STAFF REPORTS
The Bisons got back in the win column after defeating the PawSox, 3-1, in Buffalo Tuesday night. Anthony Alford‘s go-ahead home run in the fifth inning broke a tie and lifted the Herd to victory. The win snapped a six-game losing streak.
After the PawSox tied the game at one in the fifth, Alford smashed a two-run blast over the left field fence to give the Bisons a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. This proved to be the deciding factor in the win.
“I’m always hitting fastballs, [I] just react to off-speed,” Alford said after the game. “He just left a changeup up and I was able to get to it, get some good wood on it and [I] was fortunate enough it cleared the fence.”
The Bisons battled at the plate all game against the Pawtucket pitching staff. The Herd revved up the offense early and held a 1-0 advantage in the first when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. registered an RBI-single that scored Roemon Fields.
Buffalo had multiple chances to bring home an insurance run before breaking the tie in the fifth.
In the second, the Herd had two runners in scoring position and one out but did not score. The same result happened in the third when Gurriel Jr. led off the inning with a ground rule double and was left stranded on base. Darnell Sweeney and Fields advanced into scoring position with two outs in the fourth and the Herd couldn’t bring either base runner home.
The Bisons collected 10 hits as a team. Reese McGuire went 2-3 with two singles and was hit by a pitch, and Gurriel Jr. reached base a total of three times.
Sean Reid-Foley was spectacular in 6.2 innings as he notched his third win of the season with the Bisons. The 22-year old allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out eight batters. The only blemish to his final line was the solo home run he surrendered to Deiner Lopez that tied the game in the fifth.
“He showed really good composure,” Bisons’ manager Bobby Meacham said about Reid-Foley’s outing. “It didn’t look like he doubted himself as far as ability and I think that’s what you’re seeing pay off in the end.”
Lefty reliever Jake Fishman was perfect as he backed up Reid-Foley in his Triple-A debut. He inherited a runner in scoring position when Reid-Foley exited the game but stranded him on base after fanning Aneury Tavarez to end the inning. He also pitched the eighth and retired the PawSox in order.
Justin Shafer closed the door in the ninth and picked up his team-leading sixth save of the season to secure the win for the Bisons.