INDIANAPOLIS— Jonathon Niese has been Mr. Automatic lately for the Buffalo Bisons, but the Herd was forced to make due without its hottest starting pitcher Friday night at Victory Field.

The Bisons failed to win without Niese on the hill, but don’t hang this defeat on the pitching staff. Three relievers limited Indianapolis to one earned run, but an ill-timed defensive gaffe coupled with the International League’s lowest scoring offense resulted in a 3-1 loss to the Indians before a sellout crowd of 15,056.

The Herd got a decent spot start from Adam Bostick (0-1), who struck out the side in the first and made like Houdini in his final two innings of work in limiting Indy to a run on Brian Bixler’s solo blast with one out in the third. Bostick, who struck out five and yielded four hits, all for extra bases—escaped a huge jam in the second inning when the Indians had runners at second and third with no outs.

Indy scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth against Arturo Lopez after a fielding error by third baseman Javier Castillo turned a potential inning-ending double play into extra life for the hosts.

Niese was scheduled to start for the Herd in search of his sixth straight win, but the 22-year-old lefty was scratched because it’s expected he’ll start tonight for the parent New York Mets when they play in Houston. He’d replace injured starter Fernando Nieve.

Buffalo, which averages 3.2 runs per game and has scored just 13 runs in its last eight contests, stranded six runners over the final three innings. The Herd stranded 10 total and hit into three double plays, the most costly one in the eighth after its first two batters reached safely. Rene Rivera’s RBI single later in the inning scored Argenis Reyes from third, but Mike Lamb flied out to with two on to end the rally.

The series continues tonight (7 p. m., Radio 1520 AM) with righty Tobi Stoner (2-4) scheduled to start against Indy’s Daniel McCutchen (9-5).