The Herd got a fantastic start from Figueroa who allowed only one run in 7.2 innings and capitalized on three Norfolk errors to take the first game of the four-game set. Figueroa cruised through the majority of his 114 pitch outing, the only run coming on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. He walked only one, scattered six hits and struck out three Tides' hitters in his longest outing of the season. Ahead 1-0, the Bisons broke the game open in the fourth inning with a little help from the Norfolk defense. With one out and Javier Valentin on first, Tides third-basemen Melvin Dorta booted a groundball off the bat of Emil Brown that looked like a possible double play ball. Mike Lamb made the error sting by lacing a double to right field, scoring Valentin and moving Brown to third. It was starting pitcher Chris Tillman who was in the giving mood next. He booted Robinson Cancel's comebacker allowing Brown to score and then Tillman balked trying to pick off Cancel from first. That miscue let Lamb cross home giving the Bisons a 4-0 lead. Figueroa had been the tough-luck starter on the Bisons' staff this year. He entered the game with an 0-4 record but had the lowest ERA among Herd starters (min. 5 GS) at 3.54. In three of his four losses this year the right-hander has yielded no more than two earned runs. The four runs scored by the Bisons is the most runs scored in a game started by Figueroa this season. The Bisons got on the board in their first at-bat with a little help from the Tides defense. With Jesus Feliciano on first after a one-out single, Tillman threw away a pickoff attempt allowing Feliciano to advance to second. Two batters later, Wily Mo Pena knocked home Feliciano with a single to center. Elmer Dessens struck out two in the ninth while earning his sixth save of the season. Bisons Notes: OF Wily Mo Pena extended his hit streak to a Bisons season high nine games with his RBI single in the first inning. Pena is now hitting .333 (12-for-36) with five RBI during the streak...INF Javier Valentin left the game in the fifth inning with a sore right shoulder. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
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