The Bisons dropped the finale of a three-game home series against the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday afternoon, falling 3-2. It is the Herd’s first loss to Indy this season, with Buffalo ending the season-series with a 5-1 record against the Indians.
Buffalo attempted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, as Andy Burns brought home Domonic Brown with a run-scoring single against closer Jorge Rondon, putting the Bisons within one run. The Herd came up just short, as Rondon fanned Melky Mesa to end the ballgame.
With the Bisons’ up 1-0 in the fourth, Jose Osuna connected for a three-run home run off Bisons’ starter Chris Leroux, giving the Indians a 3-1 lead. It was the first earned runs allowed by a Bisons’ starter since the first inning of Tuesday’s game against Indianapolis.
Buffalo scored their lone run in the bottom of the third, when Mesa doubled and scored on a RBI single by Dalton Pompey. Mesa rejoined the Herd on Thursday, in place of Junior Lake, who was called up to Toronto to replace the injured Jose Bautista. He hit .300 in 17 games with Buffalo earlier this year.
“I don’t have any complaints,” Bisons’ manager Gary Allenson said of his lineup. “I’ve complained enough about not hitting with guys in scoring position. Their lefty pitched good against us in a spot-start. We got some hits, but we couldn’t cash in.”
The Indians attempted three stolen bases in the first two innings, with Bisons’ catcher A.J. Jimenez throwing out two of the would-be baserunners. He threw out a third runner in the sixth, bringing his total to 21 on the year.
“Honestly, that got me by surprise,” Jimenez said of the eager Indianapolis baserunners. “I saw those guys in the first inning being aggressive on the bases, and actually, I liked it, because that gave me more confidence behind the plate and made the game for me more exciting.”
“He’s quick, he’s got really good hands, excellent ball transfer,” Allenson said of his catcher. “Just like a second baseman turning a pivot, you catch it, but you also transfer it and get it out of your hand as quick as you can with some arm strength. A.J.’s just been doing that.”
In the bottom of the second with Matt Dominguez on first, Domonic Brown ripped a double into right-centerfield. As Brown chugged to second with a double, Dominguez was thrown out at the plate in an attempt to score.
“I wish I wouldn’t have sent Dominguez earlier in the game on a ball that went to the wall, but that’s a part of the game,” Allenson said.
Lefty Kelvin Marte, starting just his second game of the year for Indianapolis, stranded a pair of runners on base in the fourth, forcing Andy Burns to ground out to escape the jam. In the fifth, a double by Ryan Goins was stranded, as a chopper to short by Jimenez was speared by Pedro Florimon, who spun and threw to first for the out.
Leroux ended his outing with a beautifully turned a 6-4-3 double play initiated by Goins. He left after 6.0 innings, seven hits and three earned runs, fanning five. He remains winless in six starts since July 7.
“We’ve done a good job,” Allenson said of his pitching staff of late. Bisons starters allowed just three earned runs in 20.0 innings against Indianapolis this series, walking just three. “Obviously, the three-run home run hurt us today, but we were in the game, and after the three-run homer we didn’t let anything else up. Obviously a good start.”
Dominic Brown, Matt Dominguez and Ryan Goins all went 2-4, with eight of the Bisons’ nine batters having at least one hit.
Marte pitched 5.0 innings, a season high, striking out two and allowing just one earned run. A.J. Schugel and Curtis Partch pitched three combined scoreless innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Buffalo reliever Matt Dermody ran into trouble in the top of the eighth, but back-to-back strikeouts with two runners on kept it a 3-1 game. Chad Girodo pitched a perfect top of the ninth for Buffalo.
The Bisons drop back below .500, at 59-60, and remain in fourth place in the IL North.
On Thursday, the Herd begins a three-game series with Pawtucket to finish off a six-game homestand at Coca-Cola Field. Taking the mound for the second time as a Bison will be righty Mike Bolsinger, who lost to the PawSox on Aug. 7. He will be opposed by Justin Haley, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
BISONS NOTES:
It was announced on Thursday that Blue Jays’ outfielder Ezequiel Carrera will join the Bisons on Friday for a rehab assignment. Carrera played in 30 games with the Herd in 2015… Andy Burns extended his hitting streak to eight games with his ninth inning single… Dalton Pompey stole his team-leading 16th base on Thursday, and has 12 straight stolen bases since June 3.
from Bisons.com via IFTTT
