Inside Pitch

By Rodney McKissic

With a win tonight, Bisons manager Marty Brown will tie Brian Graham for the most wins in the Bisons modern era with 253. Brown won 238 games and two division titles with the Herd from 2003-05.

Here is the starting lineup for tonight's game:

Mike McCoy, ss
Anthony Gose, cf
Moises Sierra, rf
Luis Jimenez, 1b
Mauro Gomez, dh
Josh Thole, c
Andy LaRoche, 3b
Jim Negych, 2b
Eugenio Velez, lf
Claudio Vargas, p

By Rodney McKissic

Ramon Ortiz, the 39-year-old veteran pitcher, starts the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against Pawtucket.

Here is the lineup for this afternoon's game:

Mike McCoy, ss
Anthony Gose, cf
Moises Sierra, rf
Luis Jimenez, 1b
Mauro Gomez, dh
Josh Thole, c
Jim Negrych, 2b
Eugenio Velez, lf
Lance Zawadzki, 3b
Ramon Ortiz, p

By Rodney McKissic

Pawtucket rallied to score eight runs in the sixth inning and went on to defeat the Buffalo Bisons, 8-3, in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Bisons nine consecutive wins was one shy of the club's modern era record. They had won 10 straight twice, first in April (18-28) of 2002 and in August (12-21) of 2004.

Bisons starter Dave Bush retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced until the PawSox Dan Butler started the sixth with a single on a swinging bunt. Pawtucket batted around in the inning as Butler capped the scoring with a two-run homer to center and an 8-3 advantage.

First pitch for Game 2 is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

By Rodney McKissic

The Buffalo Bisons, winners of eight in a row, host the Pawtucket Red Sox tonight for the first game of a four-game set at Coca-Cola Field. The Herd, coming off an 8-0 road trip with sweeps in rival Syracuse and Lehigh Valley, plays 12 of their next 16 games at home.

Here is the starting lineup for tonight's game:

Mike McCoy, rf
Jim Negrych, 2b
Anthony Gose, cf
Mauro Gomez, 1b
Luis Jimenez, dh
Andy LaRoche, 3b
Josh Thole, c
Eugenio Velez, lf
Lance Zawadzki, ss
Edgar Gonzalez, p

Manager Marty Brown, pitcher Justin Germano and infielder Jim Negrych talk about the upcoming season.

Top prospect Zack Wheeler looks for his first win at the Triple-A level this afternoon against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs after two no decisions. 

The Bisons need to take the last two games of the series to go .500 on their eight-game homestand. 

Tom Cochran (6-5, 4.57 ERA) starts for the IronPigs. Temperature is 80 degrees with sunny skies and a slight breeze from right to left. 

Bisons' lineup:

Fred Lewis 9
Josh Rodriguez 6
Lucas Duda 7
Zach Lutz 5
Josh Satin 3
Brad Emaus 4
Matt den Dekker 8
Lucas May 2
Zack Wheeler 1

--- Nick Veronica 

Twitter: @NickVeronica

After their 6-0 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Tuesday, the Bisons trot out a red-hot righty tonight: pitcher Chris Schwinden, who has won his last three games. Schwinden is 6-4 on the year, but he has a 2.14 earned-run average. He's only given up two runs in his last three outings.

Buffalo (60-64) is tied for fifth in the IL North. Lehigh Valley is 66-59, good for third in the division (3.5 games back). Buffalo holds a 6-4 lead in head-to-head matchups this year.

Yesterday, outfielder Matt den Dekker drilled a grand-slam, his second in nine days. 

Schwinden threw the first pitch, a strike, at 7:05 p.m.

Bisons lineup:

RF Fred Lewis

SS Josh Rodriguez

LF Lucas Duda

3B Zach Lutz

1B Adam Loewen

2B Josh Satin

CF Matt den Dekker

C Mike Nickeas

P Chris Schwinden

---Aaron Mansfield

Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia will don a Buffalo Bisons uniform for the first time in more than a year tonight as he continues to make his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Mejia's comeback hits the Triple-A level after four comeback starts, two at Class A St. Lucie and two at Double-A Binghamton. He's gone at least five innings but no more than six in four of those startsq.

