PAWTUCKET — Despite striking out 20 batters, the Pawtucket Red Sox fell to the Buffalo Bisons, 4-3, in 12 innings on Monday night.
Five pitchers combined on the 20 strikeouts, the most since seven PawSox pitchers struck out 20 on Aug. 19, 2002 at Rochester in a 15-inning game. Eighteen of Pawtucket’s 20 strikeouts on Monday came in the regulation nine innings.
Buffalo manufactured a 12th-inning run in conjunction with Minor [...]
PAWTUCKET — Despite striking out 20 batters, the Pawtucket Red Sox fell to the Buffalo Bisons, 4-3, in 12 innings on Monday night.
Five pitchers combined on the 20 strikeouts, the most since seven PawSox pitchers struck out 20 on Aug. 19, 2002 at Rochester in a 15-inning game. Eighteen of Pawtucket’s 20 strikeouts on Monday came in the regulation nine innings.
Buffalo manufactured a 12th-inning run in conjunction with Minor League Baseball’s new rules in which extra innings begin with a runner at second base. Monday’s game was the first in International League history played under the new rules.
Buffalo elected to drop a sacrifice bunt in the top of the 10th but couldn’t cash in. Pawtucket chose to do the same in the bottom of the inning, but Aneury Tavarez (2-for-5, RBI) popped up his bunt bid.
The Bisons let Danny Jansen swing away to begin the 11th, and he doubled to right field, only to catch up to automatic baserunner Rowdy Tellez at third. The mixup prevented Jansen from hitting a triple to reach the cycle.
The Bisons bunted the runner over in the top of the 12th. Second baseman Tim Lopes then singled through the drawn-in infield to score the runner and put Buffalo ahead, 4-3.
Pawtucket starter Jalen Beeks had eight strikeouts in four innings. After allowing a run in the first and a leadoff single in the second, the 24-year-old southpaw fanned the next three batters and again struck out the side in the fourth.
Reliever Ty Buttrey then struck out five over the fifth and sixth innings. Right-hander Kyle Martin added a strikeout, and southpaw Robby Scott struck out two of the three batters he faced. Reliever Ryan Brasier struck out four more in 3 2/3 innings
Buffalo starter Joe Biagini limited Pawtucket to two hits in five innings, allowing an unearned run. Left-hander Sam Moll recorded the final five outs.