Buffalo Bisons Game Notes

TODAY’S GAME:

Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the third game of a five-game in four-day series from Coca-Cola Park (7:05 p.m.). The IronPigs struck first in a big way last night, taking the first two games of the series thanks to a doubleheader sweep. The Bisons now have just three games left in the 2009 season that ends on Monday.

vs. THE IRONPIGS:

The Bisons are 5-8 against Lehigh Valley this season. The IronPigs’ victories last night snapped Buffalo’s three-game win streak in the series. Now, the Herd must win the next three games in order to earn a split of the season series. The two clubs split their first ever season-series in 2008 with each home team winning five or eight games.

GATHER NO MOSS:

RHP Tobi Stoner has pitched very well over his last four starts. Since August 16, the Triple-A rookie is 3-0 with a 1.33ERA with 17 strikeouts to only 19 hits allowed in 27.0 innings of work. The stretch started with six shutout innings on August 16 in a win against the IronPigs. In his last start, Stoner threw a 9.0-inning complete game to score a 6-1 victory over the Rochester Red Wings at Coca-Cola Field.

GETTING CHIPPY:

OF Chip Ambres enters tonight’s game on a 10-game hit streak. The veteran has hit .359 (14-39) since August 27, with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored. It’s the second time Ambres has reached the 10-game mark with a hit streak this year. Ambres also hit in 10 straight from August 9-18, averaging .410 (16-39) over that stretch.

HIT RACE:

The Bisons team Most Valuable Player OF Jesus Feliciano had a hit in each game last night, giving him 148 on the season. He remains in a tie with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s OF Austin Jackson for the most hits in the International League. Gwinnett’s INF Barbaro Cannizares has 147 hits. The last Bisons player to lead the IL in hits was INF Jhonny Peralta in 2004 (181). The 150-hit plateau has been reached by a Bisons hitter only 7 times in the Modern Era. Peralta and INF Brandon Phillips (158) were the last to do it in 2004.

BISONS BITS:

INF Luis Rivera has six hits in his last 13 at-bats (.462). He had the game winning single in the 10th inning of Buffalo’s 4-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

MEET THE METS:

The Mets (61-74) got five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs yesterday, 6-2. Former Bisons OF Cory Sullivan hit a home run in his perfect day at the plate. Sully was 2-2 with 2 runs, two walks and two RBI. Former Bisons C Omir Santos also went 1-4 with a pair of RBI for New York. The Mets host the Cubs again today at Citi Field at 1:10 p.m.