Buffalo Pre-Game Notes

*Thursday’s 6:05 p.m. game against the Syracuse Chiefs is the Bisons FINAL HOME GAME of the 2011 season.* 

Buffalo Bisons (60-76, 5th(-16.5), North) vs. Syracuse Chiefs (63-71, 4th(-12.5), North)

Wednesday, August 30, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) - Coca-Cola Field

LHP Mark Cohoon (4-9, 6.37) vs. LHP Tom Milone (11-6, 3.33)

TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13Radio: WWKB AM 1520, http://www.bisons.com/  

TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Syracuse Chiefs in the first game of a two-game series at Coca-Cola Field (7:05 p.m.). The Herd began its final homestand of the season with a two-game sweep of the Rochester Red Wings. After tomorrow’s home finale, the Herd will end the season with five games in four days on the road.

VS. THE CHIEFS: The Bisons are 4-10 against the Chiefs this season. This series will be the fourth two-game set between Buffalo and Syracuse at Coca-Cola Field this season. The clubs split a pair April 7-8 to open the season and August 10-11. The Chiefs swept two from the Herd in Buffalo, July 2-3.

ON THE BUMP: LHP MARK COHOON will make his 17th start of the season tonight. The southpaw has posted a 2.70ERA in two starts against the Chiefs this year. Cohoon allowed just one earned run in five innings of a no-decision on July 2. He then gave up two runs in five more frames against in Syracuse on August 9.

SPIN CONTROL: INF JORDANY VALDESPIN used a lead-off home run on Monday night to extend his hit streak to eight games. Since August 22, the Triple-A rookie has averaged .406 (13-32) with four doubles, a home run, four RBI and four runs scored. In his 20 games since joining the Herd on August 10, Valdespin has averaged .289 with nine RBI.

HIT KING: OF JESUS FELICIANO is the first Bisons player in the modern era to collect three consecutive 100+ hit seasons. With 101 knocks this year, the outfielder now has 369 total hits in his Bisons career. That total is 3rd most in the modern era, just one behind Greg Tubbs and nine shy of Bill Selby’s modern era record of 378.

BISONS BITS: RHP DALE THAYER has 21 saves on the year after closing all three of the Bisons’ three-game win streak. The last Bisons pitcher to earn a save on three straight days was RHP Bubbie Buzachero, August 28-30, 2008...INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI is tied with Gwinnett’s Stefan Gartrell for the International League lead with 91RBI on the season.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (64-69) were shut out by the Marlins last night, 6-0. New York had six singles, including two each from 3B DAVID WRIGHT and C JOSH THOLE. New York hosts Florida again tonight at 7:10 p.m. LHP CHRIS CAPUANO gets the start, his first since a 13-strikeout complete game on August 26 against Atlanta.