Team Pre-Game Notes: - Buffalo vs. Indianapolis

Buffalo Bisons (17-23, T4th(-6.5), North) vs. Indianapolis Indians (16-24, 4th(-11.0), West)Wednesday, May 18, 2011 (1:05 p.m.) - Victory Field



LHP Casey Fossum (0-3, 5.87) vs. RHP Brad Lincoln (3-3, 5.03)


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



TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Indianapolis Indians in the second game of a four-game series from Victory Field (1:05 p.m.). The Indians struck first in the series with last night’s 10-1 win. Buffalo is now 2-3 on their eight-game roadtrip that began with a split of a four-game set in Louisville. Following Friday’s game, the Bisons will return home for an eight-game homestand against Charlotte and Gwinnett.



VS. THE INDIANS: With last night’s 10-1 win, the Indians took the first game in the season series with the Bisons. Dating back to the end of the 2008 season, the Herd is now just 6-14 in its last 20 games against the Tribe. The last time Buffalo won a season series at Victory Field was when they took three of four over Indianapolis on June 28 - July 1, 2004.



TODAY’S STARTER: LHP CASEY FOSSUM will make his sixth start and ninth appearance for the Bisons today. The southpaw is still in search of his first win with an 0-3 record and a 5.87ERA. Fossum is looking to rebound from his shortest start of the season as he allowed nine runs in three innings on Friday night in Louisville. Fossum has been much better in his three day games this year with a 1.38ERA in 13.0 innings of work in afternoon starts.



CATCHING ON: C MIKE NICKEAS enters today’s game on a five-game hit streak. After collecting just one hit in his first six games with the team, Nickeas is hitting .353 (6-17) since May 11. The catcher has also driven in runs in back-to-back games.



DEBUT CONTINUES: INF LUIS FIGUEROA has hit in all five games he’s played as a Bison. The 37-year old was signed as a free agent on May 13 and has averaged .389 (7-18) with a pair of runs scored. Five of the hits have come in nine at-bats against left-handed pitchers (.556).



EVANS ALMIGHTY: The Mets announced last night that INF NICK EVANS will have his contract selected prior to their game against the Nationals tonight. Evans was hitting .248 (35-141) with five home runs and 16RBI in 36 games with the Herd. He has posted a team-best 14 multi-hit games in 2011.

METS UPDATE: The Mets and Marlins were postponed due to rain last night. The club announced that they will place INF DAVID WRIGHT on the disabled list with a lower back stress fracture tonight (retroactive to 5/16). Former Bisons LHP JON NIESE will start for New York tonight against the Nationals at 7:10 p.m. from Citi Field.