Inside Pitch

Jeurys Familia makes his International League-leading 25th start tonight for the Buffalo Bisons as they open a four-game series with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Josh Satin bats sixth for the Herd after having his 11-game hitting streak broken last night.

Tyson Brummett starts for Lehigh Valley. Pitchers will bat tonight as both teams are National League affiliates (IronPigs belong to Philadelphia).

Temperature is 70 degrees with overcast skies.

Lineups:

Lehigh Valley (66-58)

Cesar Hernandez 4
Derrick Mitchell 8
Pete Orr 5
Jake Fox 7
Jason Pridie 9
Cody Overbeck 3
John Suomi 2
Andres Blanco 6
Tyson Brummett 1

Buffalo (59-64)

Fred Lewis 9
Josh Rodriguez 6
Lucas Duda 7
Zach Lutz 5
Adam Loewen 3
Josh Satin 4
Matt den Dekker 8
Lucas May 2
Jeurys Familia 1

--- Nick Veronica

Twitter: @NickVeronica 

The Bisons wrap up their two-game series tonight against the Pawtucket Red Sox in Coca-Cola Field and it figures to be a preview of what we'll see Saturday when the teams meet in the Futures at Fenway game in Fenway Park.

Collin McHugh (1-4, 3.99) goes for the Bisons tonight and he lines up to get the start Saturday afternoon in the shadow of the Green Monster. Oddly enough, McHugh pitched in Fenway last year as Double-A Binghamton played against Boston's Portland club. Pawtucket will throw lefty Chris Hernandez (1-2) tonight but its rotation is not as set because of a makeup double-header Wednesday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Tonight's game will be telecast up and down the Northeast and around the country on both SNY (the Mets network) and NESN (the Red Sox network). Those telecasts will be blacked out in Buffalo, where the game will only be shown on Time Warner Cable Sportsnet. So if you have FIOS, Dish or DirecTV locally, you're out of luck (bad deal Bisons entered into with Time Warner but I digress).

Bisons infielder Josh Satin enters tonight's game on an 11-game hitting streak and continues to lead the IL in on-base percentage at .405. He's batting .302, fifth in the league and nine points back of Syracuse's Carlos Rivero.

In case you missed it earlier today, the Bisons announced big plans for their 25th anniversary celebration on Aug. 25 against Rochester. Great stuff.

Here's tonight's Buffalo lineup:

Fred Lewis, rf
Josh Rodriguez, ss
Lucas Duda, lf
Zach Lutz, dh
Josh Satin, 1b
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3b
Brad Emaus, 2b
Matt den Dekker, cf
Mike Nickeas, c
---
Collin McHugh, p

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

The Bisons have had the Aug. 25 game against Rochester on their promotional calendar all season as the official celebration of Coca-Cola Field's 25th anniversary but have been mum on the details -- until today.

This one figures to be a huge night for fans to celebrate all these summers of coming downtown.

You can get all the details at Bisons.com but here's a rundown of the night's main points:

---All tickets for the 6 p.m. game will be $5 and gates will open at 4:30. All fans will receive a complimentary aerial photo and a coupon for one $1 hot dog at any ballpark concession stand. There will be $2.50 craft beer specials until 6 p.m. and two buffets for $25 will be available at Pettibones from 4-6 (reservations required).

---There will be a $25,000 giveaway to a fan if the Bisons' 25th hitter of the game hits a home run (over the outfield fence, no inside-the-parkers). Two autographed retro 1997 jerseys will be awarded every half inning (one to a season ticket-holder, one to all other fans) and 25 lucky seat winners will win $25 Fastball cash cards.

---The Bisons' "All-25 Seasons Team" will be announced and special appearances will be made by former players Dorn Taylor, Scott Medvin, Tom Romano and Jason Cooper. Voting for the All-25 Seasons Team ends today.  Earl of Bud and Loudmouth the mime will also appear.

---Home run targets will be erected on the left-field screen and prizes awarded if they are struck, as was done during the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby. 

---Fans can receive 25 percent gift shop discounts and the game will be followed by a giant fireworks display.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Bisons left fielder Lucas Duda returns to the lineup tonight as the Herd begin a two-game series with the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Duda had missed the last three days after having a root canal. He bats third. 

The Boston Red Sox would like closer Andrew Bailey to pitch in a save opportunity today for Pawtucket.

Temperature at first pitch (6:07 p.m.) is 71 degrees with rain clouds overhead and winds blowing across the diamond from right to left.

Following the game will be the Bisons annual home run derby.

