STAFF REPORTS
Cesar Valdez made a sensational start to beat Lehigh Valley 4-2 and take the series Thursday night at Coca-Cola Field.
Valdez who was making his fifth start of the season was dominant against the IronPigs. Through seven innings he earned his season high in strikeouts with 10. Six of which were consecutive in the fourth and fifth innings. Only yielding four hits and two walks, his lone blemish came on a first inning two-run homer. Valdez improved his record to 3-1 with the win.
Jake Elmore got things started for the Bisons in third with a single up the middle. He advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Shane Opitz, and Christian Lopes followed that up with a single of his own. With two runners on, Gregorio Petit blasted a ball over the left field wall to claim a 3-2 lead.
Opitz led off the fifth for the Herd with a double down the left field line. A Lopes walk followed by an Ian Parmley sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position. Petit drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field for his fourth RBI of the game extending the Bisons lead to 4-2.
Bisons Notes: Christian Lopes who went 1-1 with two walks is 9-10 with a .909 OBP on the current home stand and has reached in his last seven straight plate appearances… Opitz went 2-2 with a run scored… Gregorio Petit went 1-3 and drove in all four Bisons runs in the game.
