Bisons rally falls short in 5-4 loss to IronPigs

Lehigh Valley scores five in the fourth, hangs on for win

Steward Berroa had a pair of hits and runs scored in Wednesday's defeat (Tyler Colbey)

September 4, 2024

The Bisons offense threatened all game long, but it was the IronPigs that put together the big inning and held on for a 5-4 victory over the Herd, Wednesday night from Sahlen Field. Lehigh Valley had seven hits in the game, but five came in a big five-run fourth inning

The Bisons offense threatened all game long, but it was the IronPigs that put together the big inning and held on for a 5-4 victory over the Herd, Wednesday night from Sahlen Field.

Lehigh Valley had seven hits in the game, but five came in a big five-run fourth inning that gave them just enough on the scoreboard for the win. Darick Hall and Carlos De La Cruz both hit two-run home runs in the frame and David Dahl added an RBI single as the IronPigs jumped out to an early 5-1 lead.

That was pretty much all the Bisons allowed the IronPigs. Other than the fourth inning, Lehigh Valley did not get another hit until the ninth. Meanwhile, the Bisons threatened almost every time they came to the plate, but just couldn’t push enough runs across home.

As a team, the Herd left 12 runners on base and went just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Buffalo started to chip away at the deficit when Steward Berroa clubbed a one-out triple and Rafael Lantigua walked. The red-hot Alan Roden smashed a double down the right field line, but the ball hopped over the outfield wall. That turned a two-run double into a one-run double. Following a Josh Kasevich walk, IronPigs reliever Michael Mercado recovered to strike out both Will Robertson and Damiano Palmegiani to end the inning.

The Bisons scored two more in the eighth inning to close to within 5-4 on a pinch-hit RBI-double to center from Riley Tirotta followed by a sharply hit single through the left side of the infield by Berroa. However, Berroa was left stranded on third base.

Then in the ninth, Roden and Robertson got aboard with walks as the Herd needed just one run to extend the game. But after Palmegiani struck out on a close check swing, Phil Clarke’s 100 mph screamer went right to Hall at second base to end the game.

Berroa finished the game 2-4 with a walk, a triple and an RBI. Roden drove in two of the Bisons four runs in the game.

The Herd used five relievers in the bullpen game with Easton Lucas getting the start and striking out four of the 10 batters he faced. Luis Quinones gave Buffalo a chance to rally by throwing the final 2.1 scoreless innings for the Bisons.

The Bisons and IronPigs square off again Thursday night with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch from Sahlen Field.