STAFF REPORTS
The Bisons had leads in both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader in Rochester, but the Red Wings rallied for a pair of wins, 5-4 and 6-4. Alberto Mineo collected his first Triple-A home run and Gunnar Heidt had a trio of doubles, but the two defeats ensure that Buffalo will end the 2018 campaign with a losing record.
Now with five consecutive losses, the Herd falls to 10 games under the .500 mark, 61-71, with six games left on the schedule.
In game one of the twinbill, the Bisons led 2-0 before the Red Wings rallied with a four-run third inning. Former Buffalo infielder Gregorio Petit doubled home a pair to get the comeback started and LaMonte Wade gave the Red Wings the lead with an RBI-single to left of Herd starter, Jacob Waguespack.
Buffalo fought back to tie the game at four thanks to a two-run double from the recently-activated Dalton Pompey in the top half of the fourth inning. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth inning Byron Buxton‘s two-out double cashed in another former Bison, Juan Graterol, for the game-winning run.
Waguespack went the distance for the Bisons in game one, but allowed 11 hits to fall to 5-8 on the season.
Waguespack went the distance for the Bisons in game one, but allowed 11 hits to fall to 5-8 on the season.
The leads for Buffalo in game two were 1-0 in the second inning and 3-2 in the third. Mineo’s continued his hot stretch to start his Triple-A career with an RBI-single to bring home Gunnar Heidt to get the Bisons on the board. Then with the Herd down 2-1, RBI hits from Rowdy Tellezand Heidt in the third gave the Herd the lead again.
But the last Bisons lead of the night lasted just three batters. Singles from Nick Gordon and Petit off Herd Pitcher of the Year Sean Reid-Foley to start the bottom half of the third set the stage for International League All-Star slugger, Kennys Vargas, to bring the both home with a line drive double to center.
Jeremy Hazelbaker tacked on an RBI-single in the three-run Rochester third and Gordon brought home another run in the fifth to give the Red Wings a 6-3 cushion that was big enough to absorb Mineo’s first career home run above A-ball. The backstop took a 2-2 pitch off Rochester reliever John Curtiss over the wall in right.
Since joining the Herd, Mineo has averaged .462 with a home run and three RBI in four games.
The Bisons will transform back into the Buffalo Wings for Wednesday night’s showdown against the Rochester Plates at Frontier Field. The two teams split a four-game series in June in Buffalo while donning uniforms showcasing their region’s favorite foods.
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