The Durham Bulls in 2016: Part 3 - The Hitters

As we pointed out in Part 1 of this series, the Bulls hitting was pretty dismal this year. In fact, taken in the aggregate, it was the lack of hitting, more than any other factor, that  made this the worst season in Bulls' history. We discussed the pitching at Part 2. See also Part 4 - The Tampa Bay Rays, and Part 5 - The DBAP.

The Bulls saw 28 different batters come to the plate this year. Two of those were pitchers, Dana Eveland and Eddie Gamboa, only had one plate appearance. Two were short-term rehab assignments, infielders Matt Duffy for 3 games and Logan Forsyth for 2 games. A young minor leaguer, Alec Sole was in three games. We do need to point out that in his one at-bat pitcher Eddie Gamboa got a hit and scored a run ending up with the team-best batting average of 1.000 and OPS of 2.000!

Looking at this chart of OPS numbers we see that we that we have to reach down to the 4th player in the rank-ordering before we find a player above the "average" line and who who had any significant amount of playing time (Jaff Decker).

There was, however, a cluster of promising young players that we'd hope to see again next year: Casey Gillaspie, Johhny Field, Daniel Robertson, and "veteran" 26 year-old Jaff Decker.

Click on chart for larger image

This table is sorted by a more "advanced" stat, Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) and includes another stat, Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA) that gives us a hint of the player's contribution to the team this year.

Name	Age	G	AB	PA	RBI	AVG	OPS	wOBA	wRAA
Casey Gillaspie	23	47	179	203	23	.307	.909	.407	13.7
Mikie Mahtook	26	27	105	120	7	.305	.821	.371	4.9
Nick Franklin	25	64	240	270	28	.254	.772	.364	2.9
Jaff Decker	26	99	349	417	35	.255	.787	.357	12.7
Johnny Field	24	69	255	285	27	.275	.793	.353	7.8
Daniel Robertson	22	118	436	511	43	.259	.713	.331	5.6
J.P. Arencibia	30	78	309	324	47	.252	.727	.326	2.2
Curt Casali	27	20	63	81	15	.254	.714	.322	1
Richie Shaffer	25	119	428	496	48	.227	.695	.321	1.7
Kyle Roller	28	50	162	187	12	.216	.692	.318	0.2
Taylor Motter	26	88	350	387	46	.229	.686	.311	-1.7
Dayron Varona	28	118	435	463	59	.232	.681	.306	-3.7
Jake Goebbert	28	93	321	364	35	.218	.661	.303	-3.8
Luke Maile	25	58	194	214	12	.242	.650	.300	-2.7
Eury Perez	26	27	88	99	4	.239	.602	.278	-2.9
Juniel Querecuto	23	36	120	129	11	.242	.597	.272	-4.3
Jake Hager	23	71	272	293	21	.228	.592	.266	-11.1
Carlos Corporan	32	20	65	70	9	.200	.554	.255	-3.2
Patrick Leonard	23	42	131	145	6	.198	.528	.250	-7.3
Hank Conger	28	30	109	116	11	.165	.503	.227	-7.8
Cameron Seitzer	26	42	135	144	3	.178	.429	.204	-12.2

The Hitters

Players are discussed in order of games played. "Slash Line" is Batting Average/On Base Percentage/Slugging Percentage. The Bulls played a 144 game season that ended September 5, 2016.

Richie Shaffer (119 games, 496 plate appearances,.227/.329/.367, OPS .695, wOBA .321) did not deliver on his promise from 2015 where he had stellar seasons at Montgomery and with the Bulls. He played in several positions and seems to have a decent arm. Longoria is, of course, in his way at Tampa Bay. Nevertheless, his 27 doubles were in second place on the team (and 14th in the IL), as were his 48 RBI. He also led the team in strikeouts with 135 and drew the most walks at 65. He was up with the Rays a couple of times and went back for September. [stats]

Daniel Robertson (118 games, 511 plate appearances, .259/.358/.356, OPS .713, wOBA .331) was the most promising young (22) player we saw this year. It says something about the Rays that they did not call him up for a "taste" this September. But that does mean that Bulls fans will get to watch him mature next year. In a perfect world, it would be nice if he were a bit quicker  (just 2 stolen bases). And the 100 K's are worrisome. He led the team for being hit by pitches (11). [stats]

Dayron Varona (117 games (118 on FanGraphs site), 463 plate appearances, .232/.274/.407, OPS .681, wOBA .306) provided some of the rare excitement this year. His numbers are not all that great, but he did lead the team in doubles with 32 (5th in the IL) and RBI with 59. Mid-season he seemed to slow down, but picked up at the end. He has a terrific arm and covers right or left field quite well. Not quite as explosive a player as his fellow Cuban defector Leslie Anderson. We wanted to see a bit more plate discipline. Tied with Jaff Decker for most outfield assists (12). [stats]

Jaff Decker (99 games, 349 plate appearances, .255/.366/.421, OPS .787, wOBA .357) meant a lot to the Bulls this year. He was one of the few exciting players on the team, exciting to watch, that is. And was a rare left-handed bat.  As he has several in the last three years (with Pittsburg and San Diego), he managed some major league time, but did not stick. He was #2 in stolen bases with 18, but led the team in getting caught with 7. He tied with Dayron Varona for most outfield assists (12). We'd like to see him back with the Bulls next year. [stats]
Update: Decker put on 40-man and called up to Rays mid-September.

Jake Goebbert (93 games, 321 plate appearances, .218/.299/.361, OPS .661, wOBA .303) added a left-handed outfielder's bat to the line-up, but, unfortunately, not much else. It is true that several of 10 home runs seemed to come at critical moments. Nevertheless, his OPS was almost 200 points below his 2015 numbers in El Paso (San Diego AAA) and he barely got above the Mendoza Line all year. [stats]

Taylor Motter (88 games, 387 plate appearances, .229/.297/.389, OPS .686, wOBA .311) seemed to be more of a Rays' super-utility man in training than a Durham Bull, this year. He had 33 games with the Rays but did not hit very well. His 2016 numbers are well below his 2015 Bulls numbers of .292/.366/.471. Not sure, but think he might be up for his first shot at free-agency this year. From a fan's perspective, if he can regain 2015 form, we'd like to see him back. [stats]

J.P. Arencibia (78 games, 324 plate appearances, .252/.284/.443 OPS .727, wOBA .326) joined the Bulls after 12 games with Lehigh Valley (AAA team of the Phillies). To be honest, after his superb September with the Rays in 2015, we didn't expect him back. At bat, he led the Bulls in home runs with 15, but overall his hitting was off. As a catcher, however, our guess is that he provided quite a bit of added value to the team because, once Luke Maile went up to the Rays, there was not much left to work with the pitching crew. J.P. announced his retirement at the end of the season. We wish him well. [stats]

