Bison Game Stories

Bison’s close out 2003

Rochester 2 Buffalo 1

By Dave Ricci

September 1, 2003

What an appropriate way to end the 2003 season. All year long the Herd was plagued by bad weather, rainouts and rain delays.

So it seemed only fitting that the season finale would go the same way. After a 51-minute rain delay the Rochester Red Wings downed Buffalo 2-1 in a rain-shortened 6-1/2-inning contest Monday night at Dunn Tire Park.

“You’d like to see your season finish a little differently but that’s kind of how the season started for us. The weather was a huge factor the first week of the season we got the first game in then we lost six of them (to bad weather). It’s kind of a fitting end I guess when you think about how the year went as far as the weather goes.” Said Bison manager, Marty Brown.

Bad weather wasn’t the only negative trait of 2003 that showed its head Monday night. Once again the Herd fell behind early and was unable to generate any offense.

A two-RBI double by Shane Andrews put Rochester up 2-0 in the first inning. Buffalo trimmed the lead in half in when Zach Sorensen drove-home Dusty Wathan in the third.

Buffalo could only manage a total of three hits all game.

Brown said, “It’s difficult to look at the last game of the year with guys mind-sets and what they’re trying to accomplish, sometimes they get out of their game. They’re thinking oh I’m going to go deep tonight or I’m going to strike everybody out tonight…they try to do too much and that’s what we battled against in some of the rough spots this year.”

Jeromy Palki (7-6) went six innings for the win as he struck out three and gave up one run. Nick Bierbrodt (2-2) took the loss as he worked three innings, with three K’s, three walks and two earned runs.

Rochester finished the season at 68-75 while Buffalo ends at 73-70.

Scott Pratt and Chris Magruder had hits for Buffalo.

Nine innings of silence

By David B. Lukow

 August 24, 2003

The Buffalo Bisons needed to make some noise, but their batters were speechless.

Pitcher Tony Fiore scattered four hits over seven innings Sunday, as the visiting Rochester Red Wings punished the Bisons 6-1. With the loss, Buffalo fell below .500 (67-68) on the season. The Red Wings improved to 65-70.

“We had several opportunities to do something, but we didn’t get hits,” Buffalo manager Marty Brown said. “You have to take advantage of your chances.”

Fiore (5-5) held Buffalo scoreless thru the first four innings. He walked one and had four strikeouts.

Buffalo starter Lance Caraccioli (4-8), outside of a four-run first inning, tossed a solid game. He surrendered 10 hits, but allowed just two earned runs. In six innings, he walked none and struck out four.

“We fell behind early,” Brown said. “Lance made some pitches in the first inning, but he got whacked around a little bit. After that, he threw pretty well.”

Caraccioli wasn’t flawless, but his first-inning struggles were the least of Brown’s problems. Shaky fielding, Buffalo had four errors, and a lack of offense, killed the Bisons throughout the contest.

“We didn’t make adjustments at the plate,” Brown said. “If you’re going to swing at a pitch, it better be a pitch you can hit. I’m not saying we have to be like the Oakland A’s, and go deep every time, but we have to play smarter than that.”

Catcher Dusty Wathan had one hit and an RBI for the Bisons. Outfielder Scott Pratt, who walked and stole a base, his 15^th of the season, scored Buffalo’s only run.  Brandon Phillips and Greg LaRocca had one hit apiece.

Rochester first baseman Michael Cuddyer had three hits and scored twice. Outfielder Lew Ford had two runs and an RBI, while veteran infielder Shane Andrews scored and had two RBI. Shortstop Luis Rodriguez, who entered with a 15-game hitting streak, went hitless in five at-bats.

Reliever Matt White, who pitched for both Seattle and Boston earlier this season, turned in an outstanding performance for Buffalo. In three innings, he fanned five and allowed only one hit.

“I just wanted to get back out there,” White said. “I’ve gotten away from my plan, so I made some adjustments. I just tried to get back to basics.”

“Matt threw the ball very well,” Brown said. “He’s had some inconsistent outings, but we’ve been trying to get his game together. He used all of his pitches today.”

