BASEBALL
Bisons’ bullpen scorched
Herd allows 12 runs in epic meltdown
It’s long been established that the Buffalo Bisons plain stink. About the only drama left for this summer is to see if the Blundering Herd can avoid its first 90-loss campaign since 1965.
A lot of the defeats seem to run together. But Monday’s 12-7, 10-inning fiasco against the Charlotte Knights should stand alone.
Triple-A rookie Tobi Stoner threw six shutout innings in his first home start and the Bisons built a 5-0 lead through seven. Then came the most epic bullpen meltdown in Coca-Cola Field’s 22 seasons — four relievers combined to get torched for 12 runs and 15 hits in the final three frames.
With closer Elmer Dessens gone to the New York Mets, there was no relief for the crowd of about 1,200 (5,358 tickets were sold). Kyle Snyder and Jon Switzer gave up three runs in the eighth. Eddie Kunz gave up four runs in the ninth as Charlotte pulled even at 7-7 and Tim McNab yielded five after a 16-minute rain delay in the 10th.
“I’m speechless. That’s very shocking to give up 12 runs in the last three innings,” said manager Ken Oberkfell. “I felt we had the game under control with the way our bullpen has been. But it’s different guys. It’s not Elmer Dessens.”
The top three hitters in the Charlotte lineup (Miguel Negron, Norris Hopper and Josh Kroeger) had three hits apiece and scored two runs each. Wilson Betemit also had three hits, including the two-out roller up the middle in the ninth to tie the game.
The Bisons were furious with plate umpire Damian Beal in the ninth, as he squeezed Kunz and then called clearly low pitches strikes on Chip Ambres and Emil Brown after Buffalo loaded the bases. Both eventually struck out and hitting coach Bill Masse was ejected during Brown’s at-bat, but got his money’s worth with a hat-backwards, nose-to-nose beeffest.
“I’m not going to blame the umpires for 12 runs in three innings but they did not have a good ninth inning,” Oberkfell said diplomatically. “That’s the way it goes.”
The Bisons (26-48) have dropped seven of nine. They’re on pace to finish 50-93 so there’s not much to do most nights than search for silver linings.
There were some Monday: The offense had 15 hits, with Brown posting his second straight three-hit game and Cory Sullivan posting his second four-hit outing of the season.
Stoner’s outing certainly stood out. He had a 7.27 ERA in his two starts on the team’s road trip after coming up from Double-A Binghamton, but allowed just four hits in six innings this time.
“My last outing I was pulling off [on my delivery] a little bit trying to be too fine with pitches,” Stoner said of Wednesday’s game at Gwinnett, when he walked four and gave up four runs in 2c innin 3/4 1/3 . “[Monday] I just went after hitters.”
Stoner, a 24-year-old right-hander, hoped to start the season here but was derailed by a shoulder strain in spring training and had to return to Double-A Binghamton. He’s pitched six innings in two of his three starts in Triple-A.
“I got up here pretty quick after seven starts in Binghamton,” he said. “It’s like I didn’t miss a step. It’s felt good to get up here and finally get settled in.”
The Knights go for a four-game sweep when the series wraps up tonight (7 p. m., Radio 1520 AM) with red-hot Jonathon Niese (3-6) pitching for the Herd. He’s 3-0, 0.44 in his last three starts.
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The parent New York Mets confirmed Monday that Oliver Perez will make his next injury rehab start with the Bisons on Friday night on the annual Independence Eve celebration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The game against Rochester starts at 6:05 p. m.
Perez made one start for Buffalo on May 26 but was shut down after tweaking a knee. He threw five shutout innings Sunday for Class A Brooklyn against Hudson Valley, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out six.
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