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.

Seven!

Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Season: 66-66; Trip: 2-0
Wrap, Box

The Bulls reached .500 for the first time in almost exactly a month (July 26) with their seventh win in a row, the longest streak of the year. On game six of the run, Tuesday night, Joey Butler broke it open in the 11th inning, and he had a lot to do with Wednesday afternoon's win. Names we’ve grown to love this last week looked terrific, Taylor Motter, Richie Shaffer, and Butler all had hits in the 11th and Hak-Ju Lee brought in the third run with a sacrifice fly, a run it turned out the Bulls would need as Kirby Yates made the bottom of the 11th a bit more thrilling than necessary.

Then yesterday Joey Butler was at it again, this time with two home runs in support of Bradin Hagens. Along with Mikie Mahtook’s 4 for 5 day at the plate, a timely sacrifice fly by Taylor Motter, and a disruptive stolen base by Lee.

Both games were also bit unusual for Jared Sandberg’s tactics or, rather, his use of some traditional tactics he seems to have avoided this season.

For example, he has only called for 8 intentional bases on balls all season. He did so in the bottom of the 9th on Tuesday and it worked.

Similarly, he has not been a big fan of pinch-hitting, but yesterday in the critical 7th inning, when the Bulls were behind 3-4, he put Nick Franklin in to bat for catcher Mayo Acosta. Hak-Ju Lee had singled with one out and Acosta has a dismal batting average. A few pitches into the at bat Lee stole second base and Franklin then drew a walk (note that the Tides’ catcher set up well off the plate for a 3-1 pitch so it was an unintentional, intentional in hopes of getting a double play). When Mikie Mahtook hit a double to bring in Lee and Franklin and the winning runs, Sandberg looked like master tactician.

Pitching? Blake Snell was terrific on Tuesday and Bradin Hagens got his second win in a row, getting past two important errors by Bulls fielders.

Outside the game —

• J.P. Arencibia went up to the Rays! Congratulations. It turns out that his recent time behind the plate with the Bulls will serve him well. See this link for more than you probably want to know about how they pulled off the roster moves.
• Desmond Jennings is hurt, again. That opens the door for any number of Bulls on the 40-man, to include Joey Butler, Mickie Mahtook, or Richie Shaffer

About these seven wins and the next 12 games —

This has been a remarkable run. The team ERA dropped from 3.99 to 3.90 (with 132 games played, it takes a lot to move the averages that much). The starters went from 3.92 to 3.88, while the relief crew outdid themselves with a drop from 4.09 to 3.93. The hitters moved the team seasonal wOBA from .317 to .321 over the seven games. That may not seem like much, but, again, at this point in the season that’s a big move. The team wOBA hasn’t been that high since July 22. The last time the team pitching has been in this range was back on July 16th.

The rest of the Bulls dozen games are against South Division opponents and 9 of their final 12 games are at home. The Bulls start with Charlotte, have a couple of games against Gwinnett, a few more with Charlotte, and end up with Norfolk. Recently Norfolk has fallen off its terrific run to the top and Gwinnett, which had been making quite an attempt, has also fallen off. With roster turmoil coming for all four teams, who knows what the future holds. For the time being, let’s celebrate a return to .500 baseball.

Bats Away

Gotta admit he (she) is kind cute

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Matt Andriese looked really, really good

Season: 56-59; Home Stand: 4-6;
Games Remaining: 27; Home Games Remaining: 15
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

From the way it started, we have to say that this home stand could have been among the worst in Bulls history. Instead, it ended on an up note when the Bulls won three of the last four. Plus we got to see the talent of young Blake Snell as he threw a no-hitter through his five innings. He was followed by a very decent 1-hit, two innings outing by Everett Teaford, his best outing since being moved to the bullpen. C.J. Riefenhauser K’d the side (with a walk thrown in there). And Jim Miller “closed”.

The other game story was Mikie Mahtook, Taylor Motter and Joey Rickard. As mentioned the other day, Mahtook is simply looking more comfortable since his last return from the Rays. Maybe it was just a change of scenery. He was 2 for 4 with 5 RBI yesterday. Taylor Motter had what seems to be routine for him: an RBI double, and two walks. New guy Joey Rickard kept up his bid to stick in AAA with a triple and a single and 3 RBI.

The 9-run differential matches the one from Friday and gives us hope that the Bulls will wrap up the season with at least a few respectable, fun-to-watch games.

