Buffalo Pre-Game Notes

Buffalo Bisons (54-72, 5th(-18.0), North) vs. Columbus Clippers (80-46, 1st(+14.0), West)Saturday, August 20, 2011 (7:05 p.m.) - Huntington ParkLHP Mark Cohoon (3-8, 6.17) vs. RHP Joe Martinez (8-6, 4.01)Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com TODAY’S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons face the Columbus Clippers in the first game of a four-game set at Huntington Park (7:05 p.m.). Tonight’s game begins an eight-game roadtrip for the Herd, who will also travel to Toledo to face the Mud Hens. The Bisons are coming off a 6-4 homestand that ending with a 3-1 series win over Toledo. VS. THE CLIPPERS: It’s been more than two months since the Bisons faced the Clippers. Columbus swept Buffalo in a four-game set, June 11-14, back at Coca-Cola Field. Prior to those four losses, the Herd had won five straight over the Clippers. Buffalo is 5-3 at Huntington Park since the Clippers opened their new stadium for the 2009 season. ON THE HILL: LHP MARK COHOON will make his 15th start with the Bisons today. The southpaw is winless in his last five outings, but has allowed three runs or less in four of those starts. In the first game of a doubleheader on August 15 against Durham, Cohoon allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings of work but fell in a 2-1 Bisons defeat. RALLY HERD: The Bisons earned their seventh walk-off win last night thanks to a two-run home run from INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI in the 11th inning. It was the Bisons first win this year after trailing after eight innings (previously 0-57). Five of the six wins by the Bisons on the homestand came in games the team trailed in the sixth inning or later. Despite being 18 games under the .500 mark, Buffalo is 33-32 in games decided by two runs or less. SMOOTH AS: INF JOSH SATIN has hit in seven straight games with a .440 (11-25) average over the last week. The Triple-A rookie has hit in 24 of his 27 games since joining the Bisons on July 22. You have to go all the way back to May 29-30 while with Double-A Binghamton for the last time Satin went hitless in back-to-back games.   BISONS BITS: INF ZACH LUTZ hit .353 (12-34) with four home runs and seven RBI during the Bisons 10-game homestand...INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI is tied for 1st in the IL with 85RBI. It’s the most a Bison has had since OF Jason Dubois knocked in 87 during the 2006 season. METS UPDATE: The Mets (60-64) were defeated by the Brewers yesterday by a 6-1 score. Former Bisons OF ANGEL PAGAN had three of New York’s seven hits, including two doubles. INF RUBEN TEJADA also had two hits and now has a .268 average with the Mets. New York hosts the Brewers this afternoon at 4:10 p.m.