Playing for Pride, Buffalo Beats Syracuse on Both Sides of the Ball

 

Brett Wallace, Buffalo's top offensive performer

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By Cody Love

(Photos from Buffalo Bisons' Website)

(Syracuse, N.Y.) - The Buffalo Bisons put their bats to work on Labor Day.  Already eliminated from playoff contention the night before, the Bisons rolled in an 8-2 romp against the International League North Division champions, the Syracuse Chiefs at NBT Bank Stadium.

Buffalo's batters combined for a season-high 20 hits, and only two of the nine players (George Kottaras and Ryan Schimpf) failed to reach base.  Six players had multi-hit games, led by Dalton Pompey, Darin Mastroianni, and Brett Wallace, who recorded four hits each.  Wallace, who picked up three RBIs, was the top run-producer.

The offensive assault was the result of aggressive batting by Buffalo, who came out swinging against Chiefs' starter Aaron Laffey.  The Bisons were often swinging at the first pitch and were content to pick up mostly singles and score the men on base.

Their biggest hit of the day came in the second inning.  It was a fly ball double hit by Wallace that went over the head of Syracuse left fielder Destin Hood, scoring Mastroianni and Cole Gillespie.


The second inning proved crucial, as the Bisons picked up three runs to go up 4-0 after Laffey induced two easy outs to start the inning.  Laffey had gotten out of a jam in the first inning, giving up only one run and leaving the bases loaded, but he surrendered five two-out hits in the second.  He ended up giving up six runs in just four innings of work.

Buffalo Pitcher Scott Copeland

Buffalo's dominance at the plate was equaled on the mound.  Bisons' starter Scott Copeland pitched seven strong innings, striking out five and giving up just three hits and one earned run.

Copeland thrived in Triple-A after spending most of the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Eastern League.  Copeland started his time in Buffalo with a sixteen inning scoreless streak, and today's gem allowed him to bounce back from his first loss with the team.

Copeland was replaced in the eighth inning by Brandon Morrow, who is in Buffalo on a rehab assignment from Toronto and was scheduled to pitch in relief.

Morrow has only appeared in six major league games this season, but his experience was on full display.  He overpowered Syracuse in a quick 1-2-3 eighth with a mid-nineties fastball and some deceptive breaking balls.

Syracuse will have a day off before starting the playoffs.  The Chiefs head to Pawtucket to begin a best-of-five series against the Red Sox on Wednesday night at McCoy Stadium.

The Bisons head home with some impressive statistics despite missing the playoffs.  Their 43-36 divisional record tops the IL North this year.  This game also marks their 151st win in the last two seasons, the most won by the team in a two-year span since they won 155 games in 2005 and 2006.