Buffalo, N.Y. - At Sahlen Field on Sunday, the Buffalo Bisons failed to play spoiler to the Rochester Red Wings, who defeated the Herd in their final game of the season to win four of six against them and clinch a spot in the Triple-A playoffs. Rochester hit eight home runs to help it defeat Buffalo 15-8.
The Bisons threatened in the first two innings against Rochester starter Connelly Early. They got two men on via a walk and a missed-catch error in the first, but the next two were retired. In the second, they loaded the bases on two walks and a throwing error. Paxton Schultz relieved Early, then Rhylan Thomas delivered a two-run single to start the scoring.
Daz Cameron and Yohendrick Piñango then walked consecutively, with the latter yielding an RBI, to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead.
Josh Winckowski, after pitching a scoreless first and second for Buffalo, put two men on via a double and a walk, but Jay Harry helped him out with a diving catch to rob Cayden Wallace of a hit and turn an inning-ending double play. Winckowski’s day ended after that, and he threw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out three.
John Klein was the first man out of Buffalo’s bullpen in the fourth inning, and Leandro Pineda got the Red Wings on the board with a one-out solo home run.
Buffalo responded right back in their half of the fourth. Anthony Santander walked to start, then Piñango roped a two-run homer, his tenth of the season, to make it 5-1 Buffalo.
Liover Peguero began the fifth inning with a solo homer to bring Rochester back within three. A pair of hits then put two on for Cayden Wallace, who grounded out to bring in a run. A batter later, Pineda blasted his second home run of the game to tie the game at 5.
Daniel Guerra replaced Klein after Pineda’s homer, but Rochester did not let up as Andrew Pinckney gave Rochester its first lead with a solo home run to right.
Rochester added to its lead in the sixth. Seaver King drilled a ball to the center-field wall over Daz Cameron, who slammed into the wall. The ball died in center field, and King rounded the bases for an inside-the-park solo home run to make it 7-5.
In the seventh facing Devereaux Harrison, Rochester had two hits to bring up Pinckney, who hit his second home run of the game with a three-run shot to left, making it 10-5. A single later, Maxwell Romero Jr. joined the party with a two-run shot.
In the bottom of the seventh, Clayton Beeter entered in relief for Rochester, and Piñango hit his second homer of the game with a leadoff shot, making it 12-6.
Sam Gardner came in to pitch for Buffalo in the eighth and struck out three in a scoreless inning.
Buffalo loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against Justin Lawrence on two singles and a walk, then Josh Kasevich worked a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Kyle Nicolas came in and struck out Jay Harry on three pitches to end the inning and maintain Rochester’s lead.
Rochester got another run in the ninth with two outs. Trey Lipscomb doubled and scored on a ball that bounced away from Peyton Williams on a grounder by Wallace, making it 13-7. Riley Adams then hit Rochester’s eighth home run of the day, putting two more on the board.
Gus Varland came in to clinch Rochester’s berth, and Josh Rivera hit a solo home run to make it 15-8 before the next three were retired.
The Bisons will begin the 2027 season on March 26, 2027, with a three-game road series against the Omaha Storm Chasers, then will begin their 40th season at Sahlen Field on March 30 with a six-game set against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.