Bichette, Bisons fall to Stripers in series opener, 13-2

Bo Bichette had a single in three trips to the plate as he began his MLB injury rehab assignment with the Bisons in a 13-2 Buffalo loss to the Stripers at Coolray Field in Gwinnett on Tuesday night. The loss snaps the Herd’s three-game winning streak.

Bichette, who had not played since July 19 when he was placed on the injured list by the Blue Jays for the second time this year with a calf strain, joined the Bisons as the team began a six-game series in Georgia. His line drive single to left field came with two outs in the third inning, a sharply hit ball near the line that gave the Blue Jays shortstop a brief idea of maybe trying for a double. Instead, Bichette retreated back to the bag and settled for the single.

In his first and third at-bats of the night, Bichette hit a pair of grounders to former Bisons teammate Cavan Biggio, who was the Strippers starting second basemen on the night. Bichette exited the game in the fifth inning as scheduled.

Unfortunately for the Bisons, there was little doubt as to what the outcome of Tuesday’s game would be following a six-run second inning by the Stripers. Gwinnett first baseman Brian Anderson drove in the first two runs with a double down the left field line that looked very similar to Bichette’s single. Two batters later, Stripers catcher J.P. Martinez crushed a grand slam 104.3 miles per hour out to center off Herd starter Jake Bloss to blow the game wide open.

In the third, Anderson continued to produce for Gwinnett, with an RBI single that made it 7-1 Stripers. The first baseman then came through for the third consecutive inning with a run-producing hit, doubling home two more runs with a screaming double into the left-center field gap in the fourth.

Anderson finished the night 4-for-5 with five RBI and a pair of doubles.

The Bisons actually got on the scoreboard first when Orelvis Martinez led off the second inning with a double and came around when Jonatan Clase dumped a single into centerfield. Riley Tirotta drove home the other Herd run in the ninth inning with an RBI-single to score Rafael Lantigua.

Bloss suffered the loss for the Bisons allowing eight runs (seven earned) in three innings of work. Andrew Bash and Braydon Fisher threw an inning of shutout relief each.