Mejia left Buffalo's April 29, 2011 game at Rochester after four innings upon experiencing discomfort in his right elbow. He was diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament and underwent surgery three weeks later. The 22-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic entered 2011 as the organization's top-rated prospect by Baseball America.

This is the third game of the four-game set with Columbus, with the Bisons having won the first two. The series concludes at 10:35 tomorrow morning.

Tonight's Lineups
COLUMBUS
Ezequiel Carrera, cf
Jason Donald, ss
Cord Phelps, 2b
Matt LaPorta, lf
Jared Goedert, rf
Russ Canzler, 1b
Beau Mills, dh
Andy LaRoche, 3b
Matt Pagnozzi, c
***
David Huff, p (3-1, 3.08)

BUFFALO
Corey Wimberly, cf
Josh Thole, dh
Valentino Pascucci, rf
Fred Lewis, lf
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3b
Josh Satin, 1b
Brad Emaus, 2b
Lucas May, c
Sean Kazmar, ss
*****
Jenrry Mejia, p (0-0, 0.00)

-- Bob DiCesare

Columbus is in town for a four-game series that opens at 2 this afternoon. The Clippers (Cleveland) have won three straight to improve to 5-5 in their last 10. The Bisons also are playing .500 ball over that stretch.

COLUMBUS (24-25)
Ezequiel Carrera, cf
Jason Donald, ss
Cord Phelps, 2b
Matt LaPorta, dh
Jared Goedert, lf
Chad Huffman, rf
Russ Canzler, 1b
Andy LaRoche, 3b
Matt Pagnozzi, c
******
Zach McAllister, p (3-1, 2.83)

BUFFALO (28-22)
Corey Wimberly, cf
Fred Lewis, lf
Valentino Pascucci, dh
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3b
Josh Satin, 1b
Jordany Valdespin, 2b
Lucas May, c
Dustin Martin, rf
Omar Quintanilla, ss
****
Dylan Owen, p (2-2, 3.19)

-- Bob DiCesare

Online balloting began today and runs through June 22 for the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 11 in Coca-Cola Field and the Buffalo Bisons have just released more information on ticket sales and some of the festivities surrounding the Triple-A Home Run Derby on July 9. Here's a rundown:

Tickets: The Bisons have announced that fewer than 7,000 tickets remain for the All-Star Game, meaning more than 11,000 have been sold, and fewer than 8,500 remain for the Home Run Derby. All party areas and luxury suites have also been sold for both events. The Triple-A All-Star Gala July 10 at Shea's Buffalo and the All-Star Luncheon July 11 at the Adam's Mark are both sold out.

Tickets for the game are $25 and for the Home Run Derby are $15. They can be purchased at the ballpark, at Bisons.com or by calling THE-HERD (716-843-4373). Fans can get both events for $35 and can save $5 per ticket by hosting a group outing of 20 or more people.

There are also limited spots remaining for an all-you-can-eat pavilion for the home run derby. For $30, you get a ticket to the derby and an all-you-can-eat buffet for two hours in the ballpark's pavilion area in right-center field. Fans who already have derby tickets can upgrade for $20. These spots can be ordered by calling THE-HERD (716-843-4373).

Home Run Derby: The derby will start at 7 p.m. on July 9 and it will feature three sluggers from the Pacific Coast League and three from the International League (good bet you'll see Bisons star Valentino Pascucci in it). Between rounds, a Celebrity Home Run Derby has been added with a lineup that has more spots to fill but already includes some big names. Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly will take his swings, as will current Bills running back Fred Jackson and CEO Russ Brandon, a St. John Fisher College Hall of Famer in baseball. 