Outside the game—

• J.P. Arencibia is hanging out with the Rays, but has not gone on their roster. Rays catcher, former Bull Curt Casali was injured and the Rays wanted some insurance with the team. Mayo Acosta has been put on the active roster.
• Somehow I wasn’t paying attention to this: Robert Zarate, the mystery pitcher who came up from the Charlotte Stone Crabs in mid-June and who has been doing a terrific job, is on the disabled list. If anyone knows why, please jump in. I’ve been distracted recently.
• Desmond Jennings is not going to Norfolk for tonight’s game, but there’s been no official announcement of his status. 
• First base coach for the Louisville Bats last night? Former Bull Matt Buschmann. Oddly enough, he is featured on the Bulls home page today wearing his Bulls hat. 

Pitcher Has Problems

Season: 53-56; Home Stand: 1-3
Wrap, Box

A starting pitcher at the DBAP had an awful inning and gave up enough runs to lose the game — and he wasn’t wearing a Durham Bulls uniform!

Indianapolis’ Radhames Liz is a ten-year veteran who can still throw a 98 mph fastball, but sometimes has problems. Last night’s 4th inning, for example. Taylor Motter popped up to 2B for the first out. J.P. Arencibia walked. Corey Brown walked. Jake Elmore was hit by a pitch to load the bases. New guy Joey Rickard hit a line drive single to left to drive in Arencebia. Hak-Ju Lee hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Brown. With Elmore on 3rd base and Rickard on 1st base the Indians left fielder dropped Luke Maile’s fly ball right in front of the video board and Elmore scored. Liz then walked Boog Powell to load the bases again, but Desmond Jennings grounded out to end inning (note for Rays fans: second time this rehab stint that Jennings has made a bases-loaded out).

Three runs on one hit! It says something for Liz’s erratic nature that he finished his night pitching two more innings with seven straight outs: A ground out (Jennings), a liner to left, two K’s, a ground out, and two more K’s. Fastballs were still in the 95-98 mph range after 90 pitches.

For trivia fans, last night’s two hit win matches one from way back on May 13th that the Bulls won 1-0.

Outside the game —

• Richie Shaffer got on base, Mickie Mahtook got the game-winning RBI, and Kevin Kiermaier made a great throw. Good day for ex-Bulls up in Chicago. [story]
• Lots of folks go to Bulls games whether they are home or elsewhere. The Bulls average 7,776 at home and are averaging 6,676 as a draw while on the road. Although some might say that the away games are possibly not all that good a measure of how much of a draw the most famous team in minor league baseball can be. Last night (a Monday) was one of the smaller crowds this year and still fun. Buffalo back in May and Gwinnett just last week appear to be the sites where the Bulls are the least popular. Although it's entirely possible that it's the Bisons and the Braves who aren't popular.

Blue Moon Over the DBAP

Desmond Jennings, July 21, 2010, Courtesy Durham Herald-Sun

Season: 52-54; Home Stand: 0-1

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

The Gwinnett Braves are the worst in the International League when it comes to hitting home runs, just 34 on the season, 8 behind the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (The Bulls are second in the League with 91). And that in spite of the fact that they play most of their games in a hitter-friendly park. So how come they got 2 last night? That’s 6% of all their home runs for all year! Sigh.

Former Bull Desmond Jennings is back in town and he met one of the two clothing items I watch for among rehabbing major leaguers. He was in long pants rather than the knickers and stockings all the Bulls are required to wear, but he was wearing the minor leaguer-required batting helmet (two ear flaps, more cushioning) instead of his major league version. Recovering from knee surgery, he was more aggressive on the bases than I expected. He drew two walks and participated in the Bulls’ best shot to get back into the game in the 6th inning when he came to bat with the bases loaded. He got a gift, a 3rd strike foul popup dropped by the Braves catcher. But then had another long foul ball caught on a gutsy grab by the Braves right fielder. 

In addition to the home runs, miscues by the Bulls didn’t help. They had three errors, a passed ball, and a wild pitch that kept the anxiety level high even if they only one led to a run. They’ve had 12 errors in the last four games.

This was our first chance to see Grady Sizemore in a Bulls uniform. He was playing left field and did not do well at the plate (most Bulls did not). The Bulls mostly got runners on base through the generosity of Braves pitching (8  bases on balls), although there was the dinger by Nick Franklin and timely shots by Ryan Brett and Richie Shaffer.

Ah, but the blue moon that rose up from the east around the 8th. Wasn’t that spectacular? Now that’s something you won’t see at Tropicana Field.

Outside the game —

• I left at the 8th and saw the beginnings what looked to be a enormous traffic snarl developing on the ramps to the eastbound Durham Freeway. To his credit, I also saw Bulls General Manager Mike Birling out there personally trying to sort things out with the road repairing crew at the key intersection of Magnum St and the freeway service road. I got lucky and was able to get on 501 north and back to my part of Raleigh on NC 98. I’m guessing that the post-fireworks crowd had some serious problems. My point is that Bulls folks were trying to figure it out for us. Here’s hoping they did.

