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The Herd wasted a quality start from Jonathon Niese as the Indianapolis Indians topped the Bisons 2-0 in front of 7,584 fans Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Field.

The loss drops the Bisons to 16-38 and an International League worst 10-24 at home.

For Niese (0-6), the frustration continues as this makes nine starts without a win. Eleven on the season including his two starts with the Mets.

But unlike many of his earlier outings Niese gave a good accounting of him self, as his six strong innings gave the Herd a chance to win.

“He’s going after hitters better,” Bison manager Ken Oberkfell said of Niese. “Using his fastball a little more, locating pitches better.”

Niese struck out four, walked one, hit one batter and gave up two earned runs on six hits while throwing 62 of his 105 pitches for strikes.

Niese’s key moment came in the third when, after surrendering a lead-off walk to opposing pitcher Ty Taubenheim (3-5) and a single to Brian Bixler, he was touched for a two-run double by Jose Cruz.

From there Niese appeared if he was ready to self-destruct as he hit Jeff Salazar in the next at-bat.

With the season-long M.O. of a decent start followed by getting crushed in one inning, usually the fourth where his ERA is over 18.00, the stage was set for Niese to fall apart. Only he didn’t.

Niese responded by striking out Garrett Jones then inducing an inning ending double play ball on Steve Pearce.

“I just put all the at-bats that happened behind me,” Niese reasoned. “Just concentrate on the guy at the plate.”

Oberkfell agreed the way Niese was able to escape the third without further damage was a defining moment of the young southpaw’s outing.

“The first thing that went through my mind was ‘oh no here’s his inning,’” Oberkfell.

“He kept his composure and he shut them down with a big double play ball.”

Going six innings or better in four of his last five starts since May 1 Niese is starting to show signs of progress, his longest outing prior to May 1 being just 5.1 on April 19.

“I felt I’ve been making progress for a while now. I just haven’t had the numbers to show it,” said Niese.

Though no one has come out and said it Niese has to be feeling pressure to deliver as his numbers do not reflect his rating as the organizations top pitching prospect. In fact, had Niese blown up like he had in other outing the Mets would have had to give serious consideration to sending him to Double-A Binghamton.

Offensively, it was the same tired story, as the Bison bats did not deliver when needed.

Giving up a single to Matt Watson in the first Taubenheim went on to retire the next 14 Bison batters as they took one careless at-bat after another during the first five innings. Stranding seven runners on the day the Herd had two runners on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and were unable to punch any of them home.

It’s a story that Oberkfell is tired of.

“It’s not like its April or May this is June now,” he said. “It’s time to pick up the pace. Don’t just come out here and play for a pay check.”

Chris Bootcheck worked the ninth inning to earn his eighth save of the year for Indianapolis (26-30).

Notes: Wily Mo Pena extended his hitting streak to 13 games with seventh inning single.

RHP Nelson Figueroa (1-4, 3.17 ERA) will get the start for Buffalo, the Indians have not announced who will take the hill for them.

Monday will also be the Herd’s annual Kids Day game with a special 10:35 a.m. start. Approximately 10,000 school kids are expected to be on hand.