BUFFALO – There was no slowing down George Springer or the Bisons on Thursday night at Sahlen Field.
The rehabbing Blue Jays outfielder walked, doubled and raced around the bases to score two of the Herd’s 10 runs in a 10-5 victory over the IronPigs in the third game of their six-game set in downtown Buffalo. Jonatan Clase added a home run and four RBI as the Bisons scored nine unanswered runs in the middle of their victory over Lehigh Valley.
But it was Springer who was the story on Thursday night, playing his first game since being hit in the head with a pitch in a Blue Jays game late in July. After popping out in his first at-bat, Springer drew a walk to lead off the fourth inning and took the extra base on R.J. Shreck’s single to left field, going from first to third base without hesitation. He would end up scoring the Bisons second run of the game a batter later when Riley Tirotta grounded into a doubleplay.
Springer was then part of a 4-run Herd rally in the fifth that gave Buffalo the lead for good. Following Clase’s monster three-run, 414 ft home run, Springer hit is own rocket… a double to the left field wall that was hit 105.8 mph.
Springer would score three batters later on Yohendrick Pinango’s double to right field to give Buffalo a 6-4 lead.
Springer finished the game 1-2 with a double and the two runs scored in the game before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.
Before Springer’s double, the Herd found itself down 4-2 down halfway though the fifth inning. Orelvis Martinez and Josh Rivera walked against Lucas Sims, and with one out, Clase launched his third home run of the season over the right-field wall, a three-run shot to make it 5-4.
Up 6-4 after five, Martinez and Brandon Valenzuela each had a hit to start the bottom of the sixth. Then with one out, Clase chopped a grounder through the middle for an RBI single, making it 7-4 Buffalo. Schreck then drilled a two-run double into the right field corner, his second straight game with a two-run double, to extend the lead to 9-4.
Facing Daniel Robert, Pinango sent a ball to right for a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. It was his seventh homer of the season, and it made the score 10-4, Buffalo.
The win for Buffalo went to Paxton Schultz, who threw 2.1 innings of relief, improving his record on the season to 3-3. Blue Jays Top Prospect, Trey Yesavage started for the Bisons but struggled in his Triple-A debut. Unable to find the control that made the Blue Jays 2024 first round pick so successful this year, Yesavage walked four in 1.2 innings of work
The Bisons and IronPigs will play the fourth game in this six-game series on Friday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Shane Bieber will make his third rehab start with the Herd in that game. 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.