In Gwinnett, Roden leads Bisons to victory once more.
The Bisons have won two straight games against Gwinnett
Alan Roden’s 20th multi-hit game of the season helped the Buffalo Bisons record a 3-2 comeback victory over the Gwinnett Stripers on Thursday night at Coolray Field. The two teams were able to play through rain showers that persisted throughout the game.
Paolo Espino made his first start in nearly two weeks and was able to work six innings for the Bisons. The veteran right hander allowed just a pair of solo home runs while striking out two. Gwinnett was able to record just five hits against Espino, giving the Bisons offense a chance to work the offense against Drue Hackenberg.
The Stripers scored first with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Drake Baldwin’s 12th home run of the season was just the second hit of the game for the home team. His home run to right field gave Gwinnett a 1-0 lead through four innings.
Buffalo’s first hit of the game came thanks to a Phil Clarke single in the top of the fifth inning. However, the game-tying run would not come until one inning later. Alan Roden drove in Jonatan Clase with an RBI base hit to even the score 1-1. Clase bunted for a base hit and went from first to third on a Bo Bichette single. Bichette finished the second game of his Major League injury rehab assignment 1-3 at the plate.
However, Gwinnett answered right back with another solo home run to provide the team with another one-run lead through six innings. J.P. Martinez led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his fifth home run of the year. It gave the Stripers a 2-1 lead, but the Bisons had the answer right away.
Buffalo tied the game 2-2 with another solo run, this time a sacrifice fly off the bat of Damiano Palmegiani with no out in the seventh. Rafael Lantigua was able to score on a fly ball out. The run was charged to Hackenberg who worked six innings for the third straight time.
The Bisons’ first lead of the night came on Roden’s second RBI of the night. His solo home run off of Allan Winans in the top of the eighth inning gave Buffalo a 3-2 advantage. Roden’s eighth Triple-A home run was also his 24th extra-base hit since being promoted from New Hampshire in June.
Eric Pardinho was credited with his second win of the year with an inning of scoreless relief in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brandon Eisert secured his third save of the year, the most in any of his three Triple-A seasons, with a pair of scoreless relief innings to end the game. The Bisons pitching staff allowed a total of six hits and just one walk.
The Bisons have a chance to win their third straight game of the series when they meet Gwinnett at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night. James Kaprielian is scheduled to start for Buffalo in the fourth game of the six-game series.