Jake Hager (71 games, 293 PA, .228/.269/.324, OPS .592, wOBA .266) came to the Bulls in June after 43 games with Montgomery. This was his first time at AAA. He alternated between second base and shortstop with a couple of games at third. He had a piece of 41 double plays, and made a decent partner for Daniel Robertson at short. His bat needs some work, but he's young. Likely to be back next year. [stats]

Johnny Field (69 games, 285 PA, .275/.338/.455, OPS .793, wOBA .353) came up to the Bulls at the end of May for his AAA debut after 45 games with the Biscuits. The young (24) outfielder has had a good year and is one of the few Bulls with a decent OPS. Not particularly quick afoot (3 steals, 6 caught stealings), he was quick enough to lead the team in triples (4) and he ranked third in doubles with 23. Very likely to return next year. [stats]

Nick Franklin (64 games, 270 PA, .254/.322/.392, OPS .714, wOBA .322) was never expected to be a full-time Durham Bull when he came to the Rays system back in 2014. Maybe, maybe this year was the charm. At least he is now playing regularly with the Rays even if he did put in a substantial number of games with the Bulls this year. He did not have a great year at bat as a Bull, he actually has much better stats with the Rays (OPS .836). We don't expect him back. [stats]

Luke Maile (58 games, 214 PA, .242/.310/.340, OPS .650, wOBA .300) began the season with the Bulls, moved up to the Rays in mid-July, and never came back. Catchers are very difficult to evaluate from the stands. We certainly thought that Maile was ready to go as his stats improved throughout June. Just 25 years old, we expect that he's got a solid career ahead of him. As we will discuss later, however, the Rays are notorious for mishandling/misjudging catchers. We are not confident that he will be finding a place with the Rays as a major leaguer. We liked watching him play, though. [stats]

Kyle Roller (50 games, 187 PA, .216/.316/.377, OPS .692, wOBA .318) never quite delivered on the promise he showed in 2014 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (OPS .875), although after leaving the Bulls in mid-June he did just fine in independent ball. Overall, the Bulls would have been better served if the Rays had found better ballplayers than Roller, Jake Goebbert, Eury Perez, and Carlos Corporan to fill out the roster at the beginning of the year. [stats]

Casey Gillaspie (47 games, 203 plate appearances, .307/.389/.520, OPS .909. wOBA .407) was a rare breath of fresh air after he came up from the Montgomery Biscuits in mid-July and stayed for the rest of the year. He appears to be a pure hitting first-baseman (switch-hitter, better as a lefty against righties). At 23 he's young and very likely to be back next year. We hope so. We like watching him play baseball. Note that he only made one error at first base as a Bull. [stats]

Patrick Leonard (42 games, 145 plate appearances, .198/.276/.252, OPS .528, wOBA .250) was much less successful in his AAA debut. However, after starting with the Bulls in April, he went to Montgomery at the beginning of June and had a decent year there. Just 23, you have to think he'll get another shot next year. [stats]

Cameron Seitzer (40 games, 144 plate appearances, .178/.229/.200, OPS .429, wOBA .204) appears to have been thoroughly mistreated by the Rays, although we're willing to stand corrected. As far as we can tell he was a backup infielder-in-waiting who filled a roster hole when it was convenient and then transferred (on paper) elsewhere when it wasn't. He was essentially with the Bulls all year, but only played in 40 games. Unfortunately, when he got his rare opportunities, he did not do very well. [stats]

Juniel Querecuto (36 games, 229 PA, .242/.289/.308, OPS .597, wOBA .272) does not have very good numbers for his visits with the Bulls. He started with the Biscuits, came to the Bulls in mid-May and stayed to mid-June. He went back to the Biscuits for a week or so, came back to the Bulls for late June and early July, back to the Biscuits, up to the Bulls, and ended the season with the Biscuits. That's three promotions to the Bulls this year. Not good numbers, even for an infielder. Young at 23, likely playing winter ball. We'll have to see about next year. [stats]
Update (9/12/2016): Added to 40-man roster and called up.

Hank Conger (30 games, 116 plate appearances, .165/.200/.303, OPS .503, wOBA .227) had a few good moments as a Bull after he was sent down by the Rays in mid-July for the last month and a half, but not many. As we mentioned, we have a hard time judging catchers from the stands, but his hitting numbers were not good at all. Unlikely to return next year. [stats]

Mikie Mahtook (27 games, 120 PA, .305/.383/.438, OPS .821. wOBA .371) spent the first six weeks with the Bulls and then went up to the Rays to spend almost all of the season with the Rays or on the DL (he did come back for 7 games at the end of the Bulls season). Mahtook is a major leaguer (even if his season has not gone well), although it sure would have helped to have at least one or two players of his rising talent with the Bulls this year. [stats]

Eury Perez (27 games, 99 PA, .239/.295/.307, OPS .602, wOBA .278) started the system in the Pacific Coast League with Houston's Fresno Grizzlies. Even at 26, he's been with a lot of teams and systems, coming up with the Nationals, then with the Yankees, Atlanta, and Houston before the Rays. He arrived in June and was on and off the roster a good bit. His last at bat was August 17. He had his moments. He was third in stolen bases, even with his reduced playing time. We have no way of knowing if he has any health issues, so hard to predict if he will be coming back. [stats]

Curt Casali (20 games, 81 PA, .254/.407/.365, OPS .772, wOBA .364) began the season with the Rays and stayed there until early August, when he was sent down, apparently to work on his hitting. He went back to the Rays at the end of the Bulls' season. Hitting was always a bit of a weak point with Casali, and this year did not seem to be that much different. With the Bulls, he was sharing time with two other catchers (Arencibia and Conger) and he did just fine with his limited plate appearances. Hard to tell if he's going to stick with the Rays next year. [stats]

Carlos Corporan (20 games, 70 PA, .200/.246/.308, OPS .554. wOBA .255) started the season with the Bulls, but was released in mid-May. He spent the next couple of months with the New Orleans Zephyrs, Miami's AAA team. Yet another example of the Rays having a hard time picking/developing catchers. [stats]

The Rest

• Mayo Acosta is essentially the Bulls bullpen catcher. He has been on and off the roster for the last four years, essentially succeeding Craig Albernaz in that role (Albernaz, by the way, is with the Rays' Hudson Valley Renegades as their hitting coach).
• Tim Beckham got in 5 games and 12 plate appearances at the end of the season.
• Matt Duffy, an infielder, had 12 plate appearances on a rehab assignment.
• Alec Sole visited for three games in August while he was enroute from the Charlotte Stone Crabs to end the season with 6 games with the Montgomery Biscuits.
• Logan Forsyth had two games on a rehab assignment.

