Bisons Notes 5/20/10 - Charlotte at Buffalo (7:05 p.m.)

From Press Release:

Buffalo Bisons (23-17, 3rd(-1.5), North) vs. Charlotte Knights (17-24, T3rd(-6.0), South)

Thursday, May 20, 2010 (7:05 p.m.) - Coca-Cola Field

LHP Pat Misch (3-0, 3.30) vs. RHP Carlos Torres (2-4, 4.27)

Radio: WWKB AM 1520, http://www.bisons.com/

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons face the Charlotte Knights in the third game of a four-game series from Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The series is tied at one game apiece after the Herd won last night, 10-6. Following tomorrow night’s game, the Bisons will travel to Lehigh Valley for a four-game series. Buffalo is 14-6 at home this season.

vs. THE KNIGHTS: The Bisons snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Knights with last night’s win. That stretch included five straight losses in Buffalo. The Herd is now 46-52 (.469) against Charlotte since 1998.

BEST IN BASEBALL: With 47RBI on the year, INF MIKE HESSMAN has four more runs driven in than any other batter in baseball. He leads Single-A Lexington Legends’ INF KODY HINZE (43). Hessman has homered in consecutive games for a third straight time and with 14 on the year trails only Double-A Jacksonville OF MIKE STANTON (15). In the two games against Charlotte, Hessman has reached base in nine of 11 plate appearances (double, two home runs, five walks and a hit by pitch).

MOUND WORK: LHP PAT MISCH is coming off a complete-game shutout of Norfolk on Saturday, 4-0. Misch allowed just four singles and no walks while striking out six Tides batters in the win. The southpaw has now won three of his last four starts and has not walked more than two batters in any of his seven starts. The Bisons are 6-1 in the games he started.

GET IGGY WITH IT: RHP RYOTA IGARASHI is scheduled to pitch tonight. The reliever joined the Bisons yesterday on a MLB rehab assignment. Igarashi has been on the Mets’ DL since April 21 when he suffered a moderate injury to his left hamstring. Igarashi has already thrown two rehab assignments with St. Lucie, posting a 6.75ERA in 2.2 innings of work (5H, 2ER, 0BB, 2K).

NEW FACES: With six players on the disabled list, several new Bisons are stepping up big. RHP DYLAN OWEN won his Triple-A debut last night with seven strikeouts in seven innings. OF D.J. WABICK had two hits and three RBI in just his fourth Triple-A game. OF EMMANUEL GARCIA singled in his first Triple-A at-bat last night.