The Durham Bulls in 2016: Part 2 - The Pitchers

Thirty-four different players pitched for the Durham Bulls this year. As a group, they were not a particularly impressive crew. Our previous post set out some of the aggregate numbers. This one will take a look at individuals. In Part 3, we discuss the hitters, in Part 4, the Tampa Bay Rays, and in Part 5, the DBAP.

The 34 pitchers included four position players: Dayron Verona (1 appearance, 1 inning), Cameron Seitzer (2 appearances, 1.2 innings), Jaff Decker (2 appearances, 2 innings), and Mayo Acosta (2 appearances, 2 innings).

For the rest, we'll go over them one by one in order of innings pitched, throwing a few charts in along the way.

Austin Pruitt (right-handed starting pitcher) led the team in innings pitched with 162.2 over 28 appearances. Only one Durham Bull starting pitcher had a winning record, and Pruitt was not him. He ended the year at 8-11 with an ERA of 3.76 and a WHIP of 1.19. Among his fellow International League pitchers he ranked 12th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, 4th in innings pitched, and second in strikeouts with 149. At 4.92 pitches per out, he was one of the more efficient pitchers on the team. Pruitt was drafted by the Rays in 2013, is now 26 years old and has been working his way up through the system. He has no major league time. This was his first year at AAA. [stats]

Justin Marks (left-handed starting pitcher) put in 140 innings in 25 appearances (23 starts, 2 in relief). As with his colleagues, he ended up with a losing won-loss record (7-11). His ERA of 3.86 ranked him 13th in the IL. His WHIP of 1.27 was 11th. His 127 strikeouts ranked him 8th. Innings pitched were 12th. Marks came to the Rays system out of the Arizona system. He has one brief appearance in the majors with the Royals in 2014. Notable this year was his no-hitter on July 16th. He was added to the Rays 40-man roster and called up in early September. [stats]

Jamie Schultz (right-handed starting pitcher) put in 130.2 innings over 27 starts and ended with a record of 5-6. His ERA of 3.58 was 7th in the IL; his WHIP of 1.39 was 20th. His 163 K's were the best in the IL just ahead of teammate Austin Pruitt. Also like Pruitt he was drafted by the Rays in 2013 and has been working his was up through the system. This was his first year at AAA. [stats]

Eddie Gamboa (right-handed starting pitcher) had 94 innings with the Bulls this year. He had a couple of weeks on the disabled list in May. He is the only Bulls starter with a positive won-loss record (6-4). But we must be fair and point out that 3 of those wins (and 1 of the losses) came in relief. If he had had a few more innings, he would have come in 2nd place in the IL with his 2.68 ERA. He certainly had the best ERA among the Bulls starting pitchers. His WHIP of 1.11 would have placed him in third place. Eddie Gamboa is in his 8th year as a professional ballplayer, all as a pitcher and all in the Baltimore system. But only recently has he focused on his knuckleball. We were somewhat surprised to figure out that he was the Bulls' best pitcher this year. That's probably because his appearances were often disfigured by watching the catcher chase down passed balls or wild pitches. We were very pleased to see the Rays bring him up at the end of the IL season. [stats]

Adam Wilk (left-handed starting pitcher) had 15 starts before he went on the disabled list in mid-June. Although he wasn't getting much in the way of run support his WHIP was a decent 1.12 and his ERA (3.63) was OK as well. An 8-year professional, Wilk came to the Bulls will AAA experience in the Detroit, Pittsburg, and LA Angels systems, with a few moments of major league time with Detroit and the Angels. In keeping with a well-established Durham Bulls/Tampa Bay Rays tradition, we have no idea why he went on the DL or what's happened to him since then. [stats]

Jacob Faria (RHSP) came up to the Bulls from Montgomery just after the midseason (essentially when Wilk went on the DL). He showed considerable promise in his 13 starts and 67.2 innings with the Bulls (he had 14 starts and 83.1 innings with AA Montgomery). His ERA as a Bull was decent at 3.72 and his WHIP of 1.15 was OK as well. His 4.84 pitches per out were the most efficient of any of the Bulls starting pitchers (and the second best on the team). This was his first experience at AAA but he's the only pitcher on the Rays 40-man who did not get a September call-up. Likely the Rays thought that 151 total innings was enough. [stats]

Blake Snell (LHSP) started the year with the Bulls after coming up from Montgomery for eight games at the end of 2015. In his 12 games and 63 innings with the Bulls he carried a 3.29 ERA, a WHIP of 1.33, and a promising FIP of 2.60. He went up to the Rays for one game in April and went up to stay in mid-June. He won't be back. [stats]

