Bisons Notes 5/15/11 - Buffalo at Louisville (2:00 p.m.)

Buffalo Bisons (15-22, 5th(-7.0), North) vs. Louisville Bats (22-14, 2nd(-3.0), West)Sunday, May 15, 2011 (2:05 p.m.) - Louisville Slugger Field


RHP D.J. Carrasco (1-1, 5.14) vs. RHP Scott Carroll (1-1, 5.09)


Radio: WWKB AM 1520, www.bisons.com




TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Bisons take on the Louisville Bats in the third game of a four-game series from Louisville Slugger Field (2:05 p.m.). The Bisons lost the first two games of the series and need a win today and tomorrow to earn a four-game split. Following Monday’s game the Bisons will travel to Victory Field to take on the Indianapolis Indians.

VS. THE BATS: The Bats now hold the 4-2 edge in the season series with the Bisons. Buffalo won the first two games of the season series at Coca-Cola Field, May 5-6, but Louisville has won four straight. In the six previous games this season, the Bats have outscored the Bisons, 39-21.


HEY MR. DJ: RHP D.J. CARRASCO will make his fourth start of the season today. The righty is coming off his best outing of the season with nine strikeouts in a five-inning victory over the Yankees on May 10. In that game, Carrasco allowed just two runs in five innings for his first win as a Bison. The righty faced Louisville the start before on May 5 and allowed three runs in five innings of a no-decision.

DEBUT STREAK: In each of the last three games, a Bisons newcomer has collected a hit in his first at-bat with the team. INF MICHAEL FISHER collected an RBI-double in his first Triple-A at-bat on Thursday in Buffalo. Friday night, recently-signed INF LUIS FIGUEROA had a pinch-hit single in his debut. After being acquired in a trade, OF BUBBA BELL singled in his first plate appearance as a Buffalo Bison last night.


HOT HITTER: INF NICK EVANS enters Sunday’s game with three-consecutive multi-hit performances. Evans is six for his last 12 at the plate (.500), with a double, a home run and three runs scored. Evans has 13 multi-hit games this season, tied with INF RUBEN TEJADA for the team-high.


FEEL: THE BEATO: During this roadtrip, Mets RHP PEDRO BEATO will be joining the Bisons on a MLB injury rehab assignment. The reliever was placed on the Mets DL on May 4 with right elbow tendinitis. He was 1-0 with a 0.00ERA in 11 appearances with New York this year (17.0IP, 9H, 4R, 0ER, 3BB, 10K).


METS UPDATE: Like the Bisons, the Mets (18-21) fell into an early hole in a 7-3 loss to Houston last night. Former Bison INF DANIEL MURPHY hit his third home run of the season. RHP R.A. DICKEY allowed six runs to fall to 1-5 on the season. The rubber-match of the three-game series with the Astros is this afternoon at 2:05 p.m.