Bichette has 4-hit day in Bisons' 8-1 win over Tides

Correlating with the warm weather, the Buffalo Bisons have been red-hot at the plate in the month of June. And on Sunday, no one else was scorching fastballs like Bo Bichette.
A four-hit, three-run performance from their shortstop helped the Herd complete the four-game weekend sweep and earn their sixth straight win in an 8-1 victory over the Norfolk Tides at Sahlen Field.
After missing several weeks due to injury, Bichette said his main objective since he returned on June 13 has been simply getting back to the swing of things.
"(My goal is) just seeing the ball well," he said on today's game. "I was on time. (Tides starting pitcher Tyler Herb) made a couple of pitches that I was able to put good swings on."
"It's tough to do that - step out of the league for seven weeks and come back swinging like he has," added Bisons manager Bobby Meacham. "He's prepared to work hard during the games. It's paying off. The hard work he put in while his hand was hurt… He's been able to work hard."
The most hits he's had in a game with Buffalo, Bichette scored runs of his own in the first, second and fourth innings on singles and brought home Roemon Fields on an RBI single in the second inning. Bichette's first run was a result of Anthony Alford's RBI triple to right field against Tyler Herb for the 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Jordan Patterson's RBI single to right field for Buffalo's 2-0 lead.
The Herd turned up the heat even more in the second inning with five more runs on five hits. After Bichette's one-out RBI single, Sócrates Brito brought him home with a two-run home run, his seventh of the season for the 5-0 lead. The Bisons continued playing the hits as Patterson again went to work, this time with his own two-run blast to left field to record his 10th home run of the year as part of the two-hit, 3 RBI performance for the 7-0 lead. Patterson's home run came on the first pitch of his at-bat against Herb. Buffalo tacked on one more run in the fourth inning when Alford brought home Bichette on a RBI single - all part of a 13-hit outing for the team.
On the mound, Tayler Saucedo was a late substitution for the starting role as Sean Reid-Foley was promoted to Toronto. In four innings of work, the lefty allowed only three hits over shutout baseball and struck out three batters along with two walks and did not allow a base-runner after the first inning on 64 pitches (37 strikes). Matt Dermody, Kirby Snead, Buddy Boshers and Ty Tice all saw action out of the bullpen. Snead, who earned the win, threw the sixth and seventh innings, striking out a game-high four batters on 21 pitches (17 strikes).

Meacham said the players here in Buffalo are making the most of their opportunities - and more importantly - playing for each other, leading to their recent success.
"I've been saying this for the past couple of years and all of my time managing really: Hard work pays off in wins," Meacham said. "It's fun when they're playing for each other… They realized that it's a lot more fun going out there and winning games. The best way to do that is to play for each other and push each other to be the best they can be. That's what we're seeing."
BISON NOTES: With his big day, Bichette now has six career multi-hit games with the Bisons. Today was his first multi-hit performance since he recorded three against Indianapolis on 6/20. His four hits tied Patrick Kivlehan and Sócrates Brito for the most in a game this season when they both did it against the Indians on 6/12… With his two-hit outing, Brito is now riding on a nine-game hitting streak and is 11 of 35 (.314) in that span. He also has 30 RBI on the season… The Herd have now won 14 of their last 17 games since June 6 along with a 6-1 homestand this week… The season continues with a four-day road trip with two-game series against both Pawtucket and Scranton / Wilkes Barre.