ERAs and FIPs

Sorted by number of innings pitched
Click on chart for larger image

Parker Markel (right-handed reliever) led the relief crew in innings pitched. He had 5 games with the Bulls in 2015, started 2016 with Montgomery, came up in mid-May and didn't go back. He picked up 5 wins in relief over 34 appearances and 60.2 innings. With the notable exception of Dana Eveland, his ERA of 2.52 was the best on the team. He is a product of the Rays' system and he'll likely start with the Bulls or with the Rays next year. [stats]

Dylan Floro (right-handed reliever) was a starter all of 2015. The Rays decided to convert him to a relief pitcher this year and the move seemed to be reasonably successful. With the Bulls,  he got in 50 innings in 32 appearances with an excellent ERA of 2.88, 5 holds, and 7 saves (2 blown saves). He went up to the Rays in early July and came back to the Bulls in late August. He had two appearances and then went on the disabled list. No reasons were given. (See Adam Wilk above). [stats]

Neil Wagner (right-handed relief pitcher) started the year with the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Coming off surgery he actually had a pretty good year in some ways. He was the best of the Durham relievers with runners on base. Of the 15 who were on base when he came on, only 3 scored. On the other hand, he only finished 43 innings in 38 appearances, which is pretty short relief. A couple of short, but poor outings, balooned up his ERA and it stuck there most of the year finishing at 4.81. And he had to work awfully hard for his outs, averaged 6.07 pitches per out, one of the worst ratings on the team. At 32 years old he was in direct competition with Dana Eveland as the oldest player on the team. He brought a lot of experience to the Bulls. He's played in the Cleveland, Oakland, San Diego, and Toronto systems. He was out for all of 2015 and 2016 was his testing year. Numbers probably do not describe his worth to the Rays. Hard to guess if he will return. [stats]

Adam Kolarek was that extreme rarity for the Bulls this year, a left-handed reliever. Until late in the year, he was the Bulls' only lefty in the bullpen. He did a decent job with a nice ERA of 3.05 in his 34 appearances and 41.1 innings. Kolarek came over to the Rays system from the Mets in 2015. He started 2016 with Montgomery. He came up to the Bulls in early May, went back in mid-July, came back in early August and stayed. On the year he had 47 appearances. With a WHIP of 1.23, I'd guess he's in good shape for next year. [stats]

WHIP

Tyler Sturdevant (right-handed reliever) is a puzzle to me. He started the year with the Bulls, went up to the Rays in mid-May, came back for three appearances in late June, then returned the the Rays. Came back in July for 14 games, back to the Rays, back to the Bulls in last August for 4 appearances, then called back up at the end of the season. As a Bull, 34 appearances, 39.1 innings, undistinguished ERA of 3.66, WHIP of 1.30. He had 16 appearances with the Rays prior to September. My only real problem was his 5 blown saves. The Bulls could hardly afford that this year. The 30-year-old Sturdevant came up through the Cleveland system and this was his first season in the majors, so maybe the back-and-forth makes sense. [stats]
[Update: Designated for Assignment 9/11/16]

Danny Farquhar (righty reliever) went back a forth a lot. With the Bulls, he had 32 appearances for 38 innings and did just fine with an ERA of 3.32 and a WHIP of 1.11. He was also one of the more efficient of the Bulls pitchers with a 5.02 pitches-per-out rating. Farquhar has time with the Toronto, Yankees, Oakland, and Seattle systems and 26 appearances this year (as of 9/10/2016) with the Rays. My guess would be that his return next year depends entirely on his relationship with the Rays. He may decide that he should be a full-time major leaguer. [stats]

Mark Sappington (righty reliever) is a young (25) reliever who started with Angels, played all of 2015 with Montgomery and made his AAA debut with the Bulls this year April. He appeared in 29 games for 37 innings with an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.68. Not very good. He was sent to Montgomery in late June, where he finished out his year with 13 more appearances. His ERA there was 7.80 and his WHIP was 2.13. I'm not sure he has a future in professional baseball. But I've been wrong before. [stats]

Steve Geltz (righty reliever) split time between the Rays and the Bulls this year, doing much better as a Bull (ERA-3.03, WHIP-1.32) than as a Ray (ERA-6.65, WHIP-1.39). Geltz started out in the Angels system and came over to the Rays in 2013. He did a terrific job for the Bulls that year and in 2014. He spent all of 2015 with the Rays to decent numbers. I'm not sure that his return to Durham this year was because of performance or because he was a Ray "with  options" that was easy to move back and forth. He was called back up at the end of September. [stats]

Matt Andriese (right-handed starting pitcher). Andriese started his career with the Padres, but he joined the Rays system in  2014 with the Bulls and has made a bunch of appearances in a Bulls uniform (72) as both a starter and reliever in 2014, 2015, and 2016. This year he started 6 games, went up to Tampa Bay, and never came back. He did just fine as a Bull (ERA-3.41, WHIP-1.14), not so good with the Rays. He's still just 26 years old. But the Rays have never seemed to be able to figure out if they want him to be a starting pitcher or a reliever. [stats]

