By: Victor Menendez
BUFFALO, NY - A six-run top of the fifth inning from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders proved to be decisive in their 8-4 victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday. Today was the Bisons last game of the 2024 season.
"You always want to win here," Bisons manager Casey Candaele said. "We had a lot of turnover here. If you keep the same team the entire year, that means none of them have gotten promoted. So you look at it both ways. You want to win here and be successful, and you also want to send a bunch of guys to help out the major league level."
Jake Bloss got the start for Buffalo. The Blue Jays number three ranked prospect according to MLB.com lasted 4.1 innings, giving up five hits, one walk and three runs. Bloss tied his season high with the Bisons in terms of strikeouts with five. The right-hander ends his season with a 6.91 ERA in eight starts for the Bisons.
"He wanted to finish five innings, he didn't quite do that," Candaele said. "He was upset with himself about that. But he pitched very well. He came back from getting hit around in Gwinnett and had a good start to finish the year."
Bisons catcher Peyton Henry drove in the first run of the game on a 109.7 MPH double in the bottom of the first inning. Henry pulled a sinker from Maciejewski down the left field line to give Buffalo an early 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second and third innings, Oswald Peraza tied the game at one with a home run in the fourth inning. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Bloss hung a slider that Peraza hammered down the left field line. Peraza had also homered twice in the previous game.
The RailRiders took the lead in the top of the fifth. Jahmai Jones hit a bunt single and was pinch-ran for by Duke Ellis. After Ellis stole his 23rd base at Triple-A, Greg Allen drove him in on a double.
Caleb Durbin followed up with an infield single and Jorbit Vivas reached on a catcher's interference. With the bases loaded, Ben Rice crushed a splitter from Emmanuel Ramirez for a grand slam. Taylor Trammell added the RailRiders sixth run of the inning on a single up the middle to put the RailRiders up 7-1.
Buffalo got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Orelvis Martinez extended his hitting streak to eight games with a double down the left field line and came around to score on a single from Henry. Damiano Palmegiani followed up with a two-run homer to cut the Scranton lead to 7-4 and knock Maciejewski out of the game.
"[Martinez] came back and he was ready to play," Candaele said. "He's a big prospect, so he did what he needed to do coming back."
Durbin extended the RailRiders lead to 8-4 in the top of the ninth on a double, as his third hit of the game drove in Allen.
The RailRiders bullpen combined for four scoreless innings in relief of Maciejewski, allowing three hits and no walks.
The Bisons end their season at 68-80 overall, and 31-43 in the second half. They finished second to last place in the IL. The RailRiders picked up their 89th win of the year to improve to 89-60 overall, and 46-29 in the second half. They finish in second place in the IL. Neither team will be playing playoff baseball this year.
The Bisons' 2025 season will begin at home against the Rochester Red Wings on March 28.
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