Bisons once again use long ball in 8-7 win over Columbus

COLUMBUS, OH - The Buffalo Bisons once again used the long ball to their advantage with three late-game solo home runs to slip past the Columbus Clippers 8-7 on Thursday night at Huntington Park.

The Bisons opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning against Columbus starter Will Dion. The left hander recorded two quick outs, but allowed three straight two out base hits that produced a pair of runs.

Damiano Palmegiani’s first hit of the game was an RBI double that scored Orelvis Martinez for a 1-0 lead. It was promptly followed up by Luis De Los Santos’ RBI base hit to double the lead to 2-0. Martinez was able to extend his hitting streak to 12 games in his first at-bat of the game and would be heard from again later in the contest.

Columbus answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning against Bisons’ starter Paolo Espino to tie the game 2-2. Payton Henry’s first hit of the night was a lead-off double in the top of the fifth inning, he would score on a Spencer Horwitz ground ball double play for a short lived 3-2 advantage.

The Clippers were able to strike for three runs in the bottom of the fifth, with all the runs being charged to Espino. The Bisons starter went 4.2 innings and was replaced by Paxton Schultz with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Lorenzo Cedrola’s two-run double helped cap the Columbus 5-3 lead.

Henry’s second hit of the night was the first of three solo home runs for the Bisons in the game. His second homer of the season brought Buffalo within a run, 5-4.

The Bisons would re-take the lead with two runs in the top of the eighth inning off of reliever Jaime Barria. Henry’s third RBI of the night came on a bases loaded walk to tie the game 5-5. It was followed by a wild pitch that scored Palmegiani for a 6-5 Bisons lead.

However, Columbus would answer right back with a pair of runs of their own for a 7-6 advantage. The runs came against Andrew Bechtold, the newest member of the Bisons just promoted from Extended Spring Training.

Steward Berroa led off the top of the ninth inning with a solo home run just to the left of center field that once again tied the game, this time 7-7. It was Berroa’s first homer of the season and came against left hander Anthony Gose. He would also surrender a two-out solo homer to Martinez that put Buffalo in front for good, 8-7.

Hayden Juenger was able to record the final three outs for the save, while Bechtold was credited with the win in his Bisons debut. The two teams will meet again on Friday night for a 6:15 p.m. first pitch. Alek Manoah will make another rehab start for Buffalo in the contest.