Ryan Garton (right-handed reliever) has only five years as a pro; however, he essentially split his year between Durham and St. Petersberg. He had 32 innings as a Bull and 32 innings as a Ray. His numbers as a Bull were just fine, an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.28. He did work harder than most with 5.99 pitches per out. It would seem that he has a fine future with the Rays, but we'll likely keep on seeing him as long as he has options left. [stats]

Dana Eveland (left-handed reliever) is the very definition of "well-traveled veteran." We have to point out, however, that his time with the Bulls was extraordinary: 20 games, 29.2 innings, ERA of 0.30, WHIP of 0.74. Eveland started his career with the Milwaukee system and has been with Arizona, Oakland, Toronto, Pittsburg, the Dodgers, Baltimore, Mets, Boston, and Atlanta. He began 2016 with the Rays and came to the Bulls in late June, back to the Rays, then to the Bulls to stay in mid-July. We liked him a lot. But he probably won't be back. [stats]
[Update 9/12/16: He was added to 40-man and called up to Rays on 9/11/16]

Ryne Stanek (right-handed reliever) had been a starting pitcher all of his very brief career with the Rays, until the middle of this year. He came to the Bulls right after the 4th of July and he simply wasn't very good over his 16 appearances and 24.1 innings. Will he be good? Probably. And it's fun, at first, to watch a guy throw in the high 90's. But an ERA of 5.92 doesn't auger well. He did fine with runners on base — of 9 inherited, none scored. He'll surely be back next spring. [stats]

Pitches Per Out

A home-grown measure of pitching efficiency

Alex Cobb (right-handed starter) joined the Bulls for 4 rehabilitation appearances (15 innings). I'd like to complain about how that punched a hole in the Bulls' rotation and caused other problems. However, by the time he showed up in August the Bulls were already doomed. He spent parts of 2011 and 2012 with the Bulls and we wish him only the best in his continued recovery.

Casey Coleman (righty reliever) only got into 11 games. When he was signed in mid-July I was hoping the at least a bit of the good old days of the Rays being really smart about discovering talent. But then Coleman went on the DL after just 6 appearances. Overall, for his 14 innings, he did OK. And ERA of 3.86 and WHIP of 1.29, but the sample size is a problem. At 28 he's seen time with the Cubs, Royals, and Mariners. A maybe for next year. [stats]

Loose Ends —

• Jhan Marinez, one of our favorites from 2015, made just 6 appearances (8 innings) before being called up to the Rays. When they designated him for assignment, the Brewers grabbed him and he's had a pretty good year in Milwaukee. [stats]
• Kyle McPherson (righty reliever) started with the Bulls, made 5 appearances. His Wikipedia page reports that he was released on 5/24/16. [stats]
• Andrew Bellatti (right-handed reliever) started the season with the Bulls and made 6 appearances for 5.1 innings. He went on the disabled list in May, was DFA'd in June and may be out of baseball now.
• Chih-Wei Hu (right-handed starter) made a spot start for the Bulls on April 23 and went back to Montgomery. He's had a pretty good year with the Biscuits: 2.59 ERA over 142 innings. [stats]
• Brad Schreiber (righty reliever) came up from the Charlotte Stone Crabs to two relief appearances at the end of June. It was his first time at AAA. [stats]
• Greg Harris (right-handed starting pitcher) made his Triple-A debut on September 3, coming up from the Charlotte Stone Crabs. [stats]
• Ryan Webb (right-handed reliever) made three rehab appearances in mid-June, but was then released. [stats]
• Brad Boxberger (right-handed reliever) put in 1.2 innings in two rehab appearances in May.
• Kyle Winkler (right-handed reliever) came up from Montgomery for one appearance on July 9, pitched 1.1 innings, and got a win before going back to Montgomery.

Updates 9/12/16: See Eveland (called up) and Sturdevant (DFA'd)

End of Season Call-Ups

Tampa Bay reached down into the Durham Bulls roster after yesterday's game and pulled a few guys up. Mostly expected, but a couple of surprises. Links here and here.

• Left-hander Justin Marks was the surprise. He's got a lot going for himself. He's thrown a ton of pitches (2,400) with little apparent ill effect. He's left-handed. He has some experience as a reliever. He's got a decent WHIP (1.27). His won-loss record of 7-11 wasn't stellar, but neither was the team behind him. And he's got that big no-hitter. Plus, 13 of his 25 starts had game scores of greater than 50. Good luck!
• Mikie Mahtook was no surprise at all. Here's hoping he gets some playing time. He's had a tough year.
• Richie Shaffer is in the same category. His season with the Bulls has shown only rare moments of flash. But some of those moments have been in August. Again, good luck to both.
• Steve Geltz was called back. We like him. We hope he does well enough to stick with the Rays into 2017.

