Herd's second straight shutout extends win streak
Buffalo's starting staff may not have a complete game in 2016, but the team's pitching corps continues to be one of the best in the International League.
The I-Tribe reached scoring position just twice as the Buffalo Bisons won their fifth straight game, beating the Indianapolis Indians 4-0 at Victory Field Saturday evening.
For the first time since his inaugural start of the season, Roberto Hernandez kept the opposition off the board. The 6-foot-4 Dominican worked an efficient six shutout innings, needing just 80 pitches. Hernandez fanned four Indians and allowed just 5 hits and a walk to improve his record to 4-3.
Making his first rehab appearance for the Bisons, Blue Jays' lefty Brett Cecil took the hill for the seventh inning. Jason Rogers started the frame with a single to right field but two batters later, Cecil induced a 6-4-3 double play to erase Rogers and end the inning.
Pat Venditte threw a 1-2-3 eighth and Dustin Antolin replicated the switch-hander's effort the following frame to end the night.
The Herd got on the board with a couple of unearned runs in the third inning. With two out, Alexi Casilla hit a routine grounder to Alen Hanson, but the second baseman nonchalantly threw the ball wide and into the Indian's dugout.
With the inning extended, Domonic Brown walked. Matt Dominuez then lined a single into center field to plate Casilla as Brown aggressively took third, narrowly beating the throw to the bag. The designated hitter's extra-effort paid off immediately as Jesus Montero drilled a ball off of the leg of starter Steven Brault, who was unable to locate the loose ball. Brown scampered home on the play to make it a 2-0 contest.
The Bisons doubled their lead in the fourth. Darrell Ceciliani scorched a ball past a diving Hanson to get on board for David Adams who belted a controversial bomb over the foul pole in left field.
With the three-man umpire crew shifted towards the middle of the diamond, the call was left to home-plate umpire Shane Livensparger who circled his index finger in the air for a home run.
That drew plenty of arguments from Indianapolis' infield, pitcher, and most notably, manager Dean Treanor. The Indians bench boss had an extended conversation with Livensparger but kept a cooler head, eventually making his way to the mound to pull Brault from the game.
The Bisons' defense continued to help out the team's scoreless innings streak, turning three more double plays for a total of seven in the last two games.
The Herd has now gone 20.1 innings without allowing a run.
BISONS NOTES:
Prior to Saturday's action, Buffalo announced the activation of Darrell Ceciliani and Brett Cecil's start of rehabilitation…David Adams' home run extends his hit streak to six games…Jesus Montero ended the 2-for-4 on a pair of singles and now has 26 multi-hit games…The Herd's pitching staff has moved into a tie for second in the International League with nine shutouts.