Herd held to two hits in 2-0 loss in Rochester

The Bisons may have used up all their runs for game two in game one.

After homering seven times and accumulating 18 hits and 14 runs in Tuesdays’ series opener, the Bisons bats were cooled off by the Rochester Red Wings in a bullpen game. The Buffalo hitters combined for just two hits and no runs in a 2-0 loss at Frontier Field on Wednesday

Veteran southpaw Sean Nolin started the bullpen game for the Red Wings pitching 2.2 innings, striking out five and allowing no runs. Lefty Alberto Baldonaldo controlled the next 2.1 innings and allowed no runs. Kyle Lobstein took care of the subsequent three innings, allowing no hits and striking out four to earn the win before Dakota Bacus closed the game for the Red Wings to earn his second save of the year.

Christian Colon had the first of the Bisons’ two lone base hits slapping a line drive single into center in the fourth. However, he was caught stealing to end the inning.

The former World Series MVP George Springer got his first hit with the Bisons with a ninth-inning single that was roped into left field and through a shift. Springer also hit his first balls with power for the Bisons lacing a pair of flyouts near the left field warning track in the first and third inning. The silver lining for the three-time all-star he played all nine innings without reaggravating the right quad strain he suffered in May that landed him in Buffalo, making progress toward a return to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Outside of Colon and Springer, Tyler White and Cullen Large were able to reach on a pair of walks in the second and fifth inning, but the roster ultimately struck out 11 times in the loss.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t all bad for Buffalo.

Despite earning the loss, Nate Pearson threw his second consecutive solid start working six innings for the first time since 2019 and allowing just two runs on two hits and two walks and striking out three. The performance follows five shutout innings from Pearson last Thursday in a victory against the Scranton-Wilkes/Barre RailRiders.

The 6’6” righty hit triple digits on the gun out of the stretch three times in the first inning and kept his fastball around 97-100 MPH to compliment his handy breaking ball throughout.

Pearson had the wheels shaken for a moment in the second inning after allowing a solo homer to Daniel Palka. Jake Noll added another run in the fourth for the Red Wings sawing off an inside fastball into right field for an RBI-double.

Hobie Harris and Kirby Snead kept the Bisons within two runs until the end with spotless seventh and eighth innings allowing one hits and striking out a pair.

A loss means the Herd is back at the .500 mark at 18-18. But they will be back at it quickly against the Red Wings (15-23) for a day game at Frontier Field.

The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. with Bisons’ righty Thomas Hatch expected to pitch opposite lefty Ben Braymer.