Lutz' walk-off gives Herd a 3-2 win

After rallying to tie the game in the eighth, the Herd won on a walk-off hit by Zach Lutz in the ninth, scoring Valentino Pascucci for the winning run of a 3-2 afternoon affair at Coca-Cola Field.

"Lutz smoked that ball to center field," manager Tim Teufel said. "The center fielder (Roger Bernadina) had trouble against the wall and Pascucci scores from first base."

After three stints on the disabled list this season, Lutz said the walk-off felt good as he aims to play the final month of the season.

"This is my first walk-off hit I've ever had in my life," Lutz said. "For it to come like this where I've been struggling the last couple games and to come out with a victory against this ballclub meant a lot for our team."

In his second game in Triple-A, Jordany Valdespin drove in the tying run on a single against reliever Atahualpa Severino, scoring Fernando Perez after he walked and moved to second on a Raul Chavez bunt.

"Valdy has a chance to tie the game and he does against a tough lefty, Severino," Teufel said. "He's a very interesting guy, talent-wise."

In his third quality start as a Bison, Miguel Batista (1-0) took a no decision, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings with five walks and two strikeouts.

Both teams traded runs in the first, when Steve Lomardozzi doubled and later scored on a Jesus Valdez sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the inning, Jesus Feliciano singled, advanced on a Josh Satin single, Corey Brown error and scored on a ground ball hit by Pascucci.

Dale Thayer, who pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts, earned the win.

After Satin's single, Syracuse starter Brad Meyers settled in to retire the next 13 batters he faced until a two-out single by Chavez in the fifth.

Combining with reliever Garrett Mock, Chiefs pitchers retired 20 out of 21 batters following Satin's single until Perez' eighth-inning walk.

Over five complete innings, Meyers allowed an unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

A broken-bat sacrifice fly by Chris Marrero scored Lombardozzi again from third in the third inning for.

Game Notes: Feliciano sits 22 hits shy of Bill Selby's modern-era Bisons career hit record with 356... Chavez caught Brown stealing second in the sixth inning, bringing his season total to 27 runners caught of 55 attempts (41.9 percent)... Pascucci's 79 RBIs lead the Herd and rank second in the International League, tied with Gwinnett's Stefan Gartrell... Despite Buffalo's win, Syracuse leads the season series, 10-4.