But who did not get called up? Yet. The two that stand out are infielders Tim Beckham and everyman Taylor Motter. Tampa Bay beat writer Mark Topkin speculates at the end of his article. Since the player for whom the Rays gave up Matt Moore, Matt Duffy (we saw him here on a rehab assignment), is out for the season, you'd think that one or both of these guys have a shot.

To make room on the roster, Bulls catcher Hank Conger was designated for assignment.

The only other Bulls on the 40-man are starting pitcher Jake Faria, who is probably done for the season, and reliever Tyler Sturdevant, who has been back-and-forth a lot this season. Some possibility that he could go back up.

Lastly, Eddie Gamboa had a very solid three innings against the Orioles yesterday. Box. Good for him!

First Round of Durham Bull Callups; and Options Down

On September 1 the major leagues can expand their active roster from 25 to 40. Tampa Bay rarely takes full advantage, but they did make several moves today (and a couple yesterday I haven't mentioned).

• Catcher Curt Casali going back. As we've noted, he's been doing a terrific job lately. His only concern may be that he will be the only one in St Petersburg who has caught ...
• Knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa. Very pleased to see Gamboa get the call. It will be his first. And the callup puts him on the 40-man roster as well. No word on who might be going off the Rays 40-man, but they might have had an open slot.
• Reliever Ryan Garton is going back up. He's been going back and forth all year. No surprise there.
• Jamie Schultz went on the disabled list yesterday (pulled groin?) and
• Reliever Steve Geltz was optioned back.
• We mentioned this morning that infielder Tim Beckham was optioned down.

A Tale of Two Pitchers; South Division Struggles

Game 135, Saturday, 27 Aug, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves: 3
Durham Bulls: 5
Season: 58-77; Home Games Remaining: 6
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Cobb 46; Average 36 (4 starts, 15 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .682; Season .676; Diff .006

Here' an interesting oddity for regular readers:

We have a pitcher with 4 starts, no wins, 15 innings, an ERA of 6.60, a FIP of 5.87, and a WHIP of 2.00.

We have another pitcher with 27 appearances (12 starts), 6-4, an ERA of 2.68, FIP of 2.77, WHIP of 1.13.

The first pitcher (Alex Cobb) is going to the Rays and, technically, was never a Durham Bull. The second pitcher (Eddie Gamboa) is not going to the Rays. Too bad. If Gamboa ever does go  up you can probably depend on catcher Curt Casali doing everything he can to not be his catcher. Last night Gamboa struck out two batters but passed balls let them get to first base, plus Casali had two more passed balls to drive his totals upwards. Catching knuckleballers is tough.

At this stage of the season and with their status in the division race, you wonder why the Braves started their not-quite-ready-for-Triple-A pitcher. But it looks like Gwinnett is just as hostage to Atlanta as the Bulls are to Tampa Bay.

Outside the game —

• Mikie Mahtook is coming back. Good news for those of us who would like to see him again even for just a couple of games. He will surely go back to the Rays on September 1. 
• Former Bull Desmond Jennings has been released by the Rays. Although talented, he had trouble staying healthy even as a Bull and even more trouble as a Ray.
• Steve Geltz got a call-up. Good luck!
• Reliever Casey Coleman is coming back.
• Cameron Seitzer has gone back to wherever he and Mayo Acosta go when the Bulls can't carry them on their rosters.

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.

Matchup: Durham Bulls vs Louisville Bats

In one of oddest of the many oddities of this season's schedule, the Louisville Bats are coming to town tonight. This is the first time in our memory that an out-of-division team has ever visited twice in a season. Not only that, although the Bulls will play the Bats eight times this year, six games will have been in Durham and only two in Louisville. The Bulls did not do well in the previous games, losing 4 of the 5.

The Louisville Bats, Triple-A team of the Cincinnati Reds, is in third place in the International League West. By the stats geeks Pythagorean Expectation formula, they "should" be doing much, much worse than they are. By PE their won-loss record should be 45-60, which would push them down into last place in the IL West, behind the Toledo Mud Hens, the team the Bulls just swept.

The Bulls offensive stats ticked up every so slightly this week. Here's hoping that continues.

Outside the game —

• The Raleigh News & Observer has not entirely abandoned Bulls coverage this year, although the game stories are just a cut-and-paste from the Bulls "wrap" items. The paper has been doing occasional feature articles. Today they had one on Eddie Gamboa and his knuckleball. Pretty good. Have to wonder, though, why the photo is of Gamboa in a Mexican winter league team uniform not throwing a knuckleball.
• More on Patrick Kinas' trip to the Summer Olympics here, with video. Sounds like a lot of work (and a lot of fun).

