Saturday, July 16, 2011

One for Six

Game 92, July 15, McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Durham Bulls 2
Season: 50-42; This Trip: 2-2
Wrap, Box, Pawtucket Times, Baseball Heavy

For the second game in a row the starting pitcher only went two innings. For the second game in a row, the first relief pitcher gave up the losing runs. For the fifth time this season the Bulls lost to the Pawtucket Red Sox (out of six tries). This is discouraging.

Back in early June the Red Sox were in Durham and they beat the Bulls fairly handily three out of four games (6-3, 7-1, and 11-3), assisted by former Bull Darnell McDonald. This time they are getting some help from another former Bull and possibly the best, certainly richest, Bull ever, Carl Crawford. The Bulls only win was a 5-4 game won by Ray Olmedo with a walk-off bases-loaded single. A full report that exposes my off-the-mark comments is here. On the other hand, it was after that game that we first noticed that the bullpen was carrying the Bulls. That, unfortunately, has not changed.

Unless I missed something, we've gotten no report on why Alex Torres left the game after only two innings. We know that Cobb was held out on Thursday at the behest of the Rays. If Torres has some kind of problem then the Bulls are really in trouble, especially since he was doing a much better job.  [see update below] 

Lance Cormier has now had eight appearances as a Bull. Things aren't looking good. He's already given up more home runs (7) that any Bull except for Brian Baker (11), who has had a lot more opportunities.

Pawtucket's a good team. We have to grant them that. We said it when they were in Durham and it's worth repeating. Another double play last night helped them a lot. A timely home run made a huge difference.

Here's an interesting interview with Charlie Montoyo where he discusses some Rays' prospects he coached at the Futures game, comments on Andy Sonnanstine, and tells us the key to this series with Pawtucket.

[Update: Cork Gaines over at Rays Index thinks that the reason Torres was pulled from last night's game is that the Rays can't make up their mind whether they want to start a righty (Cobb) or a lefty (Torres) to start against the Yankees later in the week. Sounds about right to me.]

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