Veteran mound matchup as Herd aims to avoid sweep

July 25, 2011 - 4:52 PM

The Buffalo Bisons look to avoid a four-game sweep and the Pawtucket Red Sox have their sights on a return to first place as two major league veterans take the mound tonight at Coca-Cola Field.

Right-hander Miguel Batista (0-0, 8.68 ERA), a 40-year-old veteran of 17 major league seasons, takes on 36-year-old and 14-year major leaguer lefty Kevin Millwood (5-0, 3.79) in a 7:05 p.m. start. The pair has combined for 258 major league wins and 1,028 appearances.

It is the last of a four-game series. Pawtucket has won the first three, including a come-from-behind, 7-6 victory in which they scored three runs in the top of the ninth on Sunday.

Pawtucket sits one game out of first place in the International League North (58-44). A PawSox win, combined with a loss by front-running Lehigh Valley (59-43) at home to Columbus (7:05 start), would forge a tie atop the division and give Pawtucket its first share of first place since April 22.

Here is today's Bisons lineup:

Luis Figueroa 2B
Ruben Tejada ss
Valentino Pascucci 1b
Jason Botts lf
Michael Fisher dh
Josh Satin 3b
Jesus Feliciano rf
Fernando Perez cf
Mike Nickeas c
--
Miguel Batista p

There were some bouts of rain during the day but the grounds crew just removed the tarp (4:53 p.m.), the sun is shining and event workers have been busy wiping off seats.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

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Mike Harrington

Mike Harrington, a Canisius College graduate who began his career as a News reporter in 1987, has covered the Buffalo Bisons since 1992 and Major League Baseball since 1995. A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Harrington has reported on 15 World Series -- including every pitch of the Fall Classic this century -- and all three of the Bisons' championship runs in their modern era. He is a connoisseur of the famous Stadium Mustard at Cleveland's Progressive Field.

@BNHarrington | mharrington@buffnews.com

Amy Moritz

Amy Moritz, a native of Lockport, has covered the Bisons for The Buffalo News since 2002. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism/mass communication from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s degree in humanities from the University at Buffalo. An endurance athlete, she has completed several triathlons, half marathons and marathons.

@TBN_Moritz | amoritz@buffnews.com

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