New England Patriots tight end and Williamsville native Rob Gronkowski is on the list, and so is Buffalo native and Hollywood writer/actor Nick Bakay. Appearances by The Famous Chicken are also on tap for the derby.

Youth initiatives: The Bisons have teamed up with Subway restaurants for a "Subway Shagger Lottery." Local youth teams can sell tickets to both the Home Run Derby and the Triple-A All-Star Game with a part of the proceeds going back into their league. For every 30 tickets sold, the team receives an entry in a lottery, with two teams being chosen to be Subway Shaggers at the Triple-A Home Run Derby.

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

The Buffalo Bisons are sticking with the same lineup tonight that produced 14 runs in defeating the Gwinnett Braves on Wednesday in the second game of a four-game set.

Getting another 14 tonight, however, will be a tall order. The Herd will face Braves right-hander Julio Teheran (3-1, 2.48 ERA), the 2011 International League Pitcher of the Year. As our own Mike Harrington pointed out earlier today, Teheran is baseball's No. 3 prospect, according to MLB.com.

The Bisons counter with right-hander Chris Schwinden, who's making his third home start. The Herd's lineup:

CF Corey Wimberly
LF Fred Lewis
RF Vinny Rottino
1B Valentino Pascucci
3B Matt Tuiasosopo
2B Brad Emaus
SS Omar Quintanilla
C Jean Luc Blaquiere
P Schwinden

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

Bills receiver David Nelson will try and match teammate Fred Jackson's strike when he throws out the first pitch tonight before the Buffalo Bisons take on the Gwinnett Braves.

The Herd, which dropped the opener of a 16-game homestand Tuesday, made a roster move this afternoon, activating left-handed pitcher Chuck James from the disabled list and sending righty Jeff Stevens to Single-A Brooklyn.

The Bisons' lineup for tonight's 7 p.m. first pitch looks like this:

CF Corey Wimberly
LF Fred Lewis
RF Vinny Rottino
1B Valentino Pascucci
3B Mat Tuiasosopo
2B Brad Emaus
SS Omar Quintanilla
C Jean Luc Blaquiere
P Garrett Olson

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

The Buffalo Bisons open their longest home series in modern era history tonight when the Gwinnett Braves visit Coca-Cola Field. The Herd will play their next 16 games downtown.

Buffalo enters tonight's game at 22-16 overall, 2.5 games behind Pawtucket in the International League North standings. Jeremy Hefner will make his seventh start of the season. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.77 earned-run average, second in the IL.

Hefner has gone at least seven innings in all but one of his starts and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his outings.

The rest of the Bisons' lineup reads like this:

Corey Wimberly, CF
Fred Lewis, LF
Vinny Rottino, C
Valentino Pascucci, RF
Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B
Josh Satin, 1B
Oswaldo Navarro, 2B
Omar Quintanilla, SS
Hefner, P

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

The Boston Red Sox have officially announced what I reported in late January -- the Bisons will be meeting the Pawtucket Red Sox in Fenway Park on Saturday, Aug. 18 as part of the parent club's seventh annual "Futures at Fenway" double-header.

The afternoon begins at 1 p.m. with Boston's Class A Lowell affiliate meeting Hudson Valley (Tampa Bay) in a New York-Penn League affair. The Bisons and Pawsox follow, starting roughly in the 4 p.m. range. Buffalo and Pawtucket will then continue their series the next day as usual in Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium.

Tickets start at just $5 and only go up to $30 for the twinbill. They go on sale March 17 at 10 a.m. It's a big year at Fenway, as the park is celebrating its 100th anniversary. New Bisons manager Wally Backman, who played there for the Mets in the 1986 World Series, managed Double-A Binghamton in the Futures twinbill last year against Portland in an Eastern League game.

The Bisons last played a game in a major-league stadium in 1995, when they lost to Louisville in a game played at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis, then the Redbirds' parent club.

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

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who burst on the scene in 1992 with the Bisons and then the NL East champion Pittsburgh Pirates, announced his retirement Friday afternoon at the Red Sox spring camp in Fort Myers, Fla. 