Another Comeback Win

Game 98, July 19, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls: 7
Rochester Red Wings: 6
10 innings
Season: 44-54; Trip: 4-2
Wrap, Box, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 68; Season Avg 54 (7 starts, 26 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .289; Season .296; Diff -.007

Eddie Gamboa had his second terrific start in a row, thoroughly baffling the Red Wings lineup. Plus the offense put together 6 runs on mostly small ball. In the dugout after six innings, he should have been chalking up his sixth win. Dana Eveland had a nice, clean 7th inning. Then there was a truly awful beginning of the 8th. The Red Wings scored 5 runs off of Steve Geltz to tie it up.

No fan just watching from the stands or on TV can do anything more  than just speculate, but this is Mr. Geltz' second visit back from Tampa Bay and he's not doing well at all. On yesterday's 1/3 of an inning his ERA ballooned from 3.31 to 5.94. More than that, he just doesn't look confident on the mound.

New guy Casey Coleman came on to get out of that inning and the 9th. In the 10th a walk and a single (Casey Gillaspie and Richie Shaffer) led to a pitching change. After Jaff Decker K'd, a bit of shakiness on the part of the pitcher/catcher combination led to a passed ball and set up Dayron Varona's second RBI.

Then new guy Ryne Stanek simply blew away the Red Wings in the bottom of the 10th. The Red Wing announcers were called the fastball speeds and they were 97-98 mph most of the time and one was 100. A very impressive young man.

Outside the game —

• Nick Franklin is coming back. In yet another example of how little I understand Rays' decision-making. Here's a guy who has played in 4 different positions for the Rays over 19 games and a holds a .836 OPS. And they are sending him back?  Happy to have him. But looks foolish on the Rays part. 
• Early morning game today. 11:05.

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.

Sunshine Saturday

Game 90, July 8-9, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Pawtucket Red Sox: 0
Durham Bulls: 3
Game 1; Continuation of game suspended July 8

Game 91, July 9
Pawtucket Red Sox: 4
Durham Bulls: 5
7 Innings
Season: 40-51; Home Stand: 3-3
Wrap, Box 1, Box 2, Herald-Sun

Stats (Game 91):
Game Score: Shultz 44; Season Avg 54 (18 starts, 89.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .437; Season .297; Diff +.140

The big deal, for me, in the 6 inning continuation of Friday's game, was to see Eddie Gamboa stretch out. This was the first time he'd reached 5 innings and he kept his pitch count (62) in a reasonable range. His best this year, a year I'd been hoping he'd break out as a knuckleballer. The other moment was Richie Shaffer's home run in 8th. Pretty shot.

In the 7-inning second game we saw something very unusual for this year's Bulls, sacrifice flies (by Dayron Varona and Daniel Robertson). The Bulls have only hit 19 of them this year and this was the first time with more than one in a game.

We're worried about Jamie Schultz. He seemed to be working really, really hard. It took him 65 pitches to get through 3 innings and he gave up a bunch of walks. When he left we got to see both of the new guys, Kyle Winkler and Casey Coleman. Winkler had a tough 4th inning that started out with Richie Shaffer's error in right field, but ended up with a bases-loaded flyout to left. Not particularly impressive. On the other hand, Casey Coleman looked very good allowing just one hit and striking out 4 in his second appearance as a Bull. Adam Kolarek was just a bit too exciting, thank you very much. He got two quick outs, then walked two batters before getting the last out.

Has Richie Shafer turned a corner? Maybe. He had a good night with a homer in the first game and two more hits in the second game.

I think, but am not sure, that it was the first time this year that every batter in the lineup (second game) was batting over .200. Taylor Motter broke through the Mendoza line by the time the game was out. Sad to say, but that's a big deal with the 2016 Durham Bulls.

Outside the game —

• Juniel Querecuto was sent down to Montgomery to make room for Kyle Winkler.
• Kyle Winkler was added and we saw him pitch. We saw him last year when he came up from the Biscuits at the end of the season, but it looks like he started this year in independent ball and did not join the Biscuits until after the season started. Good numbers with the Biscuits. Stats.
• The Tampa Bay Rays descended into unchartered territory, 19 games below .500. Reflections by Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin here.

Pretty Game

Game 73, Tuesday, June 21, DBAP
Charlotte Knights: 1
Durham Bulls: 3
Season: 32-41; Home Stand: 2-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 57; Season Avg 46 (3 starts, 9.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .700; Season .644
Tm wOBA: Game .312; Season .291

Sometimes we get so caught up in our numbers that we forget what a genuinely beautiful game this is.

