Bisons Game Notes

TODAY’S GAME: Today, the Buffalo Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the second game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (1:05 p.m.). The Herd lost the series opener to the Yanks yesterday, 6-5, despite slugging three homeruns. The Bisons are now 1-4 in their season-opening eight-game homestand. After Thursday’s finale against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Herd will begin a six-game roadtrip in Syracuse.

F-MART: OF Fernando Martinez had two more extra-base hits yesterday, with a double to a left field and no-doubt homerun to right. Martinez already has three doubles, a triple and a homerun so far this season. He is one of only two players in the International League with five extra-base hits in 2009 (Rochester’s David Winfree).

GLOVE WORK: The Bisons played flawlessly in the field again yesterday, their third errorless game this season. The Bisons have a .991 fielding percentage so far in 2009, 3rd-best in the International League. They are also T2nd in the league with 7 doubleplays. The last three years, the Bisons have finished 12th (2006 - .974), 13th (2007 - .975) and dead last (2008 - .971) in team defense.

HOMER HAPPY HERD: Three Bisons players got their first homers of the season out of the way yesterday. OF Bobby Kielty yanked one down the left field line in the 2nd while INF Michel Abreu drove in three with a bomb to left-center in the 4th. OF Fernando Martinez became the first Bisons player to hit the Heron’s Landing Party Deck in the 5th inning for his first homer of the year. Buffalo’s four homeruns are tied for 3rd-most in the International League.

STILL AT ZERO: Four Bisons pitchers are still sporting perfect ERAs. Both RHP Nelson Figueroa and LHP Casey Fossum kept the PawSox off the scoreboard during their starts over the weekend. RHP Elmer Dessens and RHP Eddie Kunz have each pitched 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.