Thursday, August 20, 2015

Bulls Explode Against Mud Hens


Season: 60-66; Home Stand: 1-0;
Games Left: 18; Home Games Left: 13
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

As the line score shows, this was an amazing game for the hitters and pitchers. Every Bull got at least one hit: 4 doubles, a triple (Boog Powell), four home runs (two by Richie Shaffer, one by Nick Franklin, one by Taylor Motter), and 11 singles. Cory Brown was the only Bull who didn’t get at least one RBI. An amazing, year’s best, night: 38 total bases, team OPS of 1.404, team wOBA of .577.

Meanwhile, Blake Snell continues to show his stuff. He only gave up one hit (a solo home run) in 5 innings of work.

Outside the game —
  • I can’t keep track of all the transactions. The Bulls have had 189 of them this year! That's 1.5 transactions per game! Pretty sure that I haven’t mentioned at least some of these. 
  • José Dominguez was designated for assignment (the Rays needed his 40-man slot, Smyly finished his rehab). No word on his status. Note that former Bull Dale Thayer is in the same "DFA Limbo" status. 
  • Leonardo Reginatto went back to Montgomery.
  • Joey Butler came back to the Bulls from Tampa Bay.
  • Edward Teaford went to Hudson Valley on the 15th and came back on the 18th. Hope he enjoyed the trip.
  • Enny Romero was called up to Tampa Bay and I think he’s on his way back.
  • Matt Andriese was called up (he took the loss in the 13th inning last night).
  • Richie Shaffer is back, with his bat, obviously.
  • Kirby Yates is back.
  • Dylan Floro has gone on the disabled list.
  • Meanwhile, I don’t think that I have pointed out that Vince Belnome was signed by the New York Mets and is playing with their AA team, the Binghamton Mets. Doing OK.
  • The Biscuits are doing well.

2 comments:

  1. Snell is an interesting pitcher. I think the Rays are deliberately making him work on non-fastball pitches. Last night there were a couple of times where he threw a few breaking pitches in a row and either missed the zone or got fouled off. Then it was almost as if he said "I'm done with this nonsense" and would blow a fastball at 95 with movement past the clearly over-matched hitters.

    I think if he wanted to and the coaches allowed, he could throw something like 90% fastballs and dominate for at least 1 time through the order.

    This all makes me wonder if the Rays are evaluating him on a starter vs. reliever basis. If he can get the off speed stuff going better, he'll be a starter, otherwise he's a closer in the making.

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    1. I watched from TV and think much the same. He is just about the best thrower I've seen since the young Matt Moore. But I remember David Price, when here, was almost always working on something. Hence, a not very good record as a Bull. Certainly they are holding down his pitch count as they should. But I don't know how well the new Ray regime is managing pitchers. So far, so not so good.

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