Plenty of people downtown tonight to see a pair of funky characters.
While P-Funker George Clinton performs a few blocks away at Canalside for Thursday in the Square, the Famous Chicken is making his annual appearance at Coca-Cola Field tonight as the Buffalo Bisons host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at 7:05.
The Chicken, a native of San Diego ( :-) ), will provide some guaranteed smiles at a park where Bisons fans haven't been grinning so much of late. The Yankees have won the first two games of a four-game set, including Wednesday afternoon's 3-2 loss on a ninth-inning homer. The Bisons stand at 1-5 on an eight-game homestand which will come to a close Friday night.
Mark Cohoon (3-6, 6.20 ERA) goes for the Bisons tonight; the Mets 2010 Organizational Pitcher of the Year has started 10 games and has surrendered at least three earned runs in all but one of them. He's opposed by Greg Smith (3-2, 5.45).
Here is today's Bisons lineup:
Luis Figueroa ss
Fernando Perez cf
Valentino Pascucci 1b
Jason Botts lf
Josh Satin 3b
Mike Baxter rf
Luis Hernandez 2b
Jesus Feliciano rf
Raul Chavez c
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Mark Cohoon p
Catcher Mike Nickeas was called up to the Mets today, which prompted the promotion of backstop Dusty Ryan from Double-A Binghamton to Buffalo. The move is likely a temporary one as the Mets may recall Nick Evans, who cleared waivers on Wednesday. Once Evans has spent the required 10 days in the minors he'll be eligible to be re-promoted to the majors.
There are some thunderstorms in the forecast and a bit of grey above, but all is well at this writing (5:56 p.m.).
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Postgame: The Bisons fell, 6-3. Here's the game story.
---Keith McShea
