BASEBALL
Bisons pull off a miracle
Herd turns 6-0 deficit into 8-7 victory
For eight innings Wednesday, the Buffalo Bisons did absolutely nothing in Dunn Tire Park. They were in a 6-0 hole, had managed just four singles and put exactly one runner past first base.
Then came two incredible comebacks — a six-run ninth and a two-run 10th. If ever a single game can turn around a silent season, the 8-7 win over the Rochester Red Wings has to be the one.
“I just feel good about what we saw,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “We didn’t shut down and I’m really proud of these guys. I was even more proud of our guys because they didn’t shut down after that [Rochester run in the] 10th inning.”
What was left of the crowd of about 2,000 (5,872 tickets sold) saw Brad Snyder collect an RBI single in both rallies. He had the game-winner with the bases loaded in the 10th, one-hopping the left-field wall on a 3-1 pitch from Rochester’s Carmen Cali to confound the Wings’ strategy of using a five-man infield.
“I’m just trying to get something up in the air,” Snyder said. “I got in a hitter’s count and he had to come in with something else.”
Snyder was with the Herd last year when it produced the biggest rally in its history, a nine-run ninth that turned a 14-6 deficit into a 15-14 win over Pawtucket. Snyder said reliever Bubbie Buzachero, who gave up the Rochester run in the 10th on Howie Clark’s two-out RBI single, even invoked memory of that comeback in the Buffalo dugout.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Snyder said. “Joking around before that ninth, Bubbie was saying crazier things have happened. You say those things sometimes and they hardly ever work out. Man, it was kind of crazy tonight and it worked out. It was pretty unbelieveable.”
After the Herd was blanked by Rochester starter Brian Duensing, it exploded in the ninth against Bobby Korecky and Tim Lahey.
It was 6-3 when Snyder’s RBI single off Lahey made it 6-4. With two out, pinch-hitter Jason Cooper’s towering drive to right landed high off the wall and narrowly missed a game-tying homer. Snyder scored to pull Buffalo within a run and the Herd tied it at 6-6 three pitches later on Josh Barfield’s single to left.
Rochester went ahead in the 10th but Buffalo was undeterred.
“Nobody was quiet in the dugout,” Snyder said. “Everybody was kind of jacked up and ready to go again. Everybody kind of felt it.”
With none out in the 10th, Michael Aubrey’s liner to center fell in for a double when it hit the glove of center fielder Jason Pridie. Todd Linden sacrificed Aubrey to third and reached on third baseman Chris Basak’s wide throw. Jordan Brown walked to load the bases and Aaron Herr singled to tie it and set the stage for Snyder.
Starter Jeff Harris did the best he could to save a thin bullpen but the Red Wings parlayed four home runs into their big lead. He battled for six innings, retiring nine of the final 10 men he faced.
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Brian Slocum and closer Rick Bauer (15 saves, 1.54 ERA) were both called up to Cleveland with relievers Tom Mastny and Jensen Lewis getting returned. Aubrey reported after he was sent back from his first stint in the big leagues. . . . Former Minnesota all-star Francisco Liriano, on the road back from Tommy John surgery, will be the starting pitcher for the Red Wings when the teams meet at 1 p. m. today (Radio 1520 AM). He’s 0-2, 4.18 in eight starts this year.