Wakefield, 45, won 200 games with the Red Sox -- third in team history behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens. His career,  of course, began with the Pirates and he helped them get within an out of the World Series in 1992. Wakefield was 10-3 in Buffalo under Marc Bombard in 1992 (right) before getting called up but his career then quickly flamed out.

By 1994, Wakefield was back in Buffalo and posted one of the worst seasons in franchise history -- 5-15 in 29 starts that saw the team go 7-22, a 5.84 ERA, 98 walks, 16 wild pitches and only 83 strikeouts in 175 2/3 innings. The team went 55-89 as it never posted more than a four-game winning streak, with Wakefield representing a new term for the word stopper.

Wakefield went to Boston the next season and turned his career around by going 16-8 and pitching for the Red Sox in the postseason against the Indians. He won 17 games in 1998 and again in 2007 as the Sox won their second World Series in four years. In the knuckleball world, Wakefield is right there with Wilbur Wood, Charlie Hough, Hoyt Wilhelm and his mentors, the Niekros.

But Wakefield's knuckler lost its bite last season (7-8, 5.12) and it was arduous for him to just get to 200. He wanted to return to go for the club victory record but the Red Sox apparently declined to offer him a contract.

Click here for Wakefield's major- and minor-league stats from The Baseball Cube.

Wakefield is a pillar in the community service world in both Boston and his native Florida. His career is a fascinating study of someone making a lot out of nothing, as his career as an infielder was not getting out of Class A ball. He's not going to make the Hall of Fame but he's certainly going to always have his unique place in the history of the game.

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

Photo: Wakefield with the Bisons in 1992/Buffalo News files

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It's spectacularly bright and sunny this morning in the Dallas area and temperatures should be close to 80 -- 80! -- around the 7:05 CT first pitch tonight for Game Three of the World Series. But there's a growing chance of rain during the game, with a 30-40 percent chance on this hourly forecast at Weather.com and upwards of 50 percent according to some other sources.

It was two weeks ago tonight, during Game One of the ALCS against Detroit, that there were two rain delays in Arlington that pushed the final out to about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time. Let's hope that doesn't happen again.

And we should all remember the time-tested caveat of Bisons GM Mike Buczkowski: If the weather man says there's a 50 percent chance of rain, that means there's a 50 percent chance it won't rain!

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

Mother Nature has really spun the American League division series in the Bronx in favor of the Yankees. The rain poured down Friday suspending the game and now Justin Verlander will only pitch Game Three. A whole different scenario than having him pitch Games One and Five.

I hate the suspended games rule in this situation for the postseason. It should only apply to games that are already official, which was the case in Game Five of the 2008 World Series in Philadelphia. In the case of Game One, they should have just started over. 

As it was, they finished Saturday night and as the Daily News puts it, "Here's to you, Mr. Robinson". And the Yankees certainly have rookie Ivan Nova to thank. What a job by a guy who hasn't lost since June.

The Bisons, it should be noted, dealt poorly with the two rookie mound studs of the postseason thus far during their season.

Nova went 7 2/3 innings and fanned 10 in a 6-2 win over Buffalo July 7 in Scranton. Nova gave up a two-run homer to Fernando Martinez in the first inning and wasn't touched after that. Tampa Bay's Matt Moore, the Game One winner Friday at Texas, threw six shutout innings of two-hit ball and also fanned 10 for Durham Aug. 12 at Coca-Cola Field. He left with a 2-0 lead but got a no-decision as the Bisons rallied to win,3 -2.

Courtesy of Bisons PR director Brad Bisbing, here's the list of former Herd men in the MLB postseason:

Yankees: Freddy Garcia, CC Sabathia (rehab only)
Tigers: Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez, Omir Santos
Rays: Kelly Shoppach
Rangers: Mike Adams
Phillies: Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Wilson Valdez
Cardinals: Jake Westbrook
Brewers: None
Diamondbacks: John McDonald 

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

Perhaps it's a reflection of how completely unforgettable the Buffalo Bisons' season was on the field, but I have been deluged with inquiries about the Washington Nationals' Racing Presidents appearance Thursday night in Coca-Cola Field.

