Bisons win 5-4 on Gomez's homer
First place belongs to the Bisons once again.
The Herd reclaimed sole possession of the top spot in the International League thanks to a dramatic late-inning 5-4 victory over the Bats on Monday night. It was an impressive display of power for the Bisons to pick up the series victory in Louisville.
Power…in the form of Mauro Gomez as the slugger launched a three-run opposite field home run in the eighth inning that gave Buffalo the lead. And then even more power from closer Neil Wagner, who hit 101 mph on the Louisville Slugger Field in-stadium radar gun, in picking up his 10th save of the season.
It's the recipe Buffalo used all weekend to win three of the four games against the Bats in Louisville. Buffalo hit nine home runs in the set and Wagner recorded two saves on 3.2 innings of shutout relief.
At 23-13, the Bisons have regained a game lead in the International League North division over Pawtucket, who lost in Charlotte on Monday.
Buffalo's Claudio Vargas and Louisville's Greg Reynolds were deadlocked at two as the game headed to the bullpens. Louisville struck first with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Neftali Soto broke the tie as his fourth hit on the night went for an RBI-single. Denis Phipps sacrifice fly three batters later made it 4-2 Bats.
But Moises Sierra picked up a one-out double in the eighth and Luis Jimenez battled to draw a walk right behind him. Mauro Gomez then watched a pair of pitches sail out of the zone before blasting the opposite field shot on a 2-0 delivery from Louisville's Jose Diaz.
Gomez homered in three of the four games in the series against Louisville.
BISONS NOTES Mauro Gomez's home run was his seventh of the season and Buffalo's 43rd. That total leads all teams in the International League…Claudio Vargas allowed just two runs in six innings of work in the quality start. It's the sixth straight start he has pitched at least six innings…Buddy Carlyle (2-0) earned the win with 1.2 innings of shutout relief.