Herd have won 4 of 5 against Syracuse thanks to Saturday's 5-3 victory

After another late lead blown, the Buffalo Bisons bats came alive in the 10th inning to defeat the Syracuse Mets 5-3 on Saturday night at NBT Bank Stadium. The victory helped the Herd secure the series victory with their fourth win in five games against the Mets.

Buffalo held onto a two-run lead all night thanks to stellar pitching from Connor Overton with the Mets' first run not coming until the seventh with an RBI ground out by Drew Jackson in the seventh inning to inch within a run. The run was charged to Curtis Taylor who left the game after allowing a walk and a double.

Lefty Kirby Snead came in as relief, cleaned up Taylor’s seventh and remained sharp into the eighth holding onto a one-run lead allowing no hits before handing off the ninth to Bryan Baker. Baker battled his way through the ninth but failed to secure the victory blowing his first save of the season after surrendering an RBI single to Cesar Puello and sending the game into extra innings.

It was a tough beginning to extra innings as Juan Graterol and Logan Warmoth struck out consecutively to begin the 10th. But the Bisons were bailed out by Cullen Large who stole third and scored on a wild pitch to give the team the 3-2 lead. Breyvic Valera continued the two-out rally by bashing his second home run of the season to add a pair of insurance runs, 5-2, which were enough to give Buffalo the victory.

What a time for a two-run homer by Breyvic Valera! 5-2 #Bisons in the 10th! pic.twitter.com/9JyFsZ5pa2

— Buffalo Bisons🦬 (@BuffaloBisons) June 27, 2021

The Bisons elected to go with a bullpen game by calling on the 27-year-old righty super-reliever Overton. Overton, making his fifth time start in 2021 and second starting appearance in a row, worked a spectacular five innings allowing no runs on five hits.

The start got dicey just once, but a bit earlier than Overton probably wanted. He surrendered a single and pair of walks to load the bases around him in the second inning with only one out. The righty tightened up inducing a fielder’s choice and striking out Brandon Nimmo looking to escape. Nimmo’s third at-bat with the bases loaded in the past two games with no hits.

After starting the season as primarily a long-reliever Overton has continued to put up impressive starting performances. Overton has posted 1.17 ERA as a starter allowing three runs in 23 innings and posting a 0.83 WHIP.

Juan Graterol also had a hand in holding the Mets to only two runs catching a Mets players stealing for the second consecutive game. The put-out added to his impressive 2021 defensive resume. Graterol has caught seven batters stealing and produced 12 assists while allowing zero passed balls in 25 starts this season.

Despite the ninth Bisons’ bullpen remains arguably the best in Triple-A. Buffalo’s relievers have given up a Triple-A East league-low 57 runs and posted a league best 2.84 ERA.

The bottom of the Bison’s lineup produced the first runs of the game for Buffalo after Logan Warmoth drove a bases-loaded line drive single into right field to bring home a pair of runs, Warmoth’s 14th and 15th RBIs on the year.

The Bisons loaded the bases, prior to Warmoth’s base knock, with no hits. Christian Colon, Cullen Large and Graterol all drew walks as Stock struggled to find the zone throwing 16 balls and just 10 strikes in the inning.

In the end the Bisons offense came through despite being out hit nine to five and striking for just one hit with runners in scoring position.

The victory gives the Bisons the season series lead 7-4 and their second consecutive series victory of the season, the first time the team has done that since the opening two series of the year.

The Bisons (26-19) will look to start another win streak Sunday at NBT Bank Stadium with the final contest of the six-game series against the Mets (12-34). Righty Jacob Waguespack is expected to make his only start of the series against the Mets’ Akeem Bostick.