BUFFALO, N.Y. — Opening Day started about as well as the Buffalo Bisons could have hoped Friday.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Sahlen Field. Then the Bisons scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, giving 10,077 plenty to cheer about early.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rallied, though, scoring seven runs in the fifth inning to hand Buffalo a 12-9 loss. The game marked the first of a three-game homestand for the Bisons, who have a list of special promotions throughout the season.
Ricky Tiedemann, the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospect, got the start for the Bisons. He gave up one run in 2 2/3 innings and recorded three strikeouts.
"It's exciting, just because I have a lot of guys that I was drafted with here, so it's kind of cool to be able to play with them, especially at the Triple-A level," Tiedemann said Thursday.
Tiedemann, 21, made his Triple-A debut on Sept. 22 last year against the Norfolk Tides. He threw four innings and recorded six strikeouts. The Long Beach, Calif., native made 15 minor league starts last year, with 11 of them coming in Double-A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
The Bisons are teaming up with NASA to host a total solar eclipse event at Sahlen Field on April 8, with an educational, but also entertaining, program that begins at 1 p.m.
The Savannah Bananas will also stop at Sahlen Field for three games from July 5 to 7 as part of their touring schedule.
You can find more promotions on the Bisons website.