Last night we got to watch Eddie Gamboa flutter his knuckleball in towards the plate at 71 mph for 3 innings, and then a parade of four more Bulls kept the Knights in check. Only in the 8th were we particularly worried when runners got on second and third base. Richie Shaffer showed his chops as a third baseman, grabbing a grounder and throwing home to prevent a run. They got out of that inning, then Danny Farquhar struck out the side in the 9th to end a very quick game (only a few minutes over 2 hours long).

For the first three innings, the Bulls simply chipped away at Charlotte. In fact, if not for two very timely double plays by the Knights, the score could have been much more in favor of the Bulls.

Good pitching. Good defense. Good hitting. Great weather. A win. What more could you ask for?

Outside the game —

• Nick Franklin got called up to Tampa Bay.
• Juniel Querecuto came back to the Bulls from Montgomery.
• After throwing a grand total of 7 pitches on Monday, Ryan Garton went back up to the Rays.
• Reliever Dana Eveland is reported to be in the Bulls bullpen. Have not seen him yet.
• Nice to hear that Mikie Mahtook's broken hand will not require surgery.

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.

Short and Sweet

Game 62, June 9, DBAP
Norfolk Tides: 2
Durham Bulls: 3
Season: 28–34; Home Stand: 1–1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 61; Season Avg 48
Tm OPS: Game .600; Season .650
Tm wOBA: Game .238; Season .294

To give credit where credit is due, pulling Justin Marks at the end of 6 innings was the right call. Marks had pitched his best game as a Durham Bull through 6 innings, 86 pitches, 8 K’s. He survived a shaky 4th and came back with two solid innings. His game score of 61 was also his best of the year. Time to rest on his laurels.

He was followed by Eddie Gamboa’s terrific 2 innings and Steve Geltz’s heart palpitating 9th when he closed out the game with a K of pinch-hitting Mike Yastrzemski with runners on 1st and 3rd.

Rehabbing Logan Forsythe’s home run was all the Bulls could do at bat until the 7th. In fact they came into the 7th with just two hits of any kind. Then Jaff Decker got a single and Jake Goebbert’s home run brought in the winning run.

Nice crowd of 10,000+ watched the shortest game of the year, 2:01.

Outside the game —

• Got to figure that Logan Forsythe will be heading for St. Petersburg, which raises the question of who will be kicked off the Ray’s bus. Very likely to be one of these guys: Tim Beckham, Taylor Motter, or Nick Franklin. The stats don’t tell you much of anything (none of them is hitting well), so you have to think that Tampa Bay will be looking at an assessment of team defensive needs and who is most dependable off the bench as a platoon player.
• The Bulls leave town until June 20th. First chance for the turf to “rest” in a long while.

Six in a Row!

Game 59, June 6, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls (Rays): 6 
Norfolk Tides (Orioles): 0 
Season: 27–32; Trip: 1–0
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Stats: 
Game Score: Schultz 85; Season Avg 59
Tm OPS: Game .631; Season .653
Tm wOBA: Game .284; Season .288

Jamie Schultz pitched a near-perfect game through the 7th. He only allowed one hit after 20 batters failed to even reach first base. On 91 pitches, 10 K’s, no BB, 1 hit. Amazing game for him. And continues the Bulls string out to 6 in a row.

About that one hit: Schultz was quoted in the Virginian-Pilot as shaking off catcher Luke Maile’s call for a fastball. He wanted a curve. And that was the pitch that was hit.

Schultz got superb support from the crew including RBI single from new guy Jake Hager in his first Triple A at bat; another RBI from another new guy, Johnny Field; and a three-run home run by Daniel Robertson. Not mention that Eddie Gamboa went two full innings in his second outing back from the DL.

Outside the game —

• Blake Snell was named the International League Pitcher of the Week.
• As mentioned, infielder Jake Hager was called up from Montgomery. If you take a look at his stats you’ll see he’s missing a year, 2015. He was out recovering from knee surgery. Mayo Acosta went off the roster to make room.
• Former Bull, Andy Oliver, has been pitching for the Norfolk Tides. He’s got an opt-out contract and has just pulled the string on it, according to the Virginian-Pilot link above.

Three in a Row!

Game 56, June 3, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves: 4
Durham Bulls: 5
Season: 24–32; Home Stand: 4–1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Wilk–33; YTD Avg–51
OPS: Game .947; Season .644
wOBA: Game .422; Season .291

Lots of heros in this game. The first bunch would be be the grounds crew who spread and recovered the tarp twice in this game. That is simply very hard work. (A bit of honesty here: After the first tarp pull we left and were home watching the game on TV before the play resumed.)