Lineups:

Pawtucket (66-55)

Che-Hsuan Lin 8
Jose Iglesias 6
Ryan Kalish 10
Mauro Gomez 5
J.C. Linares 9
Alex Hassan 7
Reynaldo Rodriguez 3
Mike Rivera 2
Nate Spears 4
Zach Stewart 1

Buffalo (58-63)

Fred Lewis 9
Josh Rodriguez 6
Lucas Duda 7
Zach Lutz 5
Adam Loewen 3
Josh Satin 10
Matt den Dekker 8
Matt Tuiasosopo 4
Lucas May 2
Jenrry Mejia 1 

--- Nick Veronica

Twitter: @NickVeronica

It's Mystery Ball Night at Coca-Cola Field were a $20 donation to Women's & Children's Hospital gets you an autographed baseball. Autographed by whom? That's the beauty of the mystery ball. It could be one of the Buffalo Bisons or a New York Met. It could be one of the Buffalo Sabres or Buffalo Bills. Or it could be Katy Perry.

What's also a bit of a mystery at Coca-Cola Field is the weather. Pop-up showers came while the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees were taking batting practice. The swings continued, however the radar shows some rain coming downtown Buffalo's way. That's no surprise. After all Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start. If you recall, it was last Sunday when the No. 1 prospect in the New York Mets organization was supposed to make his Triple A debut in Buffalo but his start was rained out.

So, let's try this again.

Wheeler did make his Triple A debut on Monday in Syracuse. He gave up two runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of work with seven strikeouts and four walks taking a no-decision.

He began the season in Double-A Binghamton where he led the Eastern League with 117 strikeouts.

The Yankees will start Justin Thomas who makes his third start of the season.

Tonight's lineups:

Scranton
Chris Dickerson -- RF
Corban Joseph -- 2B
Eduardo Nunez -- SS
Ronnier Mustelier -- LF
Brandon Laird -- 3B
Francisco Cervelli -- C
Melky Mesa -- CF
Kosuke Fukudome -- 1B
Darnell McDonald -- DH

Bisons
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Brad Emaus -- 2B
Josh Satin -- 1B
Lucas Duda -- LF
Zach Lutz -- DH
Valentino Pascucci -- RF
Matt Tuiasosopo -- 3B
Matt den Dekker -- CF
MIke Nickeas -- C

--- Amy Moritz 

As baseball history in Buffalo goes, Saturday morning will stand as a neat moment of paying homage to the past. About 100 of us were there behind the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts as a plaque was unveiled (left-click for full view) to mark the site of old Offermann Stadium, the Bisons' home from 1889-1960.

The idea was the brainchild of Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame site exhibit and board member John Boutet, curator of the Buffalo Sports Museum. He went to the site on Sept. 17, 2010, the 50th anniversary of the final game at the park, and realized nothing marked the area at Michigan and East Ferry where Bisons and baseball legends once played.

Names such as Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Lou Boudreau and Tommy Lasorda played at Offermann. So did many Bisons legends led by Luke Easter, whose home run over the center-field scoreboard in 1957 was the first of its kind and was immortalized in a News file photo (right-click alert).

Working through the Hall, councilman Joe Golombek and the city's Arts Commission, Boutet shepherded a two-year process to raise money for the marker, get it produced and erected. Frank and Paul Offermann, sons of the legendary late Bisons owner Frank Offermann Sr., were among those on hand for the dedication.

Said master of ceremonies Pete Weber, the team's former radio voice and a Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer: "[The plaque will be] standing as a remembrance to all who came before -- players, coaches, owners, broadcasters, workers and fans. Everyone who made baseball special for those 72 years."

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Just in case a game against the Yankees Triple-A club, fridaynightbash! and the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame inductions weren't enough for a night at the ballpark, it is Disco Night at Coca-Cola Field. The Bisons players will be wearing disco-themed jerseys. The jerseys will be autographed and part of an auction and raffle to raise money for Hillside Family of Agencies.

Check out the game jerseys along with mascot Chip who is donning his own version for the groovy night.

About 90 minutes from first pitch in downtown Buffalo and the sun is bright with blue skies and puffy white clouds. The Bisons have their fingers crossed that the rain and storms delay their arrival to Western New York as the Herd hosts Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Coca-Cola Field.

Tonight is Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame night with outfielder Brian Giles and first baseman Russ Morman formally inducted in a pre-game ceremony. Giles spent three season with the Bisons, batting .308 with 37 doubles, 37 home runs and 138 RBI in 219 games. Morman also played three seasons, hitting .295 with 54 doubles, 42 home runs and 148 RBI in 246 games.

Righty Pedro Beato gets a spot start for the Herd as Garrett Olson was called up to the New York Mets. In 22 relief appearances he is 4-3 with a 2.38 earned run average. He has 26 strikeouts in 34 innings of work. It's his first start since 2009 when he was with Double-A Bowie.

