Bisons unable to keep pace with Lehigh Valley Wednesday

ALLENTOWN, PA- The Buffalo Bisons were unable to overcome late offense and strong pitching in a 3-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park.

Lehigh Valley took the lead early with a single RBI from Cody Roberts that would score Trevor Schwecke in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead.

However, Riley Tirotta would respond quickly for the Bisons with a solo home run in the top of the second to even the score at one apiece. The home run was the first for Tirotta at Triple-A since joining Buffalo on May 22 from New Hampshire.

But it would not be enough to secure a win for Buffalo. The Bisons offense was held in check by the Lehigh Valley pitching staff, including starter Michael Mercado.

Brandon Eisert opened for the first time all season for the Bisons, working the opening inning. The left hander started out by striking out the first two batters he faced, continuing a stretch of nine straight batters retired on strikes. But he would not receive a decision in the game.

Yariel Rodriguez was suffocating on the mound in a Major League injury rehab assignment for Buffalo. The right hander would retire his first nine batters, striking out four of them. Rodriguez came out of the bullpen for the first time in the Blue Jays organization, logging three innings and using 43 total pitches, 29 of them strikes, without allowing a hit.

Hayden Juenger suffered the loss but struck out three in his 1.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Mason Fluharty and Hagen Danner worked the final 2.1 innings to keep the Bisons within a pair of runs late. The Bisons recorded 12 strikeouts in the loss.

Mercado would put together a solid showing as well pitching 4.2 innings notching six strikeouts and only giving up two hits. The two teams combined for just four hits through five innings thanks to the performances by both pitching staffs.

Spencer Horwitz was credited with a one-out triple in the top of the first inning, his second triple of the season. However, Mercado was able to keep Buffalo from scoring to start the game.

He would be aided in the following innings by Taylor Lehman who would pitch 1.1 innings and notch three strikeouts. Andrew Bellatti would pitch one inning with two strikeouts, adding to 12 total strikeouts for the team.

This scoreless stretch would stop in the bottom of the sixth after an RBI double from Roberts that scored Schwecke once again for a 2-1 lead. Scott Kingery extended Buffalo’s deficit to 3-1 through seven innings with an RBI base hit to left field that scored another former Bison, Nick Podkul.

The Bisons and Lehigh Valley are scheduled to meet for game three of their six-game series on Thursday night at 6:45 p.m.