Then the hitting crew came back after the first rain delay situation to pick up three runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning. And they kept chipping away in the 4th to get the go-ahead run.

But without Parker Markel’s three scoreless innings things would have been very different. And not just last night. As it is, the next couple of games are going to reflect the problem of using a bunch of pitchers. Every extra inning Markel worked should help.

Nice to see Eddie Gamboa off the DL. He pitched just one inning last night, but it was a clean one.

Three in a row is a big deal for the 2016 Durham Bulls. It has not happened since the third, fourth, and fifth games of the year.

Stats Definitions:
Game Score
Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)
On-Base Percentage plus Slugging (OPS)

One-Man Home Run Show; Not a Bull

Mikie Mahtook, showing off Bull City Blue uniform before call-up.
Photo courtesy Durham Bulls

Game 44, May 21, DBAP

Rochester Red Wings: 12

Durham Bulls: 2

Season: 18-26; Home Stand: 1-2

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

First of all, let us stipulate that Rochester’s Adam Walker can hit a baseball, especially in the general direction of the Bull. He’s done so five times in the last three games, including three times last night. Yes, he does strike out a lot, but here in Durham he’s held that to just 4 times. The crowd even acknowledged his performance last night with a nice round of applause on his third home run.

Then, let us also note that Jamie Schultz had a horrible night. Schultz is having a decent season, but his 3⅓ last night was awful. (included two of the Walker homers). Brad Boxberger made a relief appearance (and gave up Walker’s third homer). 

The Bulls hitters were not a lot of help with their 17 K’s, their season-worst performance. About the only hitter to do well was outfielder Mikie Mahtook who was 2 for 2 until …

In our part of the stands a buzz started in about the 3rd inning. Former Bull Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay’s spectacular center fielder, had broken his hand. Several folks were tapping away at their phones. I was regretting that the battery on my radio had died and I couldn’t follow Kinas’ commentary. But soon it became clear enough. In the top half of the inning Richie Shaffer, playing third base, came running toward the dugout asking for a different glove. He was handed one and headed out toward right field, sending Mikie Mahtook in. Here’s the neat part — a fair fraction of the fans knew what was happening — Mahtook was headed to the Rays and we were happy for him — a cheer went up as he went into the dugout. Juniel Querecuto took Shaffer’s place at third base and the game went on.

Outside the game — 

• Misty rain through the first couple of innings and a nice rainbow stretched out through the eastern sky. 
• For more on Kiermaier’s injury see the video at Rays Index and comments at the Rays site.
• The Bulls introduced their fancy blue uniforms last night (see photo at top) and I have to admit that I like the look, with the exception of the slightly ugly awkward looking orange belts. And I have to point out that if you're going all "designer" on us, then the shade of blue on the batting helmet should match.
• We left after the 5th inning and watched the end of the game on TV. Very pleased to see that the HD broadcast is in operation. Looks really good.

Pitching Update

The team ERA was improving until last night. Overall, however, we still see a big spread between the starters and relievers. The Bulls have two relievers on the DL and the help that’s come up from Montgomery hasn’t been. If Gamboa and Bellatti return; if after Boxberger finishes his rehab and goes to Tampa Bay; maybe then.

Even More Baseball

Game 31, May 8, DBAP

Norfolk Tides: 1
Durham Bulls: 3

13 Innings
Season: 14-17; Home Stand: 2-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

The two hitters with the worst batting averages in the Bulls lineup, Jake Goebbert (.160) and Carlos Corporan (.180), each hit crucial home runs. And the Bulls seem to have fallen in love with the DBAP (at least they’re spending a lot of time there).

They played 10 innings on Friday, 11 innings on Saturday, and 13 last night. They have used 13 pitchers, including reserve catcher Mayo Acosta who got the win last night.

Until the Bulls got the win, the story line from last night was going to be how all the Norfolk runs were unearned. The error plague that has created problems for the Bulls all year was continuing. However, after the Tides got their 4th unearned run in the 11th, Goebbert contributed his first home run of the year to re-tie the game at 4-4. Having run out of pitchers, Mayo Acosta came on in the 13th and even got a K in his first appearance as a pitcher since 2014 when he put in 3 innings in similar circumstances. Then Carlos Corporan hit his first homer of the year to bring in Patrick Leonard for the walk-off win.

Parker Markel arrived from Montgomery just in time to put in three innings. Stats. That’s two new pitchers for the Bulls in the last two games.

After not calling for an intentional walk all year, Jared Sandberg has called for 3 over the last 5 games.