So I poked around YouTube and the folks at Buffalo.com posted a video of the Presidents' race, where Teddy -- who has never won -- got overcome by the aroma of Chicken Wing and forgot to finish a race he was leading and George got the win.

I haven't found any clip of the match race between Teddy and Celery that ended with neither one winning. The Presidents, by the way, visited Toronto, Niagara Falls and the Wilcox Mansion on their trip north and tweeted shots of each. They're also included at that link of the "Let Teddy Win" blog. Hey, the Nationals stink too so the folks in DC have to get some entertainment.

The Wilcox Mansion on Delaware, you ask? Come on, history buffs. That's where the real Teddy got inaugurated after the assassination of Wiliam McKinley here in 1901.

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

The Racing Presidents are in the house (I just saw them in the basement trying to work their heads under the stairwell doors), and the Buffalo Bisons are set for their home finale at Coca-Cola Field against Syracuse.

There's all manner of news here as we wonder about callups. But tonight's first item of business is the release of the 2012 schedule for the 25th anniversary of the ballpark (which includes the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 11, 2012). The season opens with a game April 5 at Pawtucket (brrrr) that kicks off a six-game road trip.

The home opener is Wednesday, April 11 against the team a good buddy of mine today dubbed the Wandering Yankees. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, in case you missed it here last week,  are expected to barnstorm next season while their ballpark is renovated. There has been no announcement yet on where they will play their home schedule.

The Bisons will unveil a 25th anniversary season logo and video tonight. I just saw the video played here in the press box and it gets a three thumbs-up review. The theme of the anniversary is "Simply The Best", the Tina Turner anthem that has greeted the final out of every Buffalo win for many years.

Dylan Owen pitches tonight as the Herd tries for a .500 record at home; they enter the game 35-36. 

(UPDATE: Owen was KO'd a scant four pitches into the game by a Roger Bernadina liner that struck him on the right elbow and deflected into left field for a double. He has been replaced by Brian Sweeney. Ouch).

Here's the Herd lineup:

Jordany Valdespin, ss
Luis Figueroa, 3b
Mike Baxter, lf
Valentino Pascucci, 1b
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Salomon Manriquez, c
Raul Reyes, rf
Dylan Owen, p

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

The Bisons announced during Wednesday night's game that the Buster Bison/Mr. Met bobbleheads that were stranded in the port of New York City during Hurricane Irene have been released and are scheduled to arrive at Coca-Cola Field on Thursday. The dolls were scheduled to be given away Monday night but the team instead gave out coupons to claim them. They can be claimed according to the following policies:

1). For fans coming to Thursday's Fan Appreciation Night game against Syracuse, the coupon can be redeemed inside the main concourse by the Washington Street gate. Gates open at 5 p.m.

2). For fans not attending Thursday's game, the coupon can be redeemed at the ballpark box office beginning Friday. The box office will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, excluding holidays.

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

The Bisons meet the Syracuse Chiefs in the penultimate home game of the season at Coca-Cola Field (Don't know what that means? Follow Marv Levy's advice to Thurman Thomas: Look it up). Buffalo is just 4-10 against the Chiefs this season and 10-20 vs. its Thruway rivals the last two seasons.

Oddly enough, a Syracuse win tonight would even the all-time series between the teams since the return to the IL in 1998 at 112-112. Mark Cohoon (4-9) will start for the Bisons and try to prevent that. Leadoff man Jordany Valdespin has an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .406 in that span.

