Thursday, August 29, 2013

A Save is a Save is a Save






Season: 85-53; Games Remaining: 6
Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

As readers know I am far from expert on scoring rules, but I don’t think it was a save situation when Josh Lueke came on in the 8th inning. [Well, no surprise, I was wrong. If a tying run is: on base, at bat, or on deck then it's a save situation. Thanks to Chris D. for the explication.] The score was 5-1, runners on second and third, one out. Even so, Lueke made that situation look easy by getting an infield pop up and a strike out. Next inning, however, perhaps he created his own save situation. He started with a K, then hit a batter and gave up two singles to load the bases. The potential tying run came to the plate and that is, I’m sure, a save situation. Lueke then got a swinging K and a flyout. Shades of Joe Bateman. (Am I the only Bulls fan left who misses Joe Bateman and Winston Abreu in these situations? That is, create your own mess and then get out of it?). Lueke got his 17th save. His ERA remains a stunning 0.63.

Prior to that we listened to IL MV Pitcher J.D. Martin pretty much run the game on the defense and a parade of Bulls batters banged out hits. Martin was the pitcher on the mound in the interrupted game down in Norfolk a few days ago, so his last full appearance was 6 innings back on August 18. Sounded like the break did no harm. Broadcaster Kinas thinks Martin will not pitch again until the first game of the playoffs next Wednesday.

Tim Beckham is hot — a home run and a double to go with 3 for 5 game on Tuesday. As is Brandon Guyer, who’s making a forceful bid for Rays’ time this season when he finishes his “rehab assignment” — double, triple, BB, RBI. Speaking of rehab assignments, Luke Scott is visiting from the Rays and dh’d last night (1 for 4, run scored, 1 BB).

Outside the game —
  • Matt Moore will be pitching for the Bulls on a rehab assignment from the Rays tonight. Nice substitute for Jake Odorizzi, who will be starting for the Rays tomorrow, I think. WDBB is on record with the opinion that Matt Moore is the best pitcher to appear in a Durham Bulls uniform in the DBAP — ever. Too bad we won’t have a chance to watch him work his way back from whatever’s been bothering him. But maybe he could hang out until the playoffs? Why not?
  • The Bulls' roster is a mess. We'll try to put together a post laying out all the changes sometime this afternoon. 

2 comments:

  1. It was a save under this rule:

    "He enters the game, regardless of the score, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat, or on deck"

    In this case with 2 on, the tying run was on deck.

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    Replies
    1. As usual, you're right. Original post corrected. Thanks!

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