Buffalo's bullpen crumbles, as Chiefs beat Bisons 6-1
The Bisons fell to the Syracuse Chiefs 6-1 on Wednesday. After splitting a pair of ballgames on Tuesday, the Buffalo bullpen struggled to keep the club in the game, allowing five runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
A three run sixth inning broke a tie-game in favor of the Chiefs. With the score tied at one, Matt Skole mashed his 15th home run of the year. His solo-shot is his fifth against the Herd this season. Two batters later, Matt den Dekker roped a double that plated Jason Martinson, as Syracuse took a 3-1 lead. A two-run bottom of the seventh and an insurance run in the eighth sealed the Herd's fate.
Scott Copeland took the bump for Buffalo in his third start of the year. In the bottom of the third, the Chiefs struck first, as Michael Taylor lined a long single off the glove of center fielder Dalton Pompey. It was the only run allowed by the 28-year old Bisons' righty.
The Herd tied the game at one in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Junior Lake. With two runners on, catcher Erik Kratz smoked a ball to dead-centerfield later in the frame, but the ball fell into the glove of Michael Taylor for the final out of the frame.
Syracuse starter Austin Voth fanned Chris Colabello with two on and two out in the first inning, freezing the Bisons' first baseman on a 2-2 cutter. He allowed six hits in total, but kept the Herd out of the run column for the first five innings. Voth's night ended after he limited the Herd to one run over 7.0 innings, as he wins his sixth game this year.
Copeland left in the sixth inning, when Chad Girodo served-up Skole's solo-homer and den Dekker's RBI double. Girodo fanned Zach Collier with a pair of runners on base to limit the damage to two runs.
Matt Dermody allowed his first earned runs as a Bison in the seventh, as he yielded a two-run double to Jason Martinson. Caleb Ramsey took Bobby Korecky deep in the eighth, putting the Chiefs up by a 6-1 margin with his homer, which held for the remainder of the game.
In the eighth, Matt Grace came in to face the heart of the Herd's lineup, and kept Buffalo at bay with a scoreless frame. Rafael Martin allowed a hit and a walk in the ninth, but Darrell Ceciliani's ground out to first ended the night for Buffalo.
Matt Dominguez went 3-3 with a walk, while Jesus Montero picked up a pair of hits in the contest.
For the Chiefs, eight of their nine hitters had at least one hit, with Michael Taylor going 2-5. Steve Lombardozzi reached base four times, with a single and three walks.
The finale of the Bisons' four-game series with Syracuse will take place on Thursday, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. Scott Diamond is schedule to duel A.J. Cole in what will be the final regular season meeting between the two clubs this year.
BISONS NOTES:
Pitcher Mike Bolsinger, acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Dodgers, was optioned to Buffalo on Wednesday… Junior Lake has driven in a run in five of his last eight ballgames… Erik Kratz threw out his first baserunner as a Bison in the sixth inning, the 30th would-be base stealer nabbed by a Bison backstop this year… Bobby Korecky passed Fernando Cabrera with his 137th career appearance with the Bisons, becoming the clubs' modern era leader in games pitched.