Outfielder Jesus Feliciano has 369 career hits, nine shy of equaling Bill Selby's modern era record with six games left. DH Val Pascucci is tied for the IL RBI lead with 91. Here's the Herd lineup tonight:

Jordany Valdespin, ss
Mike Baxter, lf
Josh Satin, 3b
Valentino Pascucci, 1b
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Raul Reyes, rf
Raul Chavez, c
Mark Cohoon, p

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

This just in from the Bisons: Because of Hurricane Irene, the shipment of Buster Bison/Mr. Met bobbleheads that was to be given away tonight at Coca-Cola Field has been delayed at the Port of New York City and will not be available at the game against the Rochester Red Wings.

The Bisons will instead hand out special coupons for the bobbleheads in the same manner as when they have the dolls -- the first 4,000 fans through the Swan Street gate only, one per person.

When the bobbleheads arrive, fans must then use the coupon to pick them up at the ballpark box office during regular business hours.  The Bisons will have another media release and statement on their web site, Bisons.com, with more information when that process will begin.

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

Here's a bit of a bombshell that's been pointed out to me: It appears the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees won't be playing in Scranton in 2012. At least that's what this report in Baseball America says.

PNC Field, the team's decrepit stadium that only dates to 1989 but has been poorly maintained, is getting a $40 million facelift and the work will apparently be much cheaper if it can be done through one whole season rather than being split over two years.

The Scranton Times-Tribune, surprisingly, didn't have a lot more insight to add to the Baseball America report with its story on the situation, other than some comments from team president Kristen Rose and some local politicos. 

So it looks like the Yankees will play next year somewhere else or in a variety of somewhere elses. Lehigh Valley, Syracuse and the Yankees' Class A stadium in Staten Island appear to be good options. Baseball America also suggest a return to Ottawa for a season is possible.

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle speculates that Frontier Field could be a seasonlong option.

What about Buffalo? The Bisons run too many other events in Coca-Cola Field and would not be interested in hosting a large number of additional games. But there's a lot of Yankees interest here and I wonder if each IL North team will be asked by the league to host a Scranton series or two.

If I'm the IL, I pick Staten Island or Ottawa. As IL venues, we already see the Scranton/WB Yankees eight times a year in the North Division. No great shakes if we see more. It would be more special in a non-IL place.

Stay tuned. The final word on this should come in a couple of weeks.

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

The Buffalo Bisons have posted a trio of four-game winning streaks this season and will try to do it for a fourth time in the opener of tonight's doubleheader against the Durham Bulls in Coca-Cola Field. To do it, they'll have to beat one of the key cogs of the Tampa Bay Rays' 2008 World Series team.

Right-hander Andy Sonnanstine, a 13-game winner for the '08 Rays, will be the starter for Durham in the opener. Sonnantine has struggled to find his '08 form as he went 6-9 for the Rays in 2009 and 3-1 last year in 41 appearances (23 starts). He was 0-2, 5.71 this year in 14 games (four starts) before being optioned to Durham, where he is 2-3, 4.17 in six games (five starts).

In '08, Sonnanstine was the starter and winner in Tampa Bay's Game Four division series clincher over the Chicago White Sox. In the picture at right from the St. Petersburg Times, Sonnanstine is wearing the goggles while getting doused from behind by Rocco Baldelli and hugged by Rays outfielder Fernando Perez -- who will be starting in center field and batting ninth tonight for the Bisons. Small world this game is sometimes.

Sonnanstine also pitched 7 1/3 innings to get the win in Game Four of the ALCS over the Red Sox in Fenway Park. His Game Four luck ran out, however, in the World Series at Philadelphia as he gave up five runs in four innings and took the loss in a 10-2 defeat.

The Bulls, by the way, already have one canceled game on their schedule (a May contest at Syracuse) and need to get these two in as they open play today 1 1/2 games ahead of Gwinnett in the IL South. The weather forecast gets a little dicey as the night goes on.

