Charlotte, N.C. - On Tuesday evening at Truist Field, the Buffalo Bisons and Charlotte Knights began a six-game series, and it did not go the way the Herd hoped it would. The Herd managed only four hits and home runs by Tim Elko and Junior Perez set them back as they dropped the opener of their second-to-last series of the season, 4-1. It was Buffalo’s ninth loss in their last 11 games.
Both sides went down in order in the first inning as Drew Thorpe and Josh Stephan made the starters for Charlotte and Buffalo, respectively. RJ Schreck, in his first at-bat with the Herd since June 3 following a wrist injury, singled up the middle to start the second.
In the bottom of the second, the Knights started the scoring with Elko leading off their half of the inning with a solo home run to left field.
Following a double by Jake Cave, Thorpe and Stephan continued to face the minimum until the bottom of the fourth. Stephan was aided by new catcher Shawn Ross catching Rikuu Nishida stealing for the second out in the bottom of the third.
In the bottom of the fourth, Michael Turner led off with a four-pitch walk after a challenge by Ross went awry, then with two outs, Perez belted a two-run home run into the left-field corner, making it 3-0 Charlotte.
Schreck walked with one out in Buffalo’s half of the fifth, but was erased on an inning-ending ground-ball double play. He was the only player to reach base against Thorpe, whose day ended after the fifth.
In the bottom of the sixth, a single and a double set up Caden Connor, who drove in a run with an RBI single to right, making it 4-0 Charlotte. However, Stephan got an inning-ending double play to escape further trouble and end his evening.
In his sixth start with the Herd, Stephan threw six innings of four-run ball, all earned, on eight hits, two walks and two home runs, although he struck out five.
Yondrei Rojas came out in Charlotte’s half of the seventh for his second appearance with the Herd, and after allowing back-to-back one-out walks, he got a ground-ball double play, the Herd’s second such play in as many innings.
Aidan Anderson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the Knights. Sam Gardner entered for the Herd in Charlotte’s half, and he posted a scoreless inning by retiring the next three batters after allowing a leadoff single to Elko, who registered three hits.
Garrett Schoenle came out to close the game for Charlotte, and Rhylan Thomas and Josh Kasevich singled and doubled to start the ninth, putting runners at second and third with no one out. Yohendrick Piñango grounded out to drive in Buffalo’s first run, but Schoenle retired the next two to end the game.
The Bisons and Knights will play the second game of this six-game set on Wednesday at Truist Field in Charlotte at 6:35 p.m. RHP John Klein will get the start for Buffalo. You can listen to the action on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and bisons.com starting at 6:15 p.m. with Pat Malacaro.