International League names FOUR Bisons players to its 2016 All-Star team

Montero, Antolin elected to team. Hutchison, Rowen to join squad

June 29, 2016

The International League today named four Buffalo Bisons to their 2016 All-Star Team that will take on the Pacific Coast League at the 2016 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 13 in Charlotte, NC (MLB Network, ESPN 1520 AM).

DH Jesus Montero and RHP Dustin Antolin were both elected as starters for the IL team while RHP Drew Hutchison and RHP Ben Rowen were selected by the International League to join the squad. This marks the first time in the modern era the Bisons have had three pitchers named to the All-Star team and the first time the team has had four All-Stars since the 2005 campaign (6 All-Stars that season).

Montero has been one of the league's best hitters all season long. The slugger's 90 hits are 2^nd-most in the league, while he also ranks 3^rd in average (.313), tied for 2^nd in RBI (47) and 3^rd in total bases (136). In 73 games, he has also hit a Bisons' season-high nine home runs and scored a team-high 32 runs. He leads the Herd with 28 multi-hit performances with six coming in the team's last six games.

In his Triple-A rookie season, Antolin has gone 2-2 with a 2.41 ERA and eight saves in 27 appearances for the Bisons. He leads all Herd relievers with 40 strikeouts. Antolin has pitched scoreless baseball in 22 of his outings and has converted eight of his 11 saves chances, earning his first career big league call-up with Toronto in mid-May.

Hutchison has made 15 starts for the Bisons this year, going 6-3 with a 2.78 ERA. He ranks 7^th in the International League in ERA and 2^nd with his 97 strikeouts in only 87.1 innings of work. He has struck out seven or more in seven of his starts and allowed three earned runs or fewer 10 times. Since May 26, the veteran is 6-1 with a 2.85ERA in seven starts.

Rowen leads all Bisons pitchers with 28 appearances (8^th in IL) and is 0-2 with a 1.85 ERA and one save in 34.0 innings of work. The submariner has been almost unhittable since the beginning of May, making 17 consecutive scoreless appearances since May 8. During that stretch, Rowen has allowed just 10 hits while striking out 19 in 22.2 innings of work. He has also allowed just two of 18 inherited runners to score this season (11%).