Here's the Bisons' lineup:

Jordany Valdespin, ss
Josh Satin, 2b
Zach Lutz, 3b
Valentino Pascucci, 1b
Fernando Martinez, dh
Jesus Feliciano, lf
Mike Nickeas, c
Bubba Bell, rf
Fernando Perez, cf
----
Mark Cohoon, p

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

There's the sausage race in Milwaukee and the pierogi race in Pittsburgh. Cleveland has an entertaining hot dog race (ketchup tends to get a little physical) and, of course, the Bisons have trotted out a Chicken Wing race this year that has turned Celery into a forlorn winless character that brings you back to the '62 Mets (or maybe the '09 Bisons).

But no mascot race has gotten as much sudden attention as the Presidents Race the Washington Nationals stage each night in Nationals Park. And George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy are coming to Buffalo for the Sept. 1 home finale as part of Bisons' Fan Appreciation Night ceremonies. The Presidents, who are regulars at the White House for various functions, will race and be available to fans during the game, which will also feature giveaways and a huge fireworks show after the final out.

Teddy has never won a race since it was born in 2006. Just like Celery has been an every-day loser so far this year. The Presidents have a wikipedia page with information on their history of races. The Nationals Web site has their official bios. The team also kept the standings on the site through 2010 with Abe leading with 154 wins and Teddy at 0.

There's even an entertaining blog -- called LetTeddywin -- that chronicles his efforts to finally win a race, complete with lots of video. Its current loss meter stands at 415 straight races.

Here's a look at the July 4 race.

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

The Buffalo Bisons have lost three straight, nine of their last 11 and are 1-6 on an eight-game homestand that ends tonight. With a season-long, 10-game, four-city road trip starting tomorrow, a win for the Herd sure would help their traveling mood. 

The Bisons look to avoid a four-game sweep by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at 7:35 tonight during the usual fridaynightbash! at Coca-Cola Field. 

Bisons righty Dylan Owen (4-5, 4.44 ERA) pitches against righty Andrew Brackman (2-6, 7.22) of the Yankees, who have won six straight. The Herd has lost five straight to Scranton, including Thursday's 6-3 loss.

Here is tonight's Bisons lineup:

Fernando Perez cf
Luis Figueroa dh
Josh Satin 3b
Valentino Pascucci 1b
Nick Evans lf
Mike Baxter rf
Luis Hernandez 2b
Ruben Tejada ss
Dusty Ryan c
--
Dylan Owen p

And for those who are fans of duhhhhhhh Yankees (John Sterling pronounciation), here is Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (my bad -- chest tap -- for not doing that last night):

Kevin Russo lf
Austin Krum cf
Jesus Montero c
Mike Lamb dh
Jorge Vazquez 1b
Brandon Laird 3b
Jordan Parraz rf
Luis Nunez 2b
Doug Bernier ss
--
Andrew Brackman p

Evans rejoined the Bisons today after clearing waivers following being sent down by the parent New York Mets. Infielder Michael Fisher has been sent down to Double-A Binghamton. Evans is likely to rejoin the Mets once he is eligible to be re-promoted to the majors; to do so he needs to have spent the required 10 days in the minors. Evans was designated for assignment on July 23 when David Wright was activated from the disabled list. 

After some scattered storms in town earlier in the day, downtown skies are clear and sunny at this writing (5:35 p.m.).

* * * 

Sidenote: In checking up on the New York Yankees organ-i-zation (hockey pronounciation) the last couple of days, I've checked out the ESPN.com's Yankee blog and been entertained big-time by Andrew Marchand and Wallace Matthews writing it like it is when it comes to Yankee manager Joe Girardi in front of a microphone.

Check out today's post regarding Ivan Nova starting during Saturday's doubleheader and Wednesday's regarding competition for the fifth starter spot between Nova and Phil Hughes. In the latter, Marchand wrote, "the manager performed his usual, 'Who's on First?' routine when he wouldn't reveal a mundane fact."

Great stuff. I've caught that vibe in Girardi's televised meetings with the media and even his pregame radio interviews. I don't envy having to listen to/decipher it every day.

* * * 

The game had a rather bizarre start, but a good finish for the Bisons in an 8-5 victory. Here's the game story.

The Bisons hit the road on a bus trip to Allentown, Pa., after the game, but there were plenty of folks remaining at the park -- overnight, in fact.

