BASEBALL
Tides’ four in 14th send Herd to defeat
If it’s any solace, years from now this game might be erased from the memories of the Buffalo Bisons, who stumbled late in a 14-inning 8-4 loss to the Norfolk Tides Monday night.
Wouldn’t it be difficult to remember a game where the home team produced just four runs despite getting 11 hits and drawing 11 walks over an excruciating 4 hours, 41 minutes, the fifth longest in terms of time in franchise history?
Memories like this only linger when they involve victories, and Norfolk will recall scoring four runs in the 14th inning, the first coming off an RBI single by former Bison Eider Torres. But the Bisons may want to expunge this game as soon as possible like so many others in this disappointing season.
Then again, it’s going to be hard to forget how the Bisons used eight different pitchers in the marathon — Norfolk used six with the win going to Roberto Novoa (3-2) — and Randy Newsom credited for a blown save and Jeff Stevens (0-2) the loss. How can the Bisons forget leaving 16 men on base and eight runners in scoring position with two outs?
“We did some things right, we did some things wrong,” said Bisons manager Torey Lovullo. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough right to help us win.”
The Bisons were cruising until the top of the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead when the tightrope finally snapped. A throwing error on a pick-off attempt and a wild pitch by Newsom helped the Tides tie the game at 2-2.
In the ninth with one out Newsom tried to pick off Luis Terrero at first and the ball sailed into the stands, advancing the runner. Omir Santos grounded out to third but a wicked hop off the bat of Jeff Fiorentino got by Jordan Brown and the Tides had runners at the corners. Then Newsom threw a wild pitch and Terrero scored from third to tie the game. Newsom entered the game in the ninth for Bubbie Buzachero, who fanned the side in the eighth.
“I felt like I was strong enough to go another inning. Obviously you don’t think about going 14 innings, but given the time we had off I think Torey wanted us to end on a good note as far as pitches,” Buzachero said. “We had plenty in the bullpen.”
Norfolk broke a 2-2 tie in the 11th when Chris Roberson drove in Terrero with a high hopper into center field. The Tides scored what was thought to be an insurance run when Roberson scored all the way from first on a double by Luis Hernandez for a 4-2 lead.
But the Bisons’ Morgan Ensberg erased the lead with one swing in the 11th — a towering two-run shot over the right-field fence that evened the game at 4-4. Then with two outs, Novoa walked Michael Aubrey to load the bases for Todd Linden with two outs.
The odds were in Norfolk’s favor considering Linden was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and walk. But Linden never finished his at-bat after home plate umpire Lance Barrett ejected him for arguing a called strike. Brad Snyder pinch-hit for Linden with the count at 2-2 and Novoa struck him out with a fastball. It stayed that way until the 14th when Norfolk finally settled matters. Torres singled on a line drive to right to score Roberson before Oscar Salazar singled to score Hernandez. Then with two out, Santos drove in two more with a single to right before Fiorentino popped out to second baseman Andy Gonzalez.
“That’s baseball,” Buzachero said. “A bloop here, a walk there — crazy things happen. You see it all in this game.”
With the loss, the Bisons stayed 17z games behind first place Pawtucket in the International League North and fell to 46-58 on the season.
The teams go again tonight (7:05
p. m., Radio 1520 AM) with Buffalo lefty John Halama (6-2, 4.88) facing right-hander Hayden Penn (4-5, 5.40).
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Brendan Donnelly, a right-hander, was promoted from Single-A Kinston where the veteran had made rehabilitation starts as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. To make room for Donnelly, the Bisons sent right-hander J. D. Martin to Double-A Akron.