Outside the game —

• Matt Andriese had a terrific winning start with the Rays. Wonder if he’s going to stick up there?
• Which is a problem for the Bulls because backup starter Eddie Gamboa just went on the disabled list (did not hear why) and the reason Austin Pruitt only pitched three innings on Saturday was that he developed a blister on his finger.
• Jhan Marinez has been Designated For Assignment by the Rays. Even if he isn’t claimed by somebody else, that takes a couple of days to sort itself out.
• The Bulls TV schedule has been published. Based on my look at the streaming from other parks, the Post 50 crew is the best in the International League.

K's and Dingers; Fun at the DBAP

Game 18, April 24, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburg): 1
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 6
Season: 10-8; Home Stand: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Fun day at the park as several Bulls had a terrific game, starting with Jamie Schultz and his 12 K’s, and then there was Richie Shaffer getting his first home run in the 5th inning and another in the 7th.

But there was more, a lot more. Jake Goebbert came into the game with an awful OPS of .255 and raised it to .316 with two singles. Still awful, but there’s hope. Similarly, Kyle Roller punched a home run and raised his OPS up to .868, an above average number.

The three homers plus RBIs by Nick Franklin and Carlos Corporan led the Bulls best run differential of the year. Plus they went into a tie for first place in the South Division.

In addition to Jamie Shultz’s superb performance, we saw Andrew Bellatti on the mound for the first time since April 13. Did OK in his 22 pitches. Time to call out Eddie Gamboa’s superb ERA of 0.71 and there’s his WHIP of 0.95. He had 2⅓ innings yesterday and looked very good.

Outside the game —

• Blake Snell had a superb start against the Yankees and is back in Durham. 
• The Rays fiddled around with the 40-man roster to add Jhan Marinez and then he was called up. He had an inning in relief last night. No word on his replacement. Possibly Danny Farquar?
• Luke Maile is reported to be a couple of days away from coming back.
• No word (that I heard) on Mikie Mahtook’s status.

Team Hitting

OPS (on base percentage plus slugging) is one of those stats that has fallen out of favor for evaluating individual players. But we are less interested in that than we are in team trends. For that it works just fine. What we see here is that the Bulls’ hitting over the last 15 games fell off from a very hot, small sample start. It fell below this year’s International League average. We are still early enough in the season for one game’s results (the best team OPS of the year — 1.024) to push it up quite a bit.

click on chart for larger view

A Little Luck and a Win

Game 3, 9 April, Durham Bulls Athletic Park

Charlotte Knights: 2

Durham Bulls: 3

Season: 2-1; Home Stand: 2-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun (paywall)

Consider Saturday night’s win a gift from the Charlotte Knight’s battery of catcher Hector Sanchez and reliever Phillipe Aumont. Hats off to broadcaster Patrick Kinas who called out the shaky teamwork of the two from the beginning of the 8th inning. A single by Richie Shaffer was followed by two wild pitches that got him to 3B (and a walk that got Kyle Roller on base). A double by Daniel Robertson tied the game. Another wild pitch scored pinch-runner Nick Franklin, and that was enough to win the game.

The Lineup

(just the players we are seeing for the first time)

DH Jake Goebbert: 0 for 3, 1 BB
Goebbert is a left-hand hitting first baseman who was very recently claimed from the Pirates system. He played all last year at AAA  El Paso (Padres) and carried a very nice .844 OPS. He could end up be a real asset to the Bulls. Stats.
RF Dayron Varona: 1 for 4
Varona has had his 15 minutes of fame this year when he accompanied the Tampa Bay Rays to Cuba to play the Cuban National Team. He was the only Cuban on the Rays and got a bit of returning hero treatment. He had a decent 2015 at A and AA last year and 40 games in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Stats.
C Carlos Corporan: 0 for 2, 2 BB
Well-traveled, 32 year-old Corporan played in the Rangers system last year, but went to spring training with the Yankees. The Rays got him from there. He adds some depth and experience to a roster that’s unusually young (average age of hitters is 25.4). Stats.

The Pitchers

RHP Jamie Schultz: 4⅓ innings, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K’s, 2 HR, Game Score - 41
Schultz made his AAA debut and, with the notable exception of the two solo home runs, did just fine. He spent all of last year in Montgomery, starting 27 games and pitching 135 innings with 168 K’s. Think he’s going to be fun to watch. Stats.
RHP Eddie Gamboa: 3⅔ innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 3 K’s
For the last three years knuckleballer Gamboa bedeviled Durham Bulls hitters as a reliever for the Norfolk Tides. Very happy to see him wearing a Bulls uniform. He’s going to be fun to watch. Stats. Interesting conversation with Neil Solondz about his knuckleball and joining the Rays here.
RHP Mark Sappington: 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K’s.
Sappington came to the Rays out of the Angels system and spent last year in Montgomery. This was his AAA debut. He had a good year last year and has some interesting comments in his Solondz interview. Stats.