It was Girl Scout Campout night and the troopers took over the outfield and were watching the movie "Tangled" on the tremendous HD scoreboard as I left the park a little before midnight.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

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)

We had a terrific ceremony to induct Jim Rosenhaus and Tony Pena into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday afternoon in Coca-Cola Field (full disclosure: I am a member of the selection committe).

Be sure to catch up on today's column on Rosenhaus, one of the class acts I've met in the game and someone I still enjoy chatting with when I make trips to Cleveland's Progressive Field. For 11 seasons here, I am privileged to say I had almost daily chats with him on the field, in the press box and clubhouse. Some great times.

I was there for his first game in 1996 in Nashville and went into the booth to wish him well a half-hour before the game and he was full-fledged panic mode because the equipment wasn't working. He did the game over a telephone for four innings with Duke McGuire before the folks at the station rescued him

One of my favorite memories was the Bisons' first title clincher in 1997 in Des Moines. I went into the booth to chronicle Rosenhaus' ninth-inning call of the final out for the next day's paper (no Internet broadcast to listen to back then). One problem: David Weathers gave up two runs in the ninth to blow a lead before Sean Casey's homer won it in the 10th. I did the same thing the next year in Game Four in Durham. Another two runs in the bottom of the ninth, this time producing an horrific defeat.

Rosenhaus and I then made a pact: No more trips to the booth by me! With the jinx out of the way, the Bisons won Game Five the next night to head to the World Series in Las Vegas. Rosenhaus hosted celebrations of those titles back at the ballpark in Buffalo and drew one of the biggest cheers in '97 when he pointed out the Herd could retire the trophy of the going-out-of-business American Association.

Rosenhaus roared the quote of the night: "It stays here. We don't have to give it back!" 

I loved seeing the video today of the Bisons' three title-clinching outs in '97, '98 and here in '04 against Richmond. Classic Rosenhaus calls. A good broadcaster has to be able to paint a picture with his words and Rosenhaus certainly did that.

Kudos to a job well done, Rosey.

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

Today is Hall of Fame Day at the ballpark. The Bisons will induct Jim Rosenhaus and Tony Pena into the Hall of Fame. Rosenhaus was the longtime voice of the Bisons while Pena was a former catcher for the Herd. Pena's son, Tony Pena Jr. will accept the award for his father. He pitches for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

The Buffalo Bisons host the Red Sox today for the third game of a four-game series. Buffalo looks to rebound after dropping the first two games of the series. Dylan Owen will make his 13th start of the season for the Bisons and the Red Sox will counter with Jeremy Kehrt. Owen will try and help the Bisons end their six-game losing streak against the Red Sox.

Here is today's Bisons lineup:

Luis Figueroa dh
Jesus Feliciano rf
Valentino Pascucci 1b
Jason Botts lf
Josh Satin 3b
Luis Hernandez 2b
Ruben Tejada ss
Fernando Perez cf
Raul Chavez c

---Jason Davis

Boston prospect Ryan Lavarnway is putting up absurd numbers and continued them Friday night with his home run and double here. At least the Bisons get a break and won't have to deal with him tonight as he's getting a day off, his first since June 22.

Lavarnway has homered in four of his last five games and seven of the last 10. He's batting .381 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for the Pawsox and a combined .322-27-74 in 90 games between Pawtucket and Double-A Portland. Luis Esposito will be catching for Pawtucket tonight.

Mark Cohoon (3-5) will pitch for Buffalo tonight against Pawtucket veteran Brandon Duckworth. The Bisons are just 2-7 against Pawtucket this year, including five straight defeats. Here's tonight's Buffalo lineup:

Luis Figueroa, 3b
Ruben Tejada, ss
Jesus Feliciano, rf
Valentino Pascucci, dh
Jason Botts, lf
Josh Satin, 1b
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Fernando Perez, cf
Mike Nickeas, c
---
Mark Cohoon, p

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