J.P.!

J.P. Arencibia

Game 143, 4 September, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Norfolk Tides (Baltimore): 6
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 10
Season: 61-82; Home Stand: 1-0; Games Remaining: 1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Harris 39; Season 39 (1 start, 3 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.095; Season .686; Difference .409

Folks like me who just sit up in the stands don't get to know the ballplayers. Nevertheless, we do form opinions based on what we see them do and hear about them. For the last two years, we've simply had fun watching J.P. Arencibia play the game. We can't say we were surprised when he used his "star of the game" interview to announce that he was retiring from baseball. Ken Tanner (the announcer) didn't seem to want to believe him. I do. Later on, or perhaps it was before the game, he made a few comments to the press. He was quoted in the Herald-Sun:

“I’m going to be straight up with you. I played six years in the big leagues, last year I led this league in home runs and I did good in the big leagues when I got there and now I’m back in Triple-A,” said Arencibia, who before the game was presented with his second straight “Good Guy” media award. “If I’m going to have to play in Triple-A (again next year), I’m no longer going to play baseball. I believe that I’m a major league player.
     “If I’m not in the big leagues, I’m going home. I’m 30. I’ve played enough. I’m not going to keep chasing the dream.”

Last year he was mostly a first baseman and designated hitter. This year he was mostly a catcher and designated hitter. He was a good ballplayer on what is, let's face it, a third-rate ballclub. Plus he had to catch a knuckleballer in development. What we liked about him is that he simply seemed to be having fun out there. And from time to time he was inspired.

Take yesterday. He had a very, very green young pitcher who'd just jumped from Single-A to Triple-A (Greg Harris) and he was having a tough time of it. J.P. was out there talking him through it every couple of minutes. That Harris got out of it with just three runs scored was a major accomplishment. At bat Arencibia was superb. His home run was pretty. His second hit, a single, was, in broadcaster Scott Pose's word, "buggywhipped" up into the wall. It was a pretty, pretty swing we just wish he'd had more of this year.

Not to put words into his mouth, but seems to me that J.P. is saying that he isn't Crash Davis, he's a major leaguer. If he's not seen that way, then it's time to find some other way to have fun.

J.P.: We loved watching you play baseball. We liked seeing you in a Durham Bulls uniform. Good luck. Thanks for helping us through these last two years.

Outside the game —

• The Biscuits are into their playoffs.
• Today's Charlotte/Gwinnett game is for the South Division Championship. Standings
• If the Bulls win today, they will not end up being the worst team in Durham Bulls history ... just tied for that honor with the teams from 2005 and 2006

Bulls' Bats Come Back

Game 115, August 6, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves: 0
Durham Bulls: 10
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 77; Season Avg 54 (18 starts, 104.2 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .470; Season .301; Diff +.169

Just last Wednesday the Bulls had their worst game at bat of the entire season (Tm wOBA of only .031). Last night they had one of their best: home runs, triples, doubles, singles adding up to 25 total bases. Leading the band was Johnny Field who hit a home run on the second pitch of the game. Also hitting home runs were two of the three Bulls catchers — Curt Casali who was actually catching, and Hank Conger, who was DHing. The third catcher, J.P. Arencibia, had the night off. In fact, everyone reached base (Motter on a fielder's choice) except new guy Alec Sole.

Meanwhile, Justin Marks had another good start.

About those catchers —

The Bulls are carrying three and something will have to give. At the moment the Bulls have 12 pitchers and 13 position players on the roster, the reverse from the usual 13 pitchers/12 position players. Both Hank Conger and Curt Casali are on the 40-man, and they both started the season with the Rays. I think that means that they are both drawing full major league salaries. They are with the Bulls because they weren't having very good seasons and then the Rays claimed a catcher, Bobby Wilson, off waivers. That gives the Rays five catchers with significant major league time (J.P. Arencibia has almost 500 major league games under his belt, many more than Conger, Casali, Maile, or Bobby Wilson). Given my track record for bad guesses, I'm not going to try. But the Bulls need a reliever to replace Danny Farquhar.

Outside the game--

• My local newspaper, the Raleigh News & Observer, appears to have given up on covering the Bulls in print. Not even reprinting the press release of previous day's game now. 
• Mikie Mahtook is reported as coming off the disabled list and should start playing for the Rays soon.

Here is a chart displaying the Bulls' erratic hitting performance. This is the game-by-game team wOBA since the All-Star break (July 14th). Nice to see slight upward trend since hitting has been the Bulls' problem all year. Obviously, an above-average night at bat doesn't guarantee a win, but it sure doesn't hurt. Similarly, a poor night at bat (for example, July 16th's wOBA of just .191), doesn't always mean a loss — June 16th was the night Justin Marks threw a no-hitter.

Bats Come Alive

Game 113, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC
Norfolk Tides: 2
Durham Bulls: 6
Season: 52-61; Home Stand: 1-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 60; Season Avg 53 (10 starts, 42.2 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .397; Season .300; Diff +.097

J.P. Arencibia's single, double, home run and 4 RBI led the team as he had a terrific game in the DH spot. It was a good night for the hitters as everyone got at least one hit except for Jake Goebbert.

I have to admit I was worried, however, when even after getting out to a 3-1 lead, the Bulls could not score an additional run with the bases loaded and one out in the 3rd. I was worried because you never quite know what will happen with Eddie Gamboa on the mound.

I've noticed that both J.P. Arencibia and Hank Conger have caught Gamboa this year. And you'd have to think that Gamboa is responsible for Arencibia's awful passed ball number (20). So it seems only fair that Conger takes a turn once in a while as he did last night. To that end, we should also note that, although Eddie Gamboa has a very nice 2.62 ERA, he also has seen 7 unearned runs scored (including one last night) and has been charged with 8 wild pitches. That is, of course, the life of a knuckleballer and his catcher. We have to say that he looked pretty good last night.

We also have to point out that the relief crew has been spectacular lately. Last night: 1 hit and 6 K's, no runs. Over the last 10 games, the reliever's running ERA has dropped from 3.71 to 3.54. That much change is hard to do when the innings totals are now up over 400 on the year.

Outside the game —

• Infielder Alec Sole has been called up all the way from the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Sole was the leading candidate for last year's WDBB Moonlight Graham Award with his 2 game, 7 AB visit to the Bulls last September. Here's hoping he gets more time with the team this year.
• Catcher Curt Casali, who started last season with the Bulls, is coming back. The Rays have claimed a catcher off of waivers from the Texas Rangers (Bobby Wilson) and sent Casali to Durham to make room. If too many K's is Casali's problem, he's coming to the wrong team. No Bulls roster move has been announced.

