Kennedy scattered five hits and struck out five while allowing just one run for his second straight game. He also threw six innings in his first start Friday at Lehigh Valley, striking out 11.

Wednesday's win improved his minor league record in the New York chain to 20-6 over the last three seasons. Even though he was 0-4 with an 8.17 ERA in nine big league starts last year, the Yankees are far from through with the 24-year-old. They saw what he can do when he posted a 1.89 ERA in three starts in 2007.

Kennedy has a good slider and change-up and has been working to perfect his curveball, both in the Puerto Rican winter league and in the spring with Scranton pitching coach Scott Aldred and Nardi Contreras, the Yankees' minor league coordinator.

"I'm just trying to throw it for strikes," Kennedy said. "I've tried to keep a different mind-set for it. Late in spring I was throwing it in the dirt a lot, which for me is better than leaving it up. Today, I threw a lot more strikes with it."

With a fastball that tops out around 92 mph, Kennedy knows the 11-strikeout game is an anomaly.

"My mentality is to try to make the best pitch every time. The last game it so happened I got a lot of guys with two strikes," he said. "When you're in 0-2, 1-2 counts, you start thinking strikeout more. Today I wasn't in as many of those situations. I wanted to put the ball in play."

Kennedy threw 94 pitches, 63 strikes. He had eye-popping totals of 86-68 at Lehigh Valley.

"He went out there today and battled," said Scranton manager Dave Miley. "His numbers the other night were off the chart. . . . That's just something you don't see a whole lot of. Here, he made pitches he had to so he got out of jams. He ought to be satisfied."

Kennedy and Phil Hughes were thought to be the future of the Yankees' rotation but both flamed out last year due to injuries and ineffectiveness. So they're both back in Scranton (Hughes did not pitch in this series) while CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett have hit New York.

"Phil and I know we both have to get better," Kennedy said. "Last year was not acceptable for either of us. I knew CC was always sitting out there and there was a good chance they would sign him. Then they signed A.J., signed Andy [Pettitte] back again. My mentality is not to worry about all that. I have to pitch well to make things happen."

"They've been outstanding," Miley said. "Both from the standpoint of frame of mind and working hard to get back to the big leagues."

The Yankees became the first team in professional Baseball -- majors or minors -- to get to 7-0 this season. And while the series will conclude at 1:05 today, the pinstripers in the visiting dugout in Buffalo will certainly have an eye on what's going on in the Bronx as the Yankees open their new stadium against the Cleveland Indians.

"When I signed, my goal was to play in both stadiums and it sounded a little exaggerated to fathom to play in the first one," Kennedy said. "So I was fortunate to do that and it would be awesome to get to play in the new one, too."

Ex-Bison John Rodriguez belted a first-inning solo home run off Buffalo starter Dillon Gee (0-2) to give the visitors the lead for good. The Bisons are 1-6 for the first time since 1987.

Fernando Martinez's two-run single in the seventh was the biggest of Buffalo's 10 hits. But the Bisons left nine on base and were just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

"It's almost the same song and dance each day," said manager Ken Oberkfell. "One run short."

e-mail: mharrington@buffnews.com

***

Scranton/WB 4, Bisons 3

The pitch: Yankees improve to 7-0, drop Herd to 1-6. ... Kennedy goes six strong innings for Scranton. ... Martinez, Sullivan, Coronado collect two hits apiece for Herd.

Fast fact: Kennedy is 20-6 the last three years in the Yankees' minor league chain.

Next game: vs. Scranton/WB, 1:05 p.m. today in Coca-Cola Field (Kids Week).