Fast start for Herd
ROCHESTER -- The Buffalo Bisons stunned International League Pitcher of the Year Kevin Slowey for two runs in each of the first two innings tonight and have a 4-0 lead in the opener of their showdown series with the Rochester Red Wings.
Leadoff man Joe Inglett opened the game with a routine grounder to second but Wings infielder Matt Tolbert inexplicably threw wide of first for an error. Luis Rivas followed with a perfect hit-and-run single to send Inglett to third and Ben Francisco's single to left put the Herd up, 1-0. Shin-Soo Choo then pulled a double to the right-field corner to score Rivas but manager Torey Lovullo held Francisco at third.
With runners at second and third and no out, the Herd looked poised for an even bigger inning but the runners never moved again. Ryan Mulhern grounded to third, with Francisco holding rather than coming home on contact. Slowey then struck out Jason Cooper and Yamid Haad to end the threat.
In the second, Keith Ginter led off with a single and eventually scored on an Inglett single. Francisco drove home Inglett and is 2 for 2 in the first two innings.
Slowey has pitched 132 innings this season and this was just the fifth and sixth time he gave up more than one run in an frame. In fact, he had given up just one run in each of his last five starts and entered the game with a 1.41 ERA in August.
---Mike Harrington