Bulls Win; Pitchers at Bat

Game 108, July 30, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Louisville Bats (Reds): 5
Durham Bulls (Rays): 6
11 innings
Season: 50-58; Home Stand: 5-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 58; Season Avg 53 (9 starts, 37.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .295; Season .301; Diff -.006

The end-of-game, bottom of the 11th, heroics began with Johnny Field's one out double and Eury Perez's ground-out that moved Fields to 3B. Then, when asked to intentionally walk Jake Hager, Louisville's Kevin Shackelford simply came unraveled. He nearly threw away the ball a couple of times. After that, he walked pinch-hitter Hank Conger (Conger pinch-hitting? More later), bringing Taylor Motter to bat with the bases loaded. I thought Motter was going to wait Shackelford out and he did watch the first pitch for a ball. But the next one he connected for a sharp hit to left field that brought in the winning run.

However, for baseball fans, the fascination with this game was the extreme oddity of 8 different players in the #2 spot in the batting order! That is very likely a first in Durham Bulls history. It all hinged on how the designated hitter rule works.

The game began with Jaff Decker, Jake Goebbert, and Hank Conger on the bench. In the 3rd inning, in his second at-bat, Daniel Robertson, the starting third baseman, drew a walk. He got spiked by the first baseman during a fouled-up pick-off throw. He went to 2B, but had to leave the game. Jaff Decker came in as a pinch runner (#2 player in that spot). Manager Jared Sandberg decided to "burn the DH". That is, to use Richie Shaffer, who'd started as the DH, at third base. In turn, that meant that the pitcher was required to bat in the #2 spot or be replaced with a pinch hitter. So, pitcher Eddie Gamboa moved into #2 spot in the batting order. In the 5th inning Gamboa, for the first time in his professional career, came to bat. You have to wonder if he even had a batting helmet or a bat. To great wonder and excitement, he got an infield single, moved to second base on a wild pitch, and scored on a J.P. Arencibia double, executing a nice slide across home plate. In the 7th inning, relief pitcher Dana Eveland moved into the slot. Eveland has time with two National League clubs. In 13 years in baseball, he'd had quite a few plate appearances, but none since 2014. He drew a walk, but never got past first base. The fifth player in the #2 slot was pitcher Ryan Stanek.
When he came to bat in the 9th,  Jake Goebbert came in to pinch hit (player #6 in the slot). Goebbert flew out the left field and reliever Danny Farquhar (#7) moved into the slot. When he came to bat, the last position player on the bench was weak-hitting catcher Hank Conger (#8). He was sent in to pinch-hit. As mentioned above, he drew a walk and set up Motter for the win.

Still with me? If not, that's OK. As regular readers know, we here at WDBB thrive on quirkiness. Keeps our interest up.

The Bulls remain in first place in the South (yahoo!) and have moved a game and a half ahead of the Gwinnett Braves. The Bulls go for six-in-a -row tonight.

Long Trip; One-Run Losses

Game 101, July 22, PNC Field, Moosic, Pennsylvania
Durham Bulls: 5
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRaiders: 6
10 innings
Wrap, Box, Scranton Times-Tribune
Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 42; Season Avg 54 (20 starts, 97 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .358; Season .298; Diff +.060

Game 102, July 23, PNC Field
Durham Bulls: 4
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: 5
Wrap, Box, Scranton Times-Tribune
Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 38; Season Avg 56 (20 starts, 114.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .363; Season .299; Diff +.064

Game 103, July 24, PNC Field
Durham Bull: 3
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: 4
Season: 45-58; Trip: 5-6
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 38; Season Avg 52 (8 starts, 30.2 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .270; Season .299; Diff -.029

After starting the post-All-Star trip with two losses in Syracuse, the Bulls then pulled off four wins in a row, wins that started with a spectacular no-hitter by Justin Marks and continued with decent hitting. The wins included two in extra innings. Two Durham Bulls, Marks and J.P. Arencibia, were named as IL Players of the Week.

Then we have these three one-run losses where three usually reliable starters aren't so reliable.

Oddly enough, for a day or so the Bulls were in first place in the IL South, tied with the Charlotte Knights. Today the Bulls are still tied with the Charlotte Knights but they are both in second place. The Gwinnett Braves have ridden a five-game winning streak into first place.

This has to have been the toughest road trip of the year for the Bulls and we can guess that they are looking forward to being back in Durham and Thursday's day off.

I have to mention my annoyance with one of the Bulls newest members, Hank Conger, a catcher who appears to bring nothing to the team (unless he is particularly good at handling pitchers). In his 6 games as a Bull he's had just 3 hits (.230/.167/.217), although he is fitting right in with his 8 strikeouts. Why would he DH with those kinds of stats? By the way, the Bulls lead the International League in K's with  887.

On the positive side, switch-hitting first baseman Casey Gillaspie is looking awfully good, as is J.P. Arencibia

If we aggregate the stats over the 11 games, we see a few ticks upward in hitting stats, a small improvement in the relief crew's work, and a worrisome drop in starting pitcher performance.

Lastly, continuing our look at a Bulls' "Road to .500" possibilities — steep road. The Bulls need to win 27 out of their next 41 games to get to .500 on the season.

Durham Bulls Take Advantage of Gifts

Game 97, July 18, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls (Rays): 9
Rochester Red Wings (Twins): 5
10 innings
Wrap, Box, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Stats:
Game Score: Pruit 49; Season Avg 57 (19 starts, 108.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .316; Season .296; Diff +.020

The Rochester Red Wings have the best defense in the International League. The Durham Bulls have the worst. Did not work that way last night. Two errors from the Red Wings led to 8 unearned runs by the Bulls.

The big moment was Taylor Motter's grand slam in the 10th. Following as it did a throwing error, two walks, and a run-scoring, tie-breaking single, it was perhaps understandable that the Red Wings manager Mike Quade made some intemperate remarks directed at Motter. They were enough for him to get thrown out of the game.

The grand slam was needed. Bulls pitching gave up a lot of hits, 15 of them, including 3 home runs, one of them in the bottom of the 10th. A pitcher just back from Tampa Bay, Ryan Garton, was credited with both a blown save and a win after an ugly 9th inning.