Ramon Ortiz (9-5, 3.20) will get the start for Scranton.

Tonight's lineups:

Scranton
Chris Dickerson -- LF
Corban Joseph -- 2B
Eduardo Nunez -- SS
Ronnier Mustelier -- DH
Brandon Laird -- 3B
Francisco Cervelli -- C
Melky Mesa -- CF
Kosuke Fukudome -- RF
Darnell McDonald -- RF

Buffalo
Fred Lewis -- LF
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Josh Satin -- 2B
Zach Lutz -- 1B
Adam Loewen -- RF
Valentino Pascucci -- DH
Matt Tuiasosopo -- 3B
Matt den Dekker -- CF
MIke Nickeas -- C

--- Amy Moritz 

At 58-61, the Bisons are playing out the string of their final 25 games but there are still some interesting stories to watch as the team tries to finish .500 and avoid last place. Pitcher Zack Wheeler, the Mets' top prospect, makes his home debut Saturday night at 7 and outfielder Lucas Duda is back in Buffalo after the Mets sent him down to recapture his swing. And these figure to be the final Buffalo games for veteran slugger Valentino Pascucci, who has served the club well for the last three years and put on that memorable show last month in the Triple-A Home Run Derby.

Plenty going on off the field too.

Prior to tonight's 7:05 game, Brian Giles and Russ Morman will be inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. I had a great chat on the phone the other day with Giles, a star here in 1995 and 1996, and you can read his comments in today's story. Morman is currently the hitting coach at Fresno and I chatted with him when he was here for the All-Star Game. That story ran July 27 and, if you missed it, the link is here. 

The focus shifts away from downtown Saturday morning at 10, when a ceremony will be held to place a marker at the site of old Offermann Stadium (left) on the corner of East Ferry and Michigan. This has been a labor of love for Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame board member John Boutet, the curator of the online Buffalo Sports Museum.  Great to see it come to fruition. The public is invited to the site, currently held by Buffalo's Performing Arts Academy, and relatives of Luke Easter and Frank Offermann are scheduled to attend.

Wheeler's home debut Saturday night will come as part of the team's ever-growing Mystery Ball Night. The annual event is a huge hit: You spend $20 for a certificate for a ball that's wrapped and signed by a local or national sports star or an entertainment figure. Go to the redemption area and get a ball and unwrap who you have. Great idea (limit four certificates per person).

The Bisons have 500 signed balls and the list on their Web site is voluminous so I encourage you to go to that link and check out the names.

On top of all that, Monday is the last day you can vote for the Bisons' 25 Seasons Downtown team. Plenty of tough choices on the ballot, which has had the deadline extended from its originally listed date of Aug. 5. The link to the ballot is here and I'll offer my thoughts next week after the deadline has passed.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

2010 file photo: Artifacts from Offermann Stadium at the site of Saturday's ceremony (courtesy John Boutet).

The Bisons are celebrating their 25th anniversary season in Coca-Cola Field and one of my favorite games from the very first season in 1988 came on Fan Appreciation Night as the Herd scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth -- the last as Orestes Destrade trotted home on a wild pitch -- to post a 2-1 win over Nashville. 

The team and sellout crowd celebrated wildly and a lot of the focus was on pitcher Dave Johnson, who threw brilliantly that night but looked like a 1-0 loser until the big rally. It turned out to be Johnson's 15th win of the season -- which was a record at the time and still stands as the second-most wins in the modern era behind the 17 Joe Roa compiled in 1995. The win was Johnson's ninth complete game, which remains the modern-era mark all these years later.

Johnson, a Maryland native, didn't get much of a chance with Pittsburgh but went on to be a key guy for the upstart 1989 Baltimore Orioles before ending his career in 1993 with the Tigers. Now he's a broadcaster for MASN, which does Orioles games and is chronicling another unexpected season for the Birds.

The O's beat Seattle last night, 9-2, and who was the winning pitcher? Dave Johnson's 24-year-old son, Steve. And the significance of the date? It was the 23rd anniversary of Dave Johnson's first MLB win -- a complete-game, 6-1 victory over Minnesota on Aug. 8, 1989.

Here's some video from Johnson's MLB debut as a reliever last month, including shots of his dad in the crowd.

MLB.com isn't allowing an embed from last night's game but the video link to Johnson's outing is here.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Just like the Bisons do for things like concerts and the National Chicken Wing Festival, many International League teams use their stadiums for anciliary events all summer and the clubs have pushed the league to finalize next year's schedule so they can start scheduling their ballpark.

