Bisons head into All-Star break with series split against Iowa

DES MOINES, IA — In their final game before the All-Star break, the Buffalo Bisons fell to the Iowa Cubs 6-4 on Sunday afternoon from Principal Park to split the six-game series.

Casey Lawrence made his first start with the Bisons since June 28, and was perfect through 4.1 innings of work before giving up a pair of singles in the fifth. Lawrence ultimately went five shutout innings without issuing a walk before giving way to the bullpen.

The Herd opened the scoring in the third off an RBI fielder’s choice by Gabriel Moreno, followed by a sac fly by LJ Talley that allowed Otto López to score.

The game would remain 2-0 Bisons until the sixth, when Levi Jordan hit an RBI double off Matt Peacock to cut the lead in half. Despite giving up a leadoff double in the seventh, Jake Elliott would strand the tying run at third to keep the Herd’s lead intact with six outs to go.

The Bisons got some much-needed insurance in the top of the eighth when Chavez Young delivered a bases loaded, two-out single which drove in two runs to put the Herd up 4-1.

Iowa loaded the bases in their half of the inning off Shaun Anderson, before a bases-loaded infield single allowed Dixon Machado to score. Jared Young then beat out what would’ve been an inning-ending double play, allowing another run to score on the fielder’s choice.

Mike Ellenbest entered in the ninth with a one-run lead, but an RBI single by Machado tied it up at four before Darius Hill walked it off with a two-run homer to right to win the ballgame.

The Bisons will now enjoy four days off as part of the All-Star break, before opening up the back half of the schedule by welcoming in the Rochester Red Wings for a mini three-game series beginning on Friday, July 22.