4/12/12

Buffalo Pre-Game Notes

Buffalo Bisons (4-3, T3rd(-1.0), North) vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (1-5, 6th(-3.5), North)
Thursday, April 12, 2012 (1:05 p.m.) - Coca-Cola Field
RHP Chris Schwinden (1-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Manny Banuelos (0-1, 10.80)
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com


TODAY’S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the second game of a three-game series at Coca-Cola Field (1:05 p.m.). The Herd got the 25th season at the ballpark started in grand style with a 12-3 Home Opener win yesterday. The Bisons’ nine-game homestand will continue with games against Pawtucket and Lehigh Valley.

HOME SWEET HOME: The 12 runs scored by the Bisons in yesterday’s game set a new record for Home Openers. The previous high was 10 in a 10-8 win over Pawtucket on April 3, 2003. The Bisons previous best winning margin in a season’s first home game was a 9-1 victory over Columbus on April 14, 2006.

vs. YANKS: Since the Bisons returned to the International League in 1998, the Herd and Yankees have evenly split their 224 meetings (112-112). Last year, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre picked up the 10-6 season-series win. Buffalo hasn’t won the Coca-Cola Field portion of the matchup since going 5-3 against the Yankees in 2008.

SCHWING & MISS: RHPCHRIS SCHWINDEN was in 2011 All-Star form with his season debut on Saturday in Rochester. The righty allowed just two unearned runs in five innings in a victory over the Red Wings. Schwinden was named the Bisons Most Valuable Pitcher last year after posting eight wins and 134 strikeouts. Schwinden’s strikeout total was the 3rd most in a single season in the Bisons modern era.

MVP: INFVALENTINO PASCUCCI is off to a powerful start, with four home runs in his first six games. Pascucci is tied with Columbus’ Matt LaPorta for the most homers in the league so far. The slugger leads all IL batters with a .905 slugging percentage. Pascucci now has 42 career Bisons home runs, tied for the ninth most in the modern era with Tom Prince and Russ Morman.

BISONS BITS: INFZACH LUTZ hit his first two home runs of the year yesterday. He was 2nd on the Bisons with 11 homers in only 61 games a season ago...The Bisons bullpen has posted a 0.75ERA in the season’s first seven games...Yesterday’s game was the Bisons first of the season that wasn’t decided by two runs or less.

METS UPDATE: The Mets (4-2) were shutout by the Nationals yesterday, 4-0. New York was held to just three hits in the loss. LHPJOHAN SANTANA pitched well despite the defeat, allowing just one run in five innings of work. New York is off today and will start their first roadtrip of 2012 on Friday in Philadelphia.

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