Rosterification—

• Mikie Mahtook got called up to the Rays and went 2 for 4 with an RBI playing left field in Boston.
• Kirby Yates got called up.
• Catcher Bobby Wilson was DFA'd and claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers, so he’s gone.
• Catcher Mayo Acosta was assigned “from  Short-Season Hudson Valley”
• Infielder Jake Elmore is back from a long stint with the Rays.
• As noted above Desmond Jennings is with the Bulls on a rehab assignment. He would be with them through much of this home stand.
• Rehabbing Drew Smyly has gone off the roster, but that’s a day-to-day thing. If the Rays want him to pitch against AAA hitting, he’ll be back.

Innings Pitched

The radio guys, Patrick Kinas and fellow Razorback Scott Poser, got chatting about August and innings pitched. Here’s how the current crew looks. The chart does not include innings pitched elsewhere. For example, Blake Snell, not on the chart at all, has 98.2 innings this year at all levels.

click on chart for larger view

NOTE: Sizemore has been called up and Mahtook is coming back — 1 August update

Hemstitching: Torra Signs, MiLB.com Picks All-Stars

Hubble Advent Calendar, Day 14

• MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that RHP Matt Torra has signed with the Rays. With no further information, we’ll just go ahead and speculate that it is a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. We like Torra. He showed up in Durham last year in July and put in quite a few innings (61⅓), 11 games started, 5-1, ERA of 3.67. Pretty good. At 27 you have to think that he’s a long shot with the Rays, but as we noted at the end of the season, we’d be happy to see him back in a Bulls uniform.
• MiLB.com is reporting a “Rays Organization All-Star” list. Quite a few 2011 Bulls on the list including Steven Vogt, Russ Canzler, and Brandon Guyer whom we might see next year, along with a couple we’re very unlikely to see, Dan Johnson and Desmond Jennings, and several that we might see. Worth looking at for the comments of Rays minor league exec Mitch Lukevics.

Bulls/Rays Playoff Thread

Let's see if we can keep track of our Bulls as the Rays move forward. But first to backtrack a bit.

September 28, 2011
Tampa Bay Rays 8, New York Yankees 7 (12 innings)
Wrap, Box

This was, of course, the most important game of the season for the Rays that, combined with Boston's loss, earned them the wild card spot. Dan Johnson got the game-tying home run. Other recent Bulls who were in the game included Desmond Jennings, LF (0-6, 1 BB), Russ Canzler, PH (0-1); Justin Ruggiano, RF; Brandon Guyer, RF (1-1); Dane De La Rosa, 1⅓ innings.

Interesting links:

• Rays Prospects looked at the game
• Adam Sobsey/Indy Week looked at Dan Johnson
• Dirk Hayhurst chimed in
• Rays Index looked at Dan Johnson
• A bunch of interesting links, also from Rays Index
• And more links from DRaysBay

September 30

Tampa Bay Rays 9, Texas Rangers 0

Wrap,Box

For Bulls fansMatt Moorewas the story on Friday, pitching to a catcher he'd never pitched to before, Kelly Shoppach (who got two home runs). Other than Moore, none of recent Bulls call-ups except Desmond Jennings got into the game. Jennings batted an uncharacteristic 8th in the order and went 1-3. Another oddity was seeing Wade Davis in relief.

Links:

• Not many of the recent call-ups made it into the playoff roster, although some are traveling with the team. Recent Bulls missing are Dan Johnson, Russ Canzler, Justin Ruggiano, Brandon Guyer, Matt Torres, Dane De La Rosa, and probably a couple of others I've missed.
• Moore was very impressive, as noted in DRaysBay analysis.

October 1

Texas Rangers 8, Tampa Bay Rays 6

Wrap, Box

Desmond Jennings moved back to his leadoff position, but no other recent Bulls were in the lineup (mostly because few of them are on the playoff 25-man). James Shields pretty much single-handedly lost this game for the Rays hitting batters and throwing pitches away. Almost a heroic comeback later in the game.

Upcoming games in St Pete: October 3, 5:00 pm

• Big day for the Tampa Bay region, sold out for both football and baseball |St Pete Times|
• David Price scheduled to start. Lineup

Update, 4 Oct

Rangers 4, Rays 3
Wrap, Box

Jennings did his job, 2 home runs. Price has six good innings, needed seven. J.P. Howell, seen briefly in Durham this year, gave up the winning run(s).


