Catcher Gabriel Moreno capped the best game of his young Triple-A career by confounding a five-man infield with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth Friday night to give the Buffalo Bisons a 5-4 victory over the Durham Bulls in Sahlen Field.
Moreno, the 22-year-old who is the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospect, went 4 for 5 in the game and drove in four of Buffalo's runs. He opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the third and added a two-out double in the fifth.
In the ninth, Mallex Smith led off with a walk – getting awarded ball four on a pitch clock violation by Durham reliever Calvin Faucher. Smith went to third on Nathan Lukes' double and Otto Lopez was intentionally walked to bring up Moreno.
Durham pulled an outfielder into the infield but Moreno lashed a pitch to right to score Smith and push his batting average to .313 in 17 games with Buffalo.
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OF COURSE IT'S GABRIEL MORENO! 🔥🔥🔥#Bisons walk it off, 5-4!!! pic.twitter.com/af5AEwyqgE
— Buffalo Bisons🦬 (@BuffaloBisons) May 7, 2022
The Bisons (16-12) blew a 4-0 lead in the game as Durham catcher Rene Pinto hit his first two home runs of the season. Pinto's second, a two-run shot to right in the ninth off Kyle Johnston, tied the game at 4-4.
The six-game series is tied at two wins apiece. It continues Saturday at 1 (Radio 1520 AM) as Toronto pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu (0-0, 13.50 in MLB) will start on an injury rehab assignment for Buffalo while working back from forearm inflammation. He was the starter for the Jays against Miami on Aug. 11, 2020, in the first MLB game in Sahlen Field.
