Bisons one-hit PawSox in 2-1 win
Thad Weber has been a member of the Buffalo Bisons for less than a month, but he already has his name etched in the record books.
Saturday night, Weber, who was claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres on May 19, tossed an absolute gem. The righty threw seven no-hit innings as four Herd pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter in a 2-1 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium to snap a four-game skid.
Buddy Carlyle, Tommy Hottovy and Brad Lincoln, who got the one-out save, all pitched to obtain the great feat. Had the Bisons been able to complete the no-no - they were just four outs away from doing so - it would have quite the rarity. Almost 16 years to the day, on June 20, 1997, former Cleveland Indians prospect Bartolo Colon threw the only no-hitter in the modern era of Bisons baseball.
The Herd's bid for the second no-hitter in the team's modern era was cut short in the eighth. Carlyle took over for Weber and promptly retired the first two in the inning. However, Alex Hassan, who had a walk-off single in the first game of Friday's doubleheader, sent a 1-2 offering with two outs over the fence in center for a home run and the Red Sox' lone hit.
Hottovy relieved Carlyle after the home run and shut down the three batters he faced, two by virtue of the strikeout. It was Buffalo's first one-hitter since R.A. Dickey gave up a leadoff hit and then sat down the next 27 Durham Bulls in a 4-0 Bisons win at Coca-Cola Field April 29, 2010.
To say Weber, who made his second start and fifth appearance with the team, was dominant might even be an understatement. He worked quick, painted the corners and consistently stayed in the strike zone, mixing his pitches well. The righty faced just one over the minimum 21, he issued a walk, and struck out eight - the Herd had 11 punch outs as a team.
Weber earned his first win as a Bison with a 79-pitch performance, which included an astounding 50 strikes and consecutive eight-pitch frames in his last two innings of work. It was the most pitches Weber has thrown this season, his previous high being 75 in a start on June 4. His brilliance also signified the furthest a Bison has taken a hitless game since Kyle Denney went 8 1/3 innings before allowing a double against the Ottawa Lynx on Aug. 14, 2004.
Weber began his gem retiring the first 11 batters before a fourth-inning walk by Ryan Lavarnway ended his shot at a perfect game. The 28-year-old, who holds an ERA of 2.20, sat down the next 10 Red Sox following the walk to finish his night just as dazzling as he began it.
The win also had a redemption factor to it after the PawSox hurled a one-hitter in the first of two seven-inning games between the teams Friday night.
Ironically enough, no-hitters have a place in the history of the Pawtucket-Buffalo matchup. The PawSox' Bronson Arroyo tossed a perfect game on Aug. 10, 2003, at McCoy Stadium, against the Bisons. The Herd was just a few feet away from adding to that history, but it will still go down as one of the Bisons' all-time pitching performances.
Eugenio Velez was all the scoring the Herd needed to compliment the outstanding work done on the mound. He gave the game a score with a solo shot in the second inning.
In the top of the fourth, Velez then reached on a fielder's choice and with two outs and used his speed to manufacture a run without the ball entering the field of play. The co-team leader with 14 swipes, Velez stole second and third. Velez scored to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead on Lavarnway's attempt to throw him out at third, a throwing error that skipped past third baseman Brandon Snyder and into left field.
The Red Sox lead the four-game series, 2-1, with the final game set for Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
BISONS NOTES: Mike McCoy stole second in the opening inning for his 14th swipe, tied for most on the team with Velez…Velez's blast to right in the second was his seventh of the season and second against Pawtucket…In four appearances and three innings pitched, Hottovy has yet to allow an earned run while fanning six.