ALLENTOWN, PA - An eight-run top of the fifth inning in which the Buffalo Bisons brought 13 batters to the plate helped pace the team in their 13-5 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park.
RJ Schreck added his second straight three-hit, five-RBI game to account for three of the team’s nine hits in the victory. His two-run home run in the top of the first inning gave Buffalo an early 2-0 lead against Jean Cabrera and the IronPigs.
However, Otto Kemp hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning against Grant Rogers to flip the deficit into a one-run Lehigh Valley lead, 3-2. However, Rogers worked four innings for Buffalo, receiving a no-decision with two strikeouts in the start.
Josh Kasevich tied the game with an RBI triple to right-center field that scored Ismael Munguia from first base. Kasevich’s 11th RBI of the year made the score 3-3. That was followed one inning later by a Rafael Lantigua RBI base hit that scored Riley Tirotta. It gave Buffalo a 4-3 lead over Lehigh Valley, a lead they would not relinquish.
The next inning, the Bisons erupted for eight runs on just three hits. They were aided by a hit batter and six walks in the inning. Kasevich led off the inning with a walk and scored, while Charles McAdoo followed with a base hit and a run scored as well. Schreck collected his second hit of the game with a two-run single extending the lead to 5-0.
Four straight batters would then reach without the benefit of a base hit, all receiving RBIs. Lantigua, Ryan McCarty, and Munguia all drew bases loaded walks, while Carlos Mendoza was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as well. McAdoo added an RBI base hit on his second at-bat of the inning with a bases loaded walk and Schreck capped the scoring with a two-run base hit. The Bisons lead 12-3 midway through the game
They would tack one more run on in the top of the eighth inning on a Willie MacIver RBI double. The back stop’s first extra-base hit with Buffalo ballooned the lead to 13-3.
Lehigh Valley would score solo runs in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to end the night.
Pat Gallagher was credited with his first career Triple-A victory with two and two-third innings of relief work after Rogers’ start. Adam Macko and Brendan Cellucci also pitched in relief for Buffalo.
The Bisons have won two games in a row against Lehigh Valley and will meet the IronPigs for game four of the series on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. Pregame coverage on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com begins at 6:25 p.m. with the ‘Voice of the Bisons’ Pat Malacaro.