Game 4, October 4, 2 pm

Rangers 4, Rays 3

Wrap, Box

Thus endeth the season.

The Durham Bulls in 2011 — The Hitters: Part I

Twenty-five different ballplayers came to bat in a Durham Bulls uniform this year. Some quite a few times (Russ Canzler, 549). Some not so often (John Shelby, 3 ). That compares to 27 in 2010 and 25 in 2009, so 2011 was about normal. Players are listed in order of games played. The "slash line" is Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging.

The Top 14 (40+ Games)

Russ Canzler (25) was in his first season with the Bulls and had a brilliant year. He was the International League MVP.

• Played in the most games of any Durham Bull (131) and had the most plate appearances (549). He led the Bulls in batting average (.314), was second in OBP (.401) and was first in SLG and OPS (.530 and .930), and led the team in wOBA (.399). His 83 RBI were way ahead of #2, Leslie Anderson, who had 65. He also led in home runs (18), doubles (40), second in triples (5). He was the team leader in walks (67) and strikeouts (129). The all-around offensive star of the year.
• His great year was rewarded by a call-up (and placement on the Rays 40-man) as soon as the Bulls season was over in early September. As of this writing he has had one ML plate appearance where he drew a walk. Defensively, the Bulls never quite figured out where to play him, although by the end of the year you could consider him a regular corner outfielder. He had 40 starts at 3B, 17 at 1B, and 68 games in the outfield. He also had 6 games at DH. He certainly is not the Rays' future third baseman, but no reason why he couldn't spend more time at 1B and see how it goes. As we'll see, however, it looks like 1B could be crowded in 2012. Really was fun watching him play.
• Stats

Ray Olmedo (30) came back to the Bulls after a year with Nashville, the AAA team of the Brewers that plays in the PCL.

• Played in 124 games (500 PA). Ray had 95 games at SS and 29 games at 2B. For a guy who usually batted at the end of the order, he had very good numbers — .260/.303/.322, wOBA .306. 27 RBI, 22 doubles, 3 triples.
• I like watching Ray Olmedo play baseball. I especially like the way he moved over to second base when young Tim Beckham came up and how well he covered that position. Here's hoping the Rays find room for him next year.
• Stats

Leslie Anderson (29) joined the Bulls late in 2010. He had defected from Cuba earlier in the year and quickly moved up through the Rays minor league system as an outfielder and first baseman. This season was a decent, but not breakout, year.

• Played in 121 games with 494 plate appearances. He had 63 games at 1B and 42 in the outfield, mostly in LF. The rest of the games he was the designated hitter. Decent numbers of .277/.314/.413 with a wOBA of .323. His 65 RBI was second-best on the team; his 24 doubles were third-best; and his 13 home runs was third best as well.
• I'm not sure Mr. Anderson is going to make it beyond AAA. He isn't very fast. He's something of a streaky hitter and only a so-so first baseman. Plus he's beginning to age out.
• Stats

J.J. Furmaniak (31) was with the Bulls with most of 2010 and we were really pleased to see him back in 2011. He did not have a good year at the plate, but he had a bunch of timely hits and sacrifices, and was vital to keeping the infield sorted out.

• Played in 116 games (433 PA). In the field he played 2B (52 games), SS (15), 3B (43), outfield (11), dh'd a game, and pitched a shutout inning(!). Most of the year his numbers were off, but they got much better near the end. Numbers — .215/.267/.308 with a wOBA of .258. J.J. led the Bulls on successful sacrifice bunts with 15.
• I really like J.J. I think he adds a lot to the team. He did not have a good year at bat, but until the Rays start bringing up some infielders, the Bulls really need someone like J.J. on the roster — an experienced, mature, quick-handed infielder.
• Stats

Brandon Guyer (25) came to the Bulls as part of the big Tampa Bay Rays/Chicago Cubs deal over the winter. A lot to like about this young ballplayer. He would have played in more games if a back injury had not taken him out of the lineup for a couple of weeks in the middle of the year.

• Played in 107 games (443 PA). All of his games were as an outfielder, mostly in right and center field. Very good numbers — .314/.401/.530, wOBA .387. Hit 18 home runs (second on team), had 61 RBI, and led team in getting hit by pitches (12). Very fast, but needs to work on base running a bit (16 stolen bases, but caught 6 times).
• Brandon was on the 40-man all year and was called up once, before going up in the September callups. As of this writing he's been in 10 games for the Rays. Expect him back next year and looking forward to it.
• Stats

Dan Johnson (31) started the year with the Rays and came to the Bulls in late May. Something must have gone awry over the winter, since the 2010 Bulls superstar was having serious troubles in St. Petