Bisons notebook
Evans aiming to bounce back with the Herd
Nick Evans was coaching himself into strikeouts. Restless in the batter’s box, he started this season in a 7-for-75 funk. The problem was mental, not mechanical.
So Evans saw a sports psychologist.
“The guys that are good in this game are the ones that don’t let things snowball on them,” Evans said. “That’s what kind of happened to me this year.”
On Saturday, Evans took a step in putting April’s demons behind him. His RBI single in the fourth inning of Buffalo’s first game against Toledo proved to be the game-winner as the Bisons defeated the Mud Hens, 1-0. The Herd followed with a 2-0 win in the nightcap.
Evans’ young career took a sharp 180-degree turn in the spring. The 23-year-old was supposed to spend all summer at Citi Field in the majors. Just last year he batted .257 for the New York Mets in 50 games.
Before the season, New York told him he had secured a spot in the big leagues. The Mets signed Gary Sheffield and Evans was sent to Buffalo. The rest is hazy. Evans fell into the dismal skid and saw the psychologist during an extended spring camp in Florida.
He shies away from the topic now. No use rekindling bad memories. But something obviously clicked with the psychologist.
Rejuvenated, he headed north. In 25 games with Double- A Binghamton, Evans hit .276 (29 for 105). The Mets summoned him to the majors and he hit .250 (11 for 44) over 15 games.
New York’s Angel Pagan (elbow) returned from the disabled list and Evans was relocated back to Buffalo, back to his house of horrors.
Through five games, he is 4 of 14 (.286). Not a complete metamorphosis, but close. Manager Ken Oberkfell sees a new Evans.
“He changed his stance a little bit,” Oberkfell said. “He is swinging more aggressively. I can see a difference from the start of the year.”
Even in the Game One win, Evans went from hero to goat to hero in a flash.
In the seventh inning, a potential game-winning double play bounced in and out of his glove at first base when he dropped the throw from second.
The next at-bat, Evans redeemed himself. Toledo’s Nick Clevlen ripped a shot and Evans made a sprawling dive to stop it. He shuffled to first and secured the win.
Had Evans snagged the double play attempt, the Bisons would have tied the record for the shortest game in their history.
On May 17, 1992, Tim Wakefield led the Bisons to a 3-1 win over Denver in 1 hour, 22 minutes.
Instead, it’s the second-shortest at 1:24. The third-shortest came in the nightcap when the Bisons won in 1:26.
“This is definitely the fastest two games I’ve been a part of in my life,” Evans said.
•••
Amid a season to forget, Buffalo is at least on track to shatter one team record. Friday’s rainout was the 13th of the season—tied for the second- most in the modern era. Buffalo had 14 washouts in 2000 and 13 in 1986.
In 2000, the gloomy weather didn’t lead to equally dreadful play as it has this summer. That Bisons team went 86-59 and won the IL North.
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