley’s fourth-inning run against Milacki was unearned.
Phil Bickford finished the job for Lehigh Valley with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.
The Bisons and IronPigs will play the third game in this six-game series on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. Buffalo’s starting pitcher will be RHP Trey Yesavage, now the Toronto Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect, in his Triple-A debut. You can listen to the action on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, Bisons.com and watch on Bally Sports Live starting at 6:15 p.m. with Pat Malacaro and Duke McGuire.
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