Forget about the Buffalo Bisons starting the second half of their woeful season on a more positive note.

The Herd, which is 15-33 at home, started the post-All-Star break portion of the slate off

with a 6-2 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Field.

The announced paid crowd of 8,928, which included several group outings, didn't have much to

cheer about as usual. The Bisons have had nine homestands of various lengths so far this

season. They are 1-8 in the opening game of those stands. Box score

"It's puzzling," Bisons manager Ken Oberkfell said with a shrug. "It seems like we're a

different team on the road. Our fans are passionate and it's frustrating not to play better

for them."

Toledo right-hander Brooks Brown, who started off 0-6 with the Mud Hens after he was called

up from Double-A Erie of the Eastern League, improved his record to 3-7, shutting out the Herd

for six-plus innings in the opener of the four-game series.

The 24-year-old former first-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks kept the Herd off

the board while the Mud Hens built a 6-0 lead against Tobi Stoner, who turned in an uneven

performance after pitching one-hit ball for seven innings in his last start at Pawtucket.

Stoner (2-3) had two bad innings, the first and the fourth. In four of the seven innings he

pitched he did not allow a run or a hit.

He did receive some tough luck. Three of Toledo's four extra-base hits came on

opposite-field hits that were fair by just inches.

"On one, I though the pitch was off the plate, but their batter got the barrel on it," Stoner

said. "Other than two pitches, I thought I threw the ball well.

"Give their hitters the credit."

Toledo got a two-run homer from Wilkin Ramirez and an RBI triple by Brent Clevlen in the

first.

Scott Sizemore doubled home two more runs in the fourth. Mike Hessman, who has a history of

hitting clutch home runs against Buffalo, singled home a run in the seventh.

Brown pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning. However, he didn't make

it through the seventh unscathed. The Bisons got a run on consecutive doubles by Emil Brown

and Chip Ambres.

Brooks Brown departed after an infield single by Argenis Reyes. Clay Rapada came on to get

the third out as Jesus Feliciano flied out to right.

The Herd scored its other run in the ninth with the help of a pair of infield hits but left

the bases loaded when reliever Josh Rainwater came on to retire Wilson Valdez on a called

third strike.

Valdez was in the game in place of Cory Sullivan, who was ejected for his complaints after

being called out on strikes in the eighth inning by plate umpire Lance Barrett.

Buffalo's Javier Castillo saw his 16-game hitting streak end. Castillo went 0 for 4 after he

had hit safely in every game since June 26.

The Bisons made one roster move Thursday, releasing first baseman Michel Abreu and activating

left-handed pitcher Arturo Lopez from the inactive list. Abreu batted .228 in 56 games for the

Herd with four home runs and 19 RBIs.

The Bisons entertained 40 of the 60 youth teams who will be here for the New Era Cap

Classic, which will begin today. The tournament for teams in 15-, 13- and 11-under divisions

will be played at various sites before the championship game Sunday at Coca-Cola Field after

the Bisons-Mud Hens game.

University at Buffalo football coach Turner Gill will throw out the first ball before

tonight's game (7:35 p.m., Radio 1520 AM). Jonathon Niese (4-6, 4.12 ERA) is scheduled to

pitch for the Herd against right-hander Chris Lambert (4-6, 2.09).

Hitting coach Leon Durham managed the Mud Hens in the absence of Larry Parrish, who stayed

back in Toledo to have a wrist injury looked at by a doctor. Parrish is expected to rejoin the

Mud Hens today.