ALLENTOWN, PA. — The Buffalo Bisons season came to a merciful close on Monday with a 3-0 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park.

The Bisons lost the series, 4-1, and finished 6-10 against Lehigh Valley this season. Buffalo has never won a series in Lehigh Valley.

The loss was the Herd’s 87th, the most for the franchise since the 1994 team finished 55-89. The Bisons finished in last place in the International League North Division for the first time in 12 seasons since rejoining the IL. It’s only the sixth time in the modern era (since 1985) Buffalo has finished the year with a losing record.

Jesus Feliciano was given the day off after appearing in a team-high 130 games. Even without playing Monday, the Bisons MVP led the IL with 154 hits. He was first for the Herd in games, average (.311), doubles (30), stolen bases (13) and runs scored (57).

The final defeat of the season played out like the 2009 campaign. Buffalo failed to push a runner beyond second base until the eighth inning.

The Herd fell behind, 2-0, in the first inning. Lehigh Valley added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Bisons threatened to score in the eighth. A single from Luis Rivera and an Andy Green walk put the tying runs on base with two outs. Chip Ambres followed with a single to left field. But Rich Thompson’s throw from left beat Rivera to the plate for the final out of the inning.

Southpaw Adam Pettyjohn had a solid outing, but took the loss. He allowed just two runs in seven innings. He struck out six and walked just one.

Pettyjohn was coming off a loss in his last start, allowing four earned run on 10 hits in six innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 2. He’s been solid since joining the Herd, going 3-5 with a 3.56 ERA in his nine games and eight starts.

Pettyjohn joined the team in late July one of 130 Bisons player transactions during the n season. Sixty-four different players appeared in a game for the Herd this year, the most since the 2004 season. Only seven of the 24 players on the team’s active roster for game No. 143 on Monday were on the team’s opening-day roster.

Herd hit leaders

Modern era since 1985

Player YearHits

Jhonny Peralta 2004181

Brandon Phillips 2004158

Jolbert Cabrera 1998157

Alex Ramirez 1998156

Jesus Feliciano 2009154

Kevin Young 1992154

Chris Coste 2002152

Don Sparks 1996151