With Major League rosters set to expand on September 1, White may have picked an opportune time to pitch a gem. Cleveland, far removed from the pennant race, has plenty of room to hold auditions.

“Whatever happens is outside of my control,” White said. “I’ve just got to finish strong.”

Visions of the playoffs are also history for the Bisons, but all is not lost. Buffalo has a firm grasp of what it wants to accomplish.

“Finishing at least .500 is very important to me,” Brown said. “Right now, it’s what we’re shooting for. I don’t view that as a successful season, but it’s a goal.”

Infielder Benji Gil, released by the Anaheim Angels last month, made his Buffalo debut Sunday. Gil, who won a World Series ring in 2002, hit .285 a year ago.

The Red Wings will host Buffalo on Monday. Kyle Denney (2-0) will start for the Bisons, while Brad Thomas (0-2) is slated to pitch for Rochester.

Sunday’s attendance was 8,147.

Leveled by a lightweight

By David B. Lukow

 August 22, 2003

Rob Sasser hasn’t scared anyone. That was before Friday night.

An outfielder for the Ottawa Lynx, Sasser hit a grand-slam home run in the seventh inning as the visitors erased a three-run deficit to down the Buffalo Bisons, 7-5. The defeat dropped Buffalo to 67-66 in International League action, while the Lynx, battling Buffalo for a Wild Card playoff spot, improved to 69-63.

Sasser, batting just .192 entering the game, has struggled thru a disappointing summer. The homer, off Buffalo pitcher Nick Bierbrodt, was his first of the season.

“That was probably the only pitch Sasser could have hit,” Buffalo manager Marty Brown said. “I’m not really sure what happened. Nick, obviously, is very disappointed.”

The Lynx led by blasts from Ruben Rivera and Raul Casanova, had a 2-0 lead heading into the fifth, but Buffalo scored three times in the bottom of the inning to move ahead. The Bisons appeared to cushion their advantage with a pair of runs in the sixth.

 Ottawa, however, could not be denied. The Lynx came alive in the top of the seventh, chasing Buffalo starter Jeremy Guthrie to the showers. Bierbrodt came on in relief, but had no luck putting out the fire. Three hits and five runs later, Ottawa had both the advantage and momentum.

“We battled back, you have to feel good about that,” Brown said. “Jeremy pitched very well. We felt really good bringing Nick in the game.”

Guthrie pitched six innings, allowing five hits and four runs. He also had four strikeouts. Bierbrodt (1-1), a force throughout the campaign, lasted only one inning. Reliever Jose Santiago worked the final two innings for the Bisons.

“Guthrie pitched a good game,” Buffalo third baseman Greg LaRocca said. “We just got beat. We battled from behind, but they just beat us. That happens.”

LaRocca’s three-run homer accounted for much of the Buffalo offense. The veteran, who has 10 home runs and 62 RBI, also had a walk.

 “We’ve had streaks where we’ve had pitching, but haven’t scored any runs,” LaRocca said. “Tonight we hit pretty well, our bats came alive, but we couldn’t pull it out.”

 Outfielder Derrick White, in just his second game in a Buffalo uniform, had two of the Bisons nine hits. Signed by Cleveland on August 18, White has spent most of 2003 in the Mexican League, where hit batted .305.

 “White’s going to make a difference,” LaRocca said. “If we can score some runs, we’ve got a chance.”

 “Derrick swung the bat very well,” Brown said. “It’s nice to have that kind of guy in the lineup.”

Buffalo faces long odds, but no towels are being thrown. Still alive for the postseason, the Bisons refuse to concede.

“Hey, anything can happen,” LaRocca said. “We’ve got to pull some magic out. Every game is like the playoffs. We’ve got no choice, we’ve got to thrive under pressure.”

Buffalo was without the services of starting outfielders Lyle Mouton, Chris Magruder and Mark Little. All three are nursing injuries.

“Chris has a shoulder injury and Mouton has a sore hip,” Brown said. “Mark Little tweaked his back. He’s walking around like an old man.”

The attendance was 18,937. The Bisons begin a four-game series with Rochester Saturday night at Dunn Tire Park. Chad Durbin (2-5) will pitch the opener for Buffalo, while Adam Johnson will be on the mound for the Red Wings.

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