The Charlotte Knights came into Buffalo at 38-31, a winning first half already in hand, and riding a seven-game road winning streak. Tuesday night at Sahlen Field, the Bisons answered every Charlotte swing and snapped the streak, taking the series opener 9-5.
This was two of the hottest teams in the International League trading haymakers, and for a few innings Charlotte looked like the one still throwing them. Kyle Teel got it started in the top of the first, going the other way for a two-run shot and an early 2-0 lead. It did not last the inning. Buffalo came right back with a two-run homer in the bottom half off Noah Schultz, the rehabbing lefty making a short start, who then collected himself and struck out the last three men he faced across 1.2 innings.
It stayed 2-2 until the bottom of the fourth, and then the part of the night Charlotte will want back. Jordan Hicks, also on a rehab assignment, walked two and served up a three-run homer while recording just two outs. A solo shot the next inning made it 6-2, and a four-run hole on the road is a long way to climb.
The Knights climbed most of it anyway. Michael Turner got the sixth started with a two-run drive to left-center, Nolan Jones followed him immediately with a solo blast, and the back-to-back homers had Charlotte within a run at 6-5. That is where the comeback stalled. Buffalo put up three in the bottom of the sixth, and the Knights did not get another runner across.
The line tells the story of the night: Charlotte hit three home runs and still lost by four. The Bisons drew seven walks to the Knights' one, and free passes win road games. Teel, Rikuu Nishida, and Mario Camilletti each finished with two hits, which is a good night at the plate that did not add up to enough on the scoreboard.
The loss drops the Knights to 38-32. The winning first half was already secured at home last week, when Charlotte split the Oklahoma City homestand and clinched it; the road streak that ended Tuesday was built before that, most of it during the six-game sweep at Durham that gave Charlotte the best run differential in Triple-A. Buffalo has now won six of its last seven, all at home. The series there continues, and a team that just hit three out and lost by four has every reason to think the next one breaks the other way.
Update, June 22: Charlotte answered the opener loss by taking the series four games to two and closing the first half on a shutout.