Miller scratched from start

A perfect example would be pitcher Adam Miller. The Indians #1 prospect by Baseball America has pitched extremely well for the Herd, posting a solid 1.88ERA in six starts to begin the year. But a collection of bad breaks and close losses has held Miller winless with a 0-1 record.

On Sunday, it was a fingertip that kept Miller out of a 5-1 defeat to the Clippers. Miller has a broken callus on one of the fingers on his pitching hand, forcing manager Torey Lovullo to turn to a tired, undermanned pitching staff.

As has been the case several times in the last season and a half, veteran Jeff Harris stepped up to the challenge. Scheduled to start for the team on Monday in Toledo, Harris took the mound in Columbus and delivered five solid innings for the Bisons.

Harris kept the Clippers off the scoreboard in each frame but the second. Two-run homers by Ray Olmedo and Ed Rogers in the inning provided too much offense for the Herd to overcome. Harris struck out three batters in his outing, but suffered another tough loss to fall to 2-2.

The Bisons had chances to comeback in the game. The team left 10 men on base and went 0-12 with runners in scoring position. The lone Herd run came in the seventh inning on Wyatt Toregas' second home run of the season.

Buffalo was outhit in the contest, 11-6.

Rich Rundles pitched a pair of shutout innings in relief of Harris. Reid Santos allowed an insurance run in the eighth as former Bison David Wallace singled home a fifth Clippers tally.

BISONS NOTES: The Clippers won three of the four games in the series, handing the Bisons their first series loss since Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took three of four games, April 22-25...The Bisons have not announced their starter for the first game of a four-game series in Toledo on Monday...Jason Cooper's three-game home run streak ended on Sunday. He walked in five trips to the plate.