The IL did just that, releasing its 2013 schedule today. Under the alternate-year formula the league uses, the Herd opens at home next spring and it's an early one: The season and home opener will be on Thursday, April 4 at 2:05 against the Rochester Red Wings.

(One reminder on the schedule: It's set regardless of who the teams are affiliated with. The Bisons, for instance, are likely deciding in September between the Mets and Blue Jays while Rochester has to decide whether to keep Minnesota or perhaps grab the Mets if they're booted from Buffalo).

The Bisons will have a healthy 44 percent of their 2013 home schedule (32 of 72 games) on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday and will have 10 of the popular Friday night dates. Buffalo's 25 home games in the after the 2013 All-Star break are the 2nd-most among all IL teams to Rochester's 26. The Bisons play 17 home games in August, the most of any month.

The full promotional schedule will be announced at a later date, but the team has already firmed up major ones such as School Kids Day (June 6 vs. Lehigh Valley at 10:35 a.m.), Star Wars Night (June 22 against Durham), Independence Eve (July 3 vs. Rochester), Home Run Derby (Aug. 4 against Pawtucket) and Fan Appreciation Night (Aug. 29 against Rochester).

The Bisons will start evening games at 7:05 after April. Most Sundays and weekday afternoons will start at 1:05 (there will be one Thursday afternoon game at that time each month), while night games in April and for special events will start at 6:05.

The schedule format remains unchanged: Sixteen games (eight home, eight away) vs. the other five teams in the IL North and eight games (4-4) against the other eight IL teams. The Bisons make their first trip to Scranton's new stadium for a four-game set from June 8-11, and the season ends with a two-game set in Syracuse on Sept. 1-2.

The complete schedule:

April -- 4-5, Rochester; 6-7, at Rochester; 8-9-10, Syracuse; 11-12-13-14, Scranton-WB; 15-16-17-18, at Syracuse; 19-20-21-22, at Lehigh Valley; 23-24-25-26, Pawtucket; 27-28-29-30, at Rochester.

May -- 2-3-4-5, Louisville; 6-7-8-9, Norfolk; 10-11-12-13, at Louisville; 14-15-16-17, at Indianapolis; 18-19-20-21, Charlotte; 23-24-25-26, Indianapolis; 27-28-29-30, at Durham; 31, at Norfolk.

June -- 1-2-3, at Norfolk; 4-5-6-7, Lehigh Valley; 8-9-10-11, at Scranton-WB; 13-14-15-16, at Pawtucket; 17-18-19-20, Gwinnett; 21-22-23-24, Durham; 25-26-27-28, at Gwinnett; 29-30, at Charlotte.

July -- 1-2, at Charlotte; 3, Rochester; 4-5, at Scranton-WB; 6-7 (DH), Syracuse; 9-10, at Syracuse; 11-12, at Lehigh Valley; 13-14, Scranton-WB; 17, Triple-A All-Star Game at Reno; 18-19-20-21, Toledo; 22-23-24-25, Columbus; 26-27-28-29, at Toledo; 30-31, at Columbus; 

August -- 1-2, at Columbus; 3-4-5-6, Pawtucket; 8-9, Scranton-WB; 10-11, at Scranton-WB; 12-13, Syracuse; 14-15-16, Rochester; 17-18-19-20, at Pawtucket; 22-23-24-25, Lehigh Valley; 26-27, at Lehigh Valley; 28-29, Rochester; 30-31, at Rochester.

September -- 1-2, at Syracuse.

---Mike Harrington
(twitter.com/bnharrington) 

And it's finally here -- Zack Wheeler's Triple A debut. The top Mets prospect is scheduled to start for the Herd in the series finale against Syracuse this afternoon. That is, as long as the weather holds in Buffalo. The national weather service has noted that strong thunderstorms are on the way to Buffalo and notes "If planning outdoor activities this afternoon ... be preapred for rapidly changing and potentially hazardous weather."

Not the best forecaset for your first Triple-A start.

But the field preparations continue at Coca-Cola Field 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch.

Wheeler made 19 starts in Double-A Binghamton and led the Eastern League with 117 strikeouts. In his last outing, he struck out a season-high 11 batters in a win over Harrisburg on Tuesday.

Today's Bison's lineup:

Fred Lewis -- LF
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Lucas Duda -- 1B
Zach Lutz -- 3B
Josh Satin -- 2B
Matt Tuiasosopo -- RF
Matt den Dekker -- CF
Mike Nickeas -- C
Zack Wheeler -- P

--- Amy Moritz

Welcome to Saturday evening's game between the Buffalo Bisons and the Syracuse Chiefs. Or what I like to call "Zack Wheeler's Triple-A Debut Eve." The Mets top prospect is expected to start for the Herd on Sunday (provided we play between the predicted nastiness of rain and thunderstorms) and the anticipation has been building around Coca-Cola Field all week. (At least in the press box.)

