Bisons Split Pair

well-fought doubleheader ended with a win for both Gwinnett and Buffalo. The Bisons took the first game, 6-5, before the Braves fought back to take game two in extra innings, 5-3.
The split gave the Bisons a split of their four-game series with the Braves and of their eight-game homestand. Buffalo will now travel to Pawtucket for four games.

The Herd came out swinging in Game 1 as five of the first six batters they sent to the plate hit and scored. A run-scoring single from Ramon Martinez got the Bisons on the board before a two-run monster home run for Fernando Martinez put the Bisons up 3-0.

Javier Valentin followed with a solo shot of his own in his first at-bat with the team. The last Bisons player to accomplish that feat was Jason Dubois, who homered in his debut on August 7, 2005 against Pawtucket.

But a 5-0 lead evaporated as the Braves scored four in the third inning and one more in the fourth off Mike Antonini in his Buffalo, and Triple-A, debut.

The Bisons took back the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning. Angel Pagan led off the frame with a single and moved to third on a passed ball and a deep fly ball from Ramon Martinez. After Fernando drew a walk, Wily Mo Pena chopped one off the glove of Gwinnett's Barbaro Canizares. Pagan scored and the Herd had the run they needed for victory.

Eddie Kunz got his third win and Elmer Dessens earned his third save as the duo held the Braves to one hit over the final 3.2 innings of the game.

In Game 2, it was the Braves who were last two score. A two-out RBI-double from Gregor Blanco in the top of the eighth snapped a 3-3 tie and gave Gwinnett the run they needed to earn the split. The Braves added insurance as Diory Hernandez looped a pitch over first base for another RBI-hit.