Two newcomers were in the game. First baseman Casey Gillaspie, up from Montgomery, was in his third game as a Bull. He got his first hit, an RBI double. Catcher Hank Conger was in his second game since coming down from Tampa Bay. He has yet to get a hit. He did, however, catch Justin Marks' no-hitter the other day

Outside the game —

• Durham Bulls players made a clean sweep of the Player of the Week honors in the International League. Justin Marks was named Pitcher of the Week and J.P. Arencibia was named Hitter of the Week. Congratulations!
• Speaking no-hitters, we trolled back into the vast WDBB archives and found this account of the last time Bulls pitchers threw a no-hitter. 
• Then there's this story from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that digs into the possibility that the firing the Minnesota Twins General Manager could have an impact on who the Red Wings affiliation with the team. It turns out that the Red Wings, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and Toledo Mud Hens have contracts that expire at the end of the season. 

Arencibia Rules!

Game 96, July 17, NBT Bank Stadium
Durham Bulls: 8
Syracuse Chiefs: 4
Season: 42-54; Trip: 2-2
Wrap, Box, Syracuse

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 49; Season Average 54 (19 starts, 93 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .392; Season .296; Difference +.096

Catcher J.P. Arencibia accounted for a big fraction of the runs yesterday, for both teams.

His solo home run in the 2nd inning started things off. Then a 2-RBI double in the 4th put the Bulls ahead 3 to 1. A bases-loaded passed ball let in a run for the Chiefs in the bottom of the 6th. Another solo home run in the 8th put the Bulls up 6-2.

Jamie Schultz is apparently on a very restricted pitch count, something like 75 pitches per game. He is up to 1,634 pitches on the year (19 starts), the most of any starter on the team. Perhaps because the Rays want him to be available in September?

At any rate, he did OK yesterday. Several of the newish guys followed, all except Danny Farquhar looked fine as well. Farquhar's stint was affected by yet another iron-handed play that led to two unearned runs.

Outside the game —

• I'm puzzled by the Chiefs' dismal attendance, just 3,000 for a Sunday afternoon. I've never been to Syracuse, so all I've seen of the park is what shows on the MiLB-TV shots. All day yesterday the background visual was trains, noisy trains. From the satellite shot (below) the location appears to be industrial, very different from so many other minor league parks that are located in the middle of cities. 
• Maybe it's their affiliation, they are far from Washington, DC.
• On the TV broadcast during the Friday blowout the announcer made the comment that the IL South Division was, "an affront to organized baseball." And he regularly pointed out the Bulls' dismal stats, especially their strikeouts and batting average, both worst in the league. So it was satisfying to take these last two games. I do have to note that he was more than gracious when he called the final inning of Marks' no-hitter.
• Nonetheless, it is a bit odd that the Bulls, who are 12 games below .500 are in second place in the South Division. [standings]

1 by 1; 2 by 11

Game 93, July 14, NBT Stadium, Syracuse, New York
Durham Bulls (Rays): 4
Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals): 5
Wrap, Box, Syracuse.com

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 62; Season Avg 52 (6 starts, 19.2 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .548; Season .656; Difference -.108
Tm wOBA: Game .248; Season .295; Difference -.047


Game 94, July 15, NBT Stadium
Durham Bulls: 1
Syracuse Chiefs: 12
Season: 40-54; Trip: 0-2
Wrap, Box

Stats:
Game Score: Faria -6; Season 50 (4 starts, 15.2 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .659; Season .656; Diff .003
Tm wOBA: Game .262; Season .295; Diff -.033


The best thing that I can think of to say is that not very many people saw these games. I am sure there's a reason for the Chiefs' poor attendance, but they rank at the bottom of the International League. On a Friday night, they were credited with just 5,248 fans (and just 5,869 on Thursday). But that's above their season average of just 3,866, so perhaps the Bulls are a draw.

I don't want to write about these two games. The first was lost when Dayron Varona missed a fly ball in the 9th. But that was after Parker Markel gave up the Bulls lead in the 6th inning and J.P. Arencibia tied it up in the 9th.

Jacob Faria's 1st inning last night was as ugly an inning as you would ever want to see. Single, walk, walk, single, grand slam, single, single, K, Sac fly (second out), single.

But the pain kept up as the Bulls' iron hands committed two errors on one ball that let a run in, and then there was a triple before a K ended the inning.

14 Chiefs came to bat.

Quite possibly the worst 1st inning in Bulls history.

A slew of roster changes, and likely more coming:

• Luke Maile got called up to Tampa Bay (and went 2 for 3 with a RBI)
• Kyle Roller came off the disabled list, but was released.
• Hank Conger, a catcher who has been with the Rays all season, is headed toward the Bulls. Stats.
• Dana Eveland arrived from Tampa Bay and pitched on Thursday.
• Kyle Winkler went back to Montgomery.
• Johnny Field came off the disabled list and played Thursday and Friday.
• Mayo Acosta is back from "Hudson Valley"; Cameron Seitzer is off to Hudson Valley. 
• An infielder named Casey Gillaspie is coming up from Montgomery (stats).
• Pitcher Ryan Garton is coming back from Tampa Bay.
• Pitcher Tyler Sturdevant is coming back from Tampa Bay.

Got all that? Very likely even more changes coming. The team that comes back after this road trip is going to be quite different than the one that left.

Austin Pruitt got the win in the Triple-A All-Star game. Congrats.

Die By the Home Run; Live By the Home Run

Game 79, June 28, BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte, North Carolina
Durham Bulls (Rays): 4
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 5
Game 1: 7 innings
Box

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 36; Season Avg 56 (16 Starts, 92 Innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.047; Season .653; Diff +.394
Tm wOBA: Game .457; Season .293; Diff +.164

Game 80, June 28
Durham Bulls: 7
Charlotte Knights: 2
Game 2: 7 innings
Season: 35-45; Trip: 1-1
Wrap, Box, Charlotte Observer

Stats:
Game Score: Markel 60; Season 60 (1 Start, 3 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.158 (season high); Season .659; Diff +.499
Tm wOBA: Game .494; Season .297; Diff +.197

Lots of Bulls hitters had a big day in the first game. Luke Maile had a home run. Richie Shaffer had a home run. Cameron Seitzer went 3 for 3. The Bulls outhit the Knights 14 to 8. But the Knights' two home runs were more timely than the Bulls' home runs. The Knights' home runs came in one inning and one was a grand slam. And that was enough.

The Bulls kept it up in the second game with Dayron Varona hitting two home runs and earning a nasty brushback in his last at bat. J.P. Arencibia hit two doubles and a single and broke through the Mendoza line.

Two home runs, three doubles, a triple, five singles  added up to the best Tm OPS of the year. But it needed decent pitching. They got it from a bullpen crew.

Outside the game —

• Austin Pruitt and Dylan Floro were picked for the International League All-Star Team. Game to be played in Charlotte on July 13th.
• Jaff Decker has been DFA'd. 