Ah, but before we get to Zack Wheeler, it is Chris Schwinden on the mound for the Herd tonight. The righty is 4-4, coming off a win in Indianapolis where he gave up one run in seven innings.

The Herd will be without manager Wally Backman tonight and for the next two games. Backman earned a three-game suspension from the International League for his part in an arguement with Syracuse manager Tony Beasley in the middle of the fourth inning Friday night. Both were ejected from the game. Afterwards, Backman accused Syracuse of stealing signs and location. Beasley was suspended for two games.

Tonight's Bison lineup:

Fred Lewis -- LF
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Lucas Duda -- 1B
Zach Lutz -- 3B
Josh Satin -- 2B
Matt den Dekker -- CF
Matt Tuiasosopo -- RF
Lucas May -- C
Chris Schwinden -- P

--- Amy Moritz 

The Buffalo Bisons really should try to bottle some offense one of these days. After getting shutout on Thursday the Herd pounded Syracuse for 19 hits in a 13-7 win at Coca-Cola Field.

But the fireworks weren't just for the offense or the traditional fridaynightbash! No, in the middle of the fourth inning both managers -- Buffalo's Wally Backman and Syracuse's Tony Beasley were ejected after a heated confrontation in front of the Chief's dugout.

After the game, Backman had this to say about the altercation:

“The one thing that I would say is don’t insult my intelligence in the game. I watched it happen in the series before where players were giving location to hitters. And don’t insult my intelligence. I’ve played the game way too long. I know everything about the game. That’s what they’ve been doing. That’s what they’ve done. We put a stop to it the last time we played and I had to say something tonight. It was just. The game of baseball has some integrity to it. Especially in the United States. It might not be that way in other places at times. But here we have some integrity in the game and I expect the game to be played fair and the right way.

"I watched the catcher do it twice. I watched other guys do it. There’s a couple of guys that don’t do it. I don’t play that game. There’s integrity to the game. When those things happen, I’ve got a problem with it. I won’t let somebody play me into being stupid. I know the game very well. I know all the things you can do in the game to show location, to show signs and all those types of things. And if you get caught, you stop. If you don’t stop then we have a problem. That’s where we had a problem tonight."

--- Amy Moritz

All the scuttlebutt this season has been about pitching prospects Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler. But overlooked has been an impressive year by righty Jeurys Familia who makes his 23rd start for the Buffalo Bisons tonight as the Herd hosts Syracuse.

He is 7-7 with a 4.88 ERA and 93 strikeouts on the season. He has been knocked around in last two starts, then again, so has the Herd as a whole. He has five quality starts with his biggest drawback tempo and inconsistency, but he has been working on his tempo, picking up the pace of his game.

Tonight's Bison's lineup:

Kirk Niewenhuis -- RF
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Lucas Duda -- LF
Zach Lutz -- 1B
Josh Satin -- 2B
Matt den Dekker -- CF
Matt Tuiasosopo -- 3B
Mike Nickeas -- C
Jeurys Familia -- P

--- Amy Moritz 

It's one of the pitching promotions people have been talking about for weeks and finally, Zack Wheeler is in the house. The Mets. No. 1 prospect was at Coca-Cola Field this afternoon and worked a side session in preparation for his first Triple-A start, scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Wheeler led the Eastern League with 117 strikeouts and was 10-6 with a 3.26 earned run average with Double-A Binghamton.

Wheeler met with members of the media before getting to work and said it's an honor to get up to Triple-A.

"It shows that I've done pretty good so far this year and put in a lot of work during the offseason," Wheeler said. "I'm trying to develop all my pitches and get my command a little bit better. Like I said it's an honor to be here."

Tonight, the Herd opens a four-game homestand against the Syraucse Chiefs. The Bisons have fallen off the playoff wagon, going just 3-7 in their last 10 games. They're a game ahead of Syracuse in the battle for last place in the International League North.

Lefty Garrett Olson starts for the Herd tonight. He is 4-6 with a 4.78 ERA. Since the All-Star break, he is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings of work.

Tonight's Bison lineup:

Kirk Nieuwenhuis -- RF
Josh Rodriguez -- SS
Lucas Duda -- LF
Zach Lutz -- 3B
Adam Loewen -- 1B
Josh Satin -- 2B
Matt den Dekker -- CF
Mike Nickeas -- C
Garrett Olson -- P

--- Amy Moritz