Ugly win snaps skid for Bisons
Even in victory, it seems like the bumbling Buffalo Bisons can’t get out of their own way.
A seven-game losing streak somehow ended Monday night in Dunn Tire Park, as the Herd survived a season- high five errors to hold off the Syracuse Chiefs, 8-7, before a thoroughly underwhelmed crowd of 8,156.
The Bisons held on largely because Syracuse left 13 runners on base, including nine in the first five innings. Buffalo sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run fifth that wiped out a 5-3 deficit.
“After losing for a week straight, any win right now is a good win but it was ugly,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “There’s no other way to describe it. I’m proud of these guys for fighting back the way they did. . . . But I don’t want to make that an acceptable performance. That was clearly unacceptable and I’m sure they realize it.”
Five different Buffalo players committed boots on the infield, leading to four unearned runs and plenty of catcalls from the crowd. It was the first time the Herd has won a game with at least five errors since it made six while posting an 11-10, 15-inning win at Nashville on April 11, 1997.
“It’s not easy when everybody is making an error,” said second baseman Andy Gonzalez, whose gaffe trying to one-hand shovel Pedro Lopez’s routine grounder to first in the sixth allowed Syracuse’s final run to score. “It’s not like we’re trying to make an error. We’re trying to make plays but today it just didn’t work that way. We’re just glad the pitchers did their job, got outs for us and we got hits when we needed to.”
Defense had not really been a problem during the losing streak, Buffalo’s longest since 2003. The last few days, when the Herd endured back-to-back shutouts and scored one run in its previous 31 innings, the bats were the issue. But the gloves nearly ruined a night when the offense produced 12 hits.
“We’re just not on the balls of our feet on the infield,” Lovullo said. “I think we’re expecting something bad to happen. Everybody is a little defensive instead of attacking the ball.”
The Bisons fell into a 3-0 hole in the first thanks to errors by starting pitcher Dan Reichert and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. But they battled back to tie it with a run in the second and two in the fourth on Brad Snyder’s two-out, two-run double that was cued down the left-field line.
“I was fortunate I snuck it inside the line,” Snyder said. “And it couldn’t have come at a better time to help us tie the game up.”
“A huge at-bat,” Lovullo said.
In the fifth, Gonzalez pounded a high fastball from Syracuse starter Bill Murphy the other way to right for a two-run homer to tie the game. Morgan Ensberg’s bases-loaded walk scored what proved to be the winning run. Reichert (1-3) got his first win in eight starts and Randy Newsom pitched the ninth for his first Triple-A save as the Bisons definitely escaped their manager’s wrath.
“I had a lot of crazy thoughts going through my mind during the course of that game,” Lovullo admitted. “But you win a game and it kind of erases all of those moments.”
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The trade of ace CC Sabathia by the Cleveland Indians earlier in the day did not have huge impact on the Herd. Pitcher Zach Jackson, who was 1-5 at Nashville, arrived at the park and was activated (Jeff Harris was placed on the disabled list to make room). He will work out of the bullpen initially.
Star outfield prospect Matt LaPorta, the prime acquisition in the deal, was sent to Double-A Akron rather than promoted to Triple-A. He could be here in August if he does not play for the U. S. Olympic team.
Matt Ginter (6-6) will start the opener of tonight’s doubleheader in Syracuse (5:05 p. m., Radio 1520 AM). Lovullo said the starter for the second game is undetermined but it’s possible the nod could go to Bubbie Buzachero, who has not pitched since his five-inning, 77-pitch relief outing last Thursday night.