Short and Sweep

Game 75, Thursday, June 24, DBAB
Charlotte Knights: 1
Durham Bulls: 9
5 innings
Season: 34-41; Home Stand: 4-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 57; Season Avg 58 (16 starts, 86 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.167 (season high); Avg .654
Tm wOBA: Game .508 (season high); Avg .295

The shortest game of the year was one of the most thrilling — home runs, manager tossed, storm clouds hulking over the outfield walls, an exceptional play at 3B, a win (and 4-game sweep), and a move into second place in the IL South.

Let's work this back to front, because the end of the game saw a very professional, yet nearly unique play. Weather began closing in around the DBAP in the 3rd inning. I started moving toward the exit above center field in the 4th inning when the rain started blowing in. What was urgent at that time was to get in 5 innings before the weather halted the game. The Bulls were ahead 9 to 1 and if they didn't "finish" soon the game would have to be resumed at some date in the future. The Bulls had a quick bottom of the 4th. Now, if they could just get through the top of the 5th.

The first Charlotte batter of the 5th, Nicky Delmonico, floated a popup over third baseman Richie Shaffer's head The wind scrambled things up and the shortstop, third baseman, and left fielder ended up in a cluster around the ball. Richie Shaffer's throw came in to the pitcher Austin Pruit in the middle of the infield and Delmonico figured he could make it to an open third base. He had not counted on the sheer baseball smarts of catcher J.P. Arencibia. Arencibia was at the bag, took Pruitt's throw, and made the out. I don't think I've seen a catcher cover third base before except for  a rundown. Terrific play. Perhaps the game-winning play.

But wait. There's more. The rains intensified. The next batter grounded out, but it took six pitches to get there. The rain was getting harder. On the fourth pitch to the next batter, a fly ball went to left and Jake Goebbert laid himself out  for the inning-ending out. If Goebbert doesn't make that play, the game would be suspended. Instead of eventually being called. Boom! I'm running for my car. The tarp is coming out as the skies opened up.

From Charlotte's point of view, I'd guess they'd put it down to sheer bad luck in the 2nd inning. Their pitcher, Scott Carroll had K'd the side in the 1st inning. But Dayron Varona led off the 2nd inning with a home run (his 9th). Then J.P. Arencibia and Luke Maile singled and a passed ball put runners on second and third. Juniel Querecuto K'd for the first out and Cameron Seitzer's ground ball didn't go far enough so that J.P. Arencibia was caught trying to get home. That put runners on 1B and 3B with two outs. It looked like Charlotte was going to get out the  inning.

Not so fast. Charlotte's third baseman's throw on Johnny Field's ground ball bit the dirt, skipped past the first baseman, a run scored, and Bulls went on the second and third base. Things came undone. Two singles, two walks, and a double later, 6 runs had scored in the inning, Carroll had thrown 65 pitches, and he was out of there.

It could have been even worse. Of course, J.P. Arencibia was in the middle of it. On his second at-bat of the inning, he lofted a ball over the Blue Monster that the ump called a home run. That would have been three more runs. It was an obviously bad call to those of us on the first base side of the field (although we were not going to say anything!) and Charlotte players and their manager erupted and got an umps' conference. The umps reversed the call and Jared Sandberg jumped into it. He must've said something ugly, because he got tossed just as the Bulls baserunners were going back to their bases and Arencibia went back to bat. His objection and ejection were particularly silly on Sandberg's part. If anyone should have seen it was foul it would have been Sandberg from his 3B coaching position. What was there to argue about? By my count, that was the third time this season he's been tossed this year.

By the way, Arencibia drew a walk. Pitchers were changed. Luke Maile flew out to end the inning with the bases loaded. 12 Durham Bulls came to bat in the inning.

In the 3rd inning the Bulls added three more runs on a Jake Goebbert sac fly and a Richie Shaffer double. The rains were coming.

Austin Pruitt gets a "complete game" win out of the deal. And he did look just fine throughout.

This is a very odd circumstance. The Bulls were swept three games to Norfolk, the worst team in the International League. Then they win  four in a row from the team that leads the IL South Division. Plus the Bulls move into second place in the division even though they are 7 games below .500.

Apparently, Shaffer's injury on Wednesday was not all that bad. Reportage on the radio said that when he hit the ground he felt an immediate numbness down his arm and side, something he'd never felt before and that's why he was taken out of the game. In his pregame interview, Sandberg did not sound concerned at all and Shaffer played just fine.

Outside the game —

• Two new Bulls were seen leaning on the dugout rail last night. One transaction has been announced. The other will probably come out today.
• Eury Perez was acquired from the Houston Astros. He's been playing in Fresno (How come the Astros AAA team is in Fresno, CA?). Looks to be our (or at least WDBB's) kind of guy — a speedy center fielder. Stats. 
• Jacob Faria was also in the dugout. We are assuming he's coming up from Montgomery. The 22-year-old right-hander had a stunning 2015 at Port Charlotte and Montgomery. Less impressive this year with a 4.21 ERA in 83 innings. Still, a legit prospect who chose to go pro out of high school. Radio guys said he was going go into the rotation and that Eddie Gamboa was going back to the bullpen. Stats.
• Dr. Miraculous has posted his take on the Montgomery Biscuits season to date.

Bisons/Rays Shred Bulls

Game 67, June 14, Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo, New York
Durham Bulls: 1
Buffalo Bisons: 5
Wrap, Box, The Buffalo News

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 46; Season (8 starts) 48
Tm OPS: Game .373; Season: .649
Tm wOBA: Game .169; Season: .293

*****

Game 68, June 15, Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo, New York
Durham Bulls: 4
Buffalo Bisons: 6
Season: 30–38; Trip: 2–4
Wrap, Box

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 27; Season (2 starts) 41
Tm OPS: Game .770; Season .651
Tm wOBA: Game .337; Season .294

After a month on the disabled list and three short relief appearances, Eddie Gamboa got tossed into the fire last night. It wasn’t pretty. I’m guessing that catchers J.P. Arencibia and Luke Maile tossed a coin to see who would receive the knuckleballer. Arencibia lost. So, after a decent 1st inning, the 2nd inning began with two walks and a single (run scored). Then, a pickoff got the first out. Two more singles and an HBP loaded the bases (run scored on first single). Then came the first passed ball (run scored). After a K, Gamboa was out. He ended up being charged with 5 runs over his 1⅔ innings.

All hail the relief crew, who under real stress allowed only 1 run (not counting the 2 left behind by Gamboa) to score for the rest of the game. Plus the 3 runs the Bulls scored in the 7th certainly put the game back within reach.

