Bisons Fall to Yanks, 6-1

For much of the 2008 season, the Bisons relied heavily on Todd Linden to be the spark to their offense attack. A year later, the outfielder was at the heart of a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lineup that topped Buffalo on a rainy Wednesday night from PNC Field.

Linden doubled, homered and drove in the first three runs of a 6-1 Yankees' victory over the Herd. The win gives Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a split of the two-game series with the Bisons.

Linden was Buffalo's Most Valuable Player in 2008 after leading the team in homeruns and hitting .344 with runners in scoring position. This year, he brought his clutch hitting to the pinstripes. In the third inning, he ripped a two-run double down the right field line to put the Yankees on the board. Three innings later, he launched his third homerun in five games to deep right field for a 3-0 advantage.

That was more than enough offense for Phil Hughes. One of the Yankees top pitching prospects, Hughes fanned seven in 7.2 innings to improve to 3-0 on the year. He retired 10 Bisons in a row at one point.

Buffalo didn't post a crooked number until the top of the eighth inning. Fernando Martinez hit his International League-leading eighth double of the season to plate Cory Sullivan from second base.

Freddy Garcia (0-1) took the loss in his Bisons debut. Activated prior to the game, the two-time American League All-Star gave Buffalo a quality start. He allowed three runs on five hits in six innings of work. He also struck out three and walked three.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre broke open a close game by scoring two runs in the seventh inning and one more in the eight off the Bisons bullpen.

BISONS NOTES: Back in the lead-off spot, Cory Sullivan went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored in the loss. Fernando Martinez had two more hits, his sixth multi-hit performance in 13 games this season...Martinez's seventh RBI on the season ties him with Michel Abreu and Nick Evans for the team lead.

-the herd-