Press Release: - Bisons Notes 8/26/10 - Buffalo at Syracuse (7:00 p.m.)

Buffalo Bisons (70-60, 2nd(-8.5), North) vs. Syracuse Chiefs (67-63, 3rd(-11.5), North)


Thursday, August 26, 2010 (7:00 p.m.) - Alliance Bank Stadium


RHP Fernando Nieve (2-0, 5.24) vs. RHP Erik Arnesen (5-7, 3.71)


TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13, (87 -Spanish) Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com


TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Bisons play the Syracuse Chiefs in the opening game of a two-game set at Alliance Bank Stadium (7:00 p.m.) The Bisons are 5-7 against the Chiefs this year and are just two games behind Columbus in the IL Wild Card race. After this two-game series, the Herd travels to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for a three-game in two-day series.



WILD RACE: The Bisons did not lose any ground Clippers in the IL Wild Card race with the 8-3 loss to Pawtucket last night. Buffalo is two games behind Columbus, as the Clippers lost to Toledo, 5-4 (12 innings). Louisville lost last night but still leads Columbus by 1.5 games in the IL West division race.



THRUWAY SERIES: The Bisons (14-12) are currently in second place in the 2010 Thruway Series standings. Buffalo trails Syracuse (17-7) by four games for the Thruway Cup, with Rochester (7-19) in last place. The Bisons are 5-7 against the Chiefs this season, the only divisional foe they have a losing record against. Since 2008, the Herd is just 6-16 in 22 games at Alliance Bank Stadium.



STARTING PITCHER: RHP FERNANDO NIEVE gets the start for the Herd on the mound tonight against Syracuse. In his last three starts, Nieve is 2-0 with 13 strikeouts. This season, Nieve has made five starts and tossed 17 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work. Dating back to last season, Nieve is 5-0 in nine career starts as a Bison.


NICK EVANS: Last night, Evans went 3-4 with a run scored, a triple and a walk. Since August 10, Evans is hitting .351 (20-57) with six doubles, a triple, four home runs and 13 runs scored. Evans enters tonight’s game with a four-game hit streak, hitting .400 (6-15) over the span from August 22(2)-25. Combined with his 88 games with Double-A Binghamton, Evans has hit .301 (133-442) with 40 doubles, one triple, 22 homers and 76RBI this year.



DOMINATING: LHP MIKE O’CONNOR has been spectacular of late. The reliever has tossed 15.0 consecutive innings of scoreless relief for the Herd over his last eight-plus outings. The southpaw has 63 strikeouts in 63.0 innings this season and 20 punchouts in his last 15.0 innings of work.