Outside the game —

• Here’s where things are getting a bit chaotic. Follow along, please.
• Blake Snell was called up, sort of. His callup isn’t quite official until some magic moment before he steps on the mound. That means that the Rays don’t have to take anyone off their active roster until then. And they haven’t. That’s why Gamboa was starting last night. 
• Jaff Decker has been called up, but he wasn’t on the 40-man. 
• The Rays made room by Designating for Assignment one of their relief pitchers, Dana Eveland [stats]. Eveland certainly has a lot of experience in the IL, but his year with the Rays has been less than stellar. ERA 7.56. No telling if he will make it through waivers. Plus, the Rays are going to have to replace him eventually. Probably by bringing up a Bull on the 40-man (Danny Farquhar and Steve Geltz are the only ones left). 
• Bulls reliever Parker Markel has been suspended, but I missed the details on that. Probably because he was throwing at Iron Pigs the other night. So can’t blame the Rays for that. Can blame the Iron Pigs, though.
• The Bulls have today off, so some of these holes will likely get filled today or tomorrow. And Markel’s suspension can’t last forever.

Standings

Meanwhile, the Bulls are 4 games away from mid-season and in third place in a pretty pathetic South Division. Standings.

Turnaround

Game 65, June 12, Coca-Cola Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Durham Bulls: 10
Lehigh Valley IronPigs: 3
Season: 29–36; Trip: 1–3
Wrap, Box

Stats:
Game Score: Pruit 60; Season Avg 56
Tm OPS: Game .889; Season .647
Tm wOBA: Game .371; Season .293

After getting shut out on Friday (0–4) and absolutely hammered on Saturday (1–16), it seems only fair that the Bulls could come back and win going away (10–3). That the winning hit came in the first inning by a grand slam from a guy who started the season with the ’Pigs seems only fair as well.

J.P. Arencibia, batting 6th, came up with 2 outs and the bases-loaded and hit the first grand slam by any Bull this year. Three more runs in the 4th, and another three in the 9th put the Bulls in double digits for the first time in 2016.

Those three runs in the 9th came from a Jake Goebbert home run, his 5th of the season. Possibly a good time to wonder what his left-handed bat is bringing to the team. He is hitting just .189/.299/.315, but for this weak-hitting team, he’s among five other players on the active roster who are below .200 and when you dive into the advanced stats, his wOBA is .264 which puts him 6th out of the active bunch (remember that Mahtook, Franklin, Corporan, Leonard, Motter, and Acosta aren’t on the current roster). But, again, it isn’t stellar company. And yet his history is strong. He’s more than 200 points below his career Triple-A OPS stats. Does he just need to get used to being on the East Coast?

Austin Pruitt’s last time out was pretty shaky. This time, he looked great. If I were in the second-guessing business (Me? Second guess?), I’d point out that leaving him in to begin the 8th was a risky move. But, no harm was done and Pruitt got past the 100 pitch mark for the first time this season.

Outside the game –

• Blake Snell has been called up to start a game against Seattle in a couple of days. Hints are that he might stay with the Rays. No word on a corresponding roster move. Former 2016 Bull Matt Andriese will be moved into a relief role.

Photos

Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell) is an obviously talented photographer who's work sometimes appears on the Noise Nation website. She tweeted out several photos of Bulls during their visit to Allentown. Thanks, Cheryl!! 

Photo by Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell)

Photo by Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell)

Photo by Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell)

Photo by Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell)

Photo by Cheryl Pursell (@CherylPursell)

First Durham Bulls Series Win Since Mid-April

Game 54, June 1, DBAP
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: 3
Durham Bulls: 4
Season: 22–32, Home Stand: 2–1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Jamies Schultz let a lot of guys on base, but got through his 6 innings with only one run scored. Meanwhile, the Bulls chipped away with runs in the 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th, the highlight being J.P. Arencibia’s opposite field home run in the 7th that saw him chatter his way around the bases.

We should note that we watched the game via MiLB-TV which was only showing a fixed shot from up high and behind the screen. Not a good way to watch the game. Assume that the usual crew was in school.

Manager Jared Sandberg came close to outsmarting himself when he brought in Adam Kolarek for just one out in the 8th and then followed him with closer-in-training Dylan Floro. Floro had a solid 8th, but the 9th was very, very dicey with Floro allowing four hits.

Outside the game—

• Tim Beckham has been called back to the Rays. Not sure why Beckham got the call. He has not been stellar anwhere this year (2 hits in 16 at-bats as a Bull, 10 hits in 54 at-bats as a Ray). Nick Franklin, who is also on the 40-man, is doing just fine (for a 2016 Bull) with a .258 BA, .740 OPS, .332 wOBA, in 48 games. But Beckham’s status has been a puzzle to me for a long time.

9th Inning Loss

Game 45, May 22, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Rochester Red Wings: 3
Durham Bulls: 2
Season: 18-27; Home Stand: 1-4
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Austin Pruitt pitched a terrific game. Too bad it dribbled away in the top of the 9th as the Bulls had yet another losing home stand. As noted in yesterday’s chart, the relief crew is a large part of the problem with this year’s Bulls.

J.P. Arencibia had his first game with the Bulls and looked fine. He even came through with an RBI single off the wall. His several visits to Neil Wagner in the 9th did not solve whatever the problem was.

Outside the game —

• The Rays have their own problems in the bullpen with the result that they are swapping Steve Geltz for the Bulls’ Tyler Sturdevant.
• We sure liked Geltz when he was with the Bulls in 2013 and 2014. He had stunning WHIPs of .881 and 1.056 in those seasons. He had a very good year with the Rays in 2015 and maybe their thinking is that he needs some time with the Bulls pitching coach to get back on track. Stats.
• This will be Sturdevant’s first trip to the big leagues. Good Luck!
• Pretty sure that the Rays will have to kick someone off their 40-man roster to make room for Sturdevant. No word that I’ve seen. The Bulls are short one player on their roster.
• Interesting thinkpiece on the Tampa Bay Rays by Time Bay Times writer Mark Topkin.

Snell Looks Good

Game 43, May 20, DBAP
Rochester Red Wings: 1
Durham Bulls: 4
Season: 18-25; Home Stand: 1-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Blake Snell had his best game of the year. He gave up only 3 hits, had 9 K’s, and made it through 6 innings. Kyle Roller had a homer; Daniel Robertson had a rare (for the Bulls this year) sacrifice fly; and third baseman Juniel Querecuto picked up the other two RBI.

The game was started early because of a threat of rainstorms. The rains actually didn’t arrive until later last night but it has been coming down ever since. As of right now (8:22) the tarp is on the field. For advice, check out our views on how to cope with rain, or click the link up at our favorite links list.

