BUFFALO 5, ROCHESTER 3: Valentino Pascucci's solo homer in the eighth put Buffalo up for good. The victory was the Bisons' third straight. Pascucci had 21 homers for the Bisons a season ago and got this campaign started right with a long ball on Opening Night in Pawtucket. On Sunday, with the score tied at 3 in the eighth, Pascucci crushed a 2-2 pitch from reliever Casey Fein to center field. It was Pascucci's 40th long ball with the Bisons. He becomes the 12th player to reach that milestone in the team's modern era. Buffalo also used the long ball to get an early lead. Trailing 1-0, Adam Loewen and Matt Tuiasosopo hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth for a 3-1 advantage. Rochester tied the score with two runs in sixth inning, but that was the only time it threatened against Bisons starter Jeremy Hefner (1-0). In his Herd debut, Hefner worked seven innings and struck out four. With Fernando Cabrera earning saves on Friday and Saturday night, Bisons manager Wally Backman turned to lefty Daniel Herrera to close Sunday's victory. Herrera struck out a pair over the final two innings. The last time the Bisons got back-to-back home runs was July 20, 2011 in Syracuse, with Pascucci and Jason Botts combining for the honors. With Herrera's two scoreless innings, the Bisons bullpen has now started the season with 14 scoreless frames. Bobby Scales had two more hits. He drove in the team's final run with an RBI single in the ninth. Box

AUGUSTA 8, SAVANNAH 5: Augusta scored five unanswered runs in the seventh and eighth innings to come from behind and split the season-opening four-game series. Savannah third baseman Aderlin Rodriguez delivered a three-run homer for the second straight day. Rodriguez has nine RBIs. Down 3-1, the Gnats put together a three-run fifth. Cam Maron led off with a walk, DH Brian Harrison singled and then Rodriguez lofted the three-run shot over the left-field wall. Savannah added a run in the sixth on Maron's sacrifice fly to build a 5-3 lead. The GreenJackets scored three times in the top of the seventh off the Savannah bullpen. Jose Cuevas, who tied Friday’s score with a two-run single in the ninth off reliever Estarlin Morel, doubled in two runs Sunday off Morel, putting Augusta in the lead. The GreenJackets tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Savannah reliever Carlos Vazquez, who allowed two walks and a single in the seventh, was charged with his first loss. The game began as a duel between two hard throwing young right-handers -- Domingo Tapia for Savannah and Kyle Crick for Augusta. Crick lasted just 3 2/3 innings, walking three and hitting two batters, but gave up only one run on three hits. Tapia lasted five innings, fanning three and walking one. He was touched for three runs on four hits. The Gnats begin a three-game series Monday, when the Rome Braves visit. Savannah will send right-hander Tyler Pill to the hill against left-hander Carlos Perez. Box

Compiled from team reports