Buffalo Pre-Game Notes

Buffalo Bisons (42-58, 5th(-15.0), North) vs. Pawtucket Red Sox (56-44, 2nd(-1.0), North)Saturday, July 23, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) - Coca-Cola FieldLHP Mark Cohoon (3-5, 6.29) vs. RHP Brandon Duckworth (6-6, 4.06)Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Pawtucket Red Sox for the second game of a four-game series at Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The PawSox struck first in the series with last night’s 4-2 win. On Tuesday, the Bisons will continue their homestand with a four-game series against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Buffalo is 25-26 at home this season. VS. THE RED SOX: The Bisons are just 2-7 against the Red Sox this season. Pawtucket has won five straight against the Herd including two-game sweeps in Pawtucket, April 16-17 and July 9-10. The teams split a four-game set at Coca-Cola Field, April 9-12. ON THE BUMP: LHP MARK COHOON makes his 10th start with the Bisons tonight. The Triple-A rookie is coming off back-to-back seven-strikeout performances. On Sunday in Rochester, the southpaw allowed just four runs on six hits in seven innings of work in his third career Triple-A win. In his last two starts at home, Cohoon is 1-0 with a 3.27ERA in 11.0 innings pitched. Mr. VP: INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI has 16RBI in just nine games since the break. The slugger now has 66RBI on the season, the most a Bisons hitter has knocked in since OF Ryan Mulhern drove in 76 during the entire 2007 season. With 66RBI in 100 games, Pascucci is on pace for 95RBI this year. Only three Herd batters in the modern era have driven in 100 in a season (Alex Ramirez: 103 in 1998, Brian Dorsett: 102 in 1992, Ernie Young: 100 in 2004). OLD FORM: OF JESUS FELICIANO is 12 for his last 25 at the plate, good for a .480 average. In the last six games, the veteran has raised his average 19 points to a team-high .288. His 345 career hits in 301 career games with the Bisons are 6th-most in the Modern Era. His overall .314 (345-1,098) batting average is second to only OF Dave Clark’s .327 career mark BISONS BITS: INF LUIS HENANDEZ has homered in back-to-back games and now has 50RBI on the season...Bisons pitchers struck out a season-high 15 batters in last night’s loss...INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI leads the IL with 55 walks and is tied for first with Charlotte’s Stefan Gartrell with 66RBI. - from press release