The Buffalo Bisons (42-57) rode a strong start from lefty Pat Misch to a 5-2 win over the Syracuse Chiefs (43-54), the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, Thursday at Alliance Bank Stadium. Misch held the Chiefs to two runs on five hits and struck out five through six and two-thirds innings of work. Buffalo gave their starter some run support quickly in the first. After a walk and a single, Valentino Pascucci blasted a double off the left field wall that put the Bisons up 2-0 through just four batters. He would come around to score two batters later on a Luis Hernandez single. But Chiefs starter Craig Stammen recovered and held the next 14 Buffalo batters hitless through the fifth inning. That allowed Syracuse to work its way back in the game.
In the second, Seth Bynum knocked a one-out infield single of Misch's leg. He advanced to second on a Matt Antonelli groundout before Jhonatan Solano doubled him home with a line drive to left center. The Chiefs pulled within one in the fifth with some help from Misch. After the pitcher sat down the first two batters of the frame, he walked Brian Bixler. Misch then hurled a pitch in the dirt that just got away from Buffalo catcher Mike Nickeas, allowing Bixler to take second. And in the same at-bat, Jesus Valdez grounded a double to the left field corner that pulled Syracuse within 3-2. But that score wouldn't last long as Buffalo tacked on a run in the top of the sixth. Luis Figueroa laced a double to right field to lead off the inning. Stammen got two straight outs, but a wild pitch to Hernandez moved Figueroa to third. Hernandez then made Stammen pay for the mistake, bringing home Figueroa with a single to left. Righty Lee Hyde took over for Stammen from there, and after Figueroa was caught stealing to end the sixth, Hyde dealt a hitless seventh to keep the Chiefs within 4-2. Misch finally exited the game with two outs in the sixth, but Syracuse couldn't get anything going against reliever Dale Thayer either. He gave up just one hit on a single in the seventh and struck out the side in the eighth. Hernandez then tacked on an insurance run with a homer just over the rightfield wall in the ninth to put the score at 5-2. Thayer continued into the ninth and retired the side in order to end the game.
The Chiefs will travel to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take on the Yankees Friday at 7:05. Righty Brad Peacock will make his second start of the year for Syracuse against Yankees righty Adam Warren.
**Courtesy Syracuse Chiefs**
