A seven-inning, four-hit performance from starter Shane Morimando and a go-ahead home run from Reese McGuire led the Buffalo Bisons to a return to the win column in a 6-2 victory over the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Sunday night. This was game three of a four game holiday series held
A seven-inning, four-hit performance from starter Shane Morimando and a go-ahead home run from Reese McGuire led the Buffalo Bisons to a return to the win column in a 6-2 victory over the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Sunday night. This was game three of a four game holiday series held at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA.
Following a huge leaping catch against the left field wall from Sócrates Brito off a line drive from Iron Pigs' hitter Shane Robinson in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bisons opened the floodgates in the top of the ninth inning as they scored three runs on three consecutive hits with two outs. Beginning with a double from Anthony Alford (2 runs, stolen base), Brito connected on a RBI triple to right field followed by Teoscar Hernández's two-run home run, his third since arriving in Buffalo. Jordan Romano held on to record his first save as a Bison in the final two innings, allowing no hits and striking a pair of batters through 23 pitches (16 strikes.)
His first victory as a Bison since May 9 at Gwinnett, Morimando allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, one walk and recorded 7 strikeouts for the third time this season. Starting with a strikeout to Damek Tomscha to end the fourth inning, the Canandaigua, NY native finished his night retiring the last 10 batters he faced, including striking out the side in the sixth inning on just 13 pitches. He also started the night retiring his first eight batters. Of his 94 pitches, Morimando threw 68 strikes.
After Morimando and his counterpart, Lehigh Valley's Drew Anderson, each retired the side in the first inning, Buffalo's Jordan Patterson worked an 8-pitch at-bat for a solo home run to right field to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. His second home run in this series alone, the first baseman now has 4 home runs on the season and 15 RBI. Anderson had momentum to end the frame, retiring the next three Bison batters.
The Iron Pigs answered in the bottom half of the third inning as Malquin Canelo brought home Robinson, who had their first hit of the night in the previous at-bat with an infield single, off a ground-rule double to tie the game at 1. After another dominant half inning by Anderson, the Iron Pigs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Deivy Grullon recorded his 9th home run of the season and his second in as many nights.
The Herd responded in the fifth inning when Brito recorded his first extra-base hit of the night with a RBI double, tying the game at 2. With his multi-hit performance, Brito is now 8 of 15 against the Iron Pigs over the past three games along with a home run and 5 RBI.
In the loss, Anderson finished with 6.2 innings of work and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits along with 3 walks, a strikeout and gave up a pair of home runs. At the plate, four Iron Pigs finished with a hit apiece.
The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow on Memorial Day with a 1:35 first pitch time at Coca-Cola Park. Conor Fisk takes the mound for the Herd, looking for his second win of the season, against the winless Tom Eshelman of the Iron Pigs.