Outside the game—

• J.P. Arencibia was in the locker room yesterday. We should not expect too much from him just yet since his playing time with the Iron Pigs was limited. Stats.
• Brad Boxberger, a reliable presence in the Tampa Bay bullpen (69 appearances last year), has been rehabbing from a muscle tear all this year. He’s expected to show up in a Bulls uniform today for at least one rehab appearance. He was last with the Bulls for 6 games back in 2014.

Bag Rules

I was wrong. Although the rules have never previously been enforced, there they were on the back of my tickets: “Outside food and beverage prohibited.” I’m told they’ve been announcing at every game that they would start enforcing the rules at this home stand. Guess I wasn’t listening. That does not mean that I’m happy with the decision. I still think I ought to be able to bring in a thermos of coffee on a cold night. But there’s a lot about the 21st century that I don’t much like. Except for Taylor guitars. I like them a lot.

The Tampa Bay Rays are up in Detroit and just went over .500 for only the second time this season.

click for larger image 

J.P. Back to Bulls

J.P. Arencibia, a fun guy to watch last year, has been signed by the Rays and assigned to the Bulls. Carlos Corporan has been released. That means that, unlike last season, we can expect J.P. to be behind the plate a bit more. At least until he can work his way onto the 40-man.

Charlie Came Back; Congrats to #25

Charlie Montoyo, May 9, 2011, "Back to the DAP" night

Game 42, May 19, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, North Carolina
Rochester Red Wings (Minneapolis Twins): 6
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 3
Season: 17-25; Home Stand: 0-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Charlie Montoyo was back in the park last night, and that was the best part of a mostly misty and cold evening. We liked everything about Charlie — how he managed the team, his success, his obvious devotion to his family and the game. So it was fun to see him recognized by induction to the International League Hall of Fame and, even better, to see his number 25 retired. More here, here, and here.

Later on he sat in with broadcaster Patrick Kinas during a couple of innings and that was fascinating as well.

The game? Well, this was the first time that I’d seen Justin Marks pitch for the Bulls. Until he served up the home run to the Red Wings’ Adam Walker in the 2nd inning on an 0-2 count I thought he looked OK. After that, not so much. In the 5th he gave up another home run to the same guy who’d tripled in the 1st, Max Kepler. So, certainly not the same as having Matt Andriese on the mound.

The Bulls did avoid another shut out with a very nice three run 8th inning.

Bag Rules!

Somehow the new “security initiatives for 2016” buried on the Bulls website eluded me. When the bag that I’ve been carrying to Bulls games for the last several years was searched I got a bit annoyed. Now that I have found the list, I’d suggest a bit more training for the folks on the gate: it doesn’t say a thing about a thermos of coffee (although the gate guard relented and didn’t make me pour it out). And there was certainly more than a hint that the purpose of the search had less to do with security and more to do with food and drink.

And I get that. I admit that the times we’ve brought in the hibachi and our own hot dogs and hamburgers and coolers of our own beer might have been a little over the top.

Still, very annoying, even as I reluctantly admit it was less so than the last time we went into the PNC Arena (or whatever its most recent name is) over in Raleigh.

Chris D said it best in a comment on this blog yesterday: “A solution in search of a problem.”

Outside the game —

• J. P. Arencibia coming back to Durham? Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times thinks so.

Bulls Headed Back

Game 29, Coolray Field, Lawrenceburg, Geogia
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 1
Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta Braves): 4
Wrap, Box

Game 30, Coolray Field
Bulls: 5
Braves: 3
Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

Game 31, Coolray Field
Bulls: 2
Braves: 4
Season: 17-24; Trip: 2-4
Wrap, Box

To call this a disappointing trip would be an understatement. Statistically the team showed very little improvement in any area. The Bulls are 13 of 14 on three key hitting stats (OBP, SLG, and OPS) and 14th on the other, batting average. They have committed more errors than any other team in the International league (38). Opponents have scored 23 unearned runs (2 today). The relievers as a crew are well-above league average ERA (not a good situation). Only the starters are looking OK, and there’s some work to be done there if the team is to improve.

The season is young, but at 41 games the 25% mark has been reached.

Plus, after leaving the Bulls alone for most of the season, the Rays are starting to play around with the roster. For example, Danny Farquar is back. But that wasn’t necessarily a good thing as he took the loss in game 39. Infielder Juniel Querecuto [stats] came up from Montgomery. He picked up his first error today and got a gift from the scorer yesterday when he dropped a ball but scorer didn't count it. Mayo Acosta was sent to Hudson Valley to make room. Probably a paper transaction.

Is there any good news out there? Well, baseball is back in Durham for a few days before taking off to Toledo. Maybe something will sort itself out.

We note that J.P. Arencibia has been released by the Phillies (looks like he had an opt-out). That would add some spice to either the Rays or the Bulls.

Bulls in the Bandbox by the Bay

Unless I’ve misremembered or miscounted (likely) ten Durham Bulls went “up” to the Rays this month, or just at the end of August. Six were position players and four pitchers. How are they doing?

I guess that depends on your point of view. So far in September the Rays have played 11 games, won only 4 of them, losing 7. Except for the last 3, they’ve all been road games, so they really haven’t spent much time in the bandbox by (or at least near) the Bay.

Of this crowd I have to say that only one of them has had much of an impact, J.P. Arencibia. And he was actually called up on August 26 and got in 5 games before the rest of the crew showed up. Among the pitchers only Andrew Bellatti has done particularly well. The rest? Not so much. Most of the numbers here are for September, unless otherwise noted.

Also note that with nearly 40-players on the bench, the Rays have been doing a lot of pinch-hitching and pinch-running. Does not seem to have made much difference in the won-loss column, though.

• J.P. Arencibia: 15 games (Aug-Sep), 39 plate appearances, 14 hits, 3 doubles, 5 HR, .368/.359/.842
• Mikie Mahtook: 10 games, 24 PA,  6 hits (double, triple, home run), two complete games. .228/323/.509 on the year (66 pa)
• Richie Shaffer: 9 games, 26 PA, 4 hits, (double, home run) four complete games. .209/.320/.442 on the year (50 PA)
• Nick Franklin: 4 games, 3 PA, no hits. .133/.198/.438 on the year (81 PA)
• Joey Butler: 5 games, 6 PA, 1 hit. .272/.325/.719 on the year (265 PA)
• Luke Maile: 6 games (1 start), 10 PA, 1 hit (a double) .100/.100/.200

• Matt Moore: 2 starts, no-decision and a loss, games scores of 51 (OK) and 23 (not good)
• C.J. Riefenhauser: 4 games, 3.1 innings, 2 ER, no decisions.
• Kirby Yates: 3 appearances, 4 innings, 2 ER, no decision
• Andrew Belatti: 4 appearances, 4.1 innings, 0 ER, 1 loss, 1 win