Bisons Game Notes

TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons face the Pawtucket Red Sox in the finale of a four-game series from McCoy Stadium (12:05 p.m.). The Bisons are looking for the split of the four-game set. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Herd roared back with an 8-2 victory last night. After this series, the Bisons will have an off-day before returning home for an eight-game homestand against Columbus and Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: The Bisons had their best offense game of the season last night, scoring six runs in the seventh inning of a 9-2 victory over Pawtucket. Seven different Bisons had hits and six drove in at least one run. OF Fernando Martinez led the charge with a double, a home run and a Bisons season-high three runs scored.

F-MART: OF Fernando Martinez is starting to heat back up at the plate. The 20-year old has hit in four of his last five games with a .333 average (6-18), a double, two home runs, four RBI, six runs scored and two stolen bases. Martinez leads the Bisons in all triple crown categories as well as hits (39), runs (18) and extra-base hits (20).

RUN-PRODUCER: C/INF Javier Valentin has already proven himself a big-time run producer for the Herd. The veteran has five hits in his first five games, with four of them driving in runs. Valentin had a pair of RBI-singles in last night’s victory. In his first at-bat as a Bison, Valentin hit a solo home run in the first game of last Friday’s doubleheader against Gwinnett.

DONE LIKE DESSENS: RHP Elmer Dessens has been virtually unhittable this month. The veteran has pitched scoreless relief in six consecutive outings. During the stretch, Dessens has allowed just two hits and two walks in 8.0 innings of work. On the year, opponents are hitting just .178 against Dessens with only one extra-base hit.

ROSTER MOVE: The New York Mets have selected the contract or INF Ramon Martinez. The veteran missed the first 21 games of the season but was activated on May 3. He reached base safely in all nine games he played in with the Bisons, hitting .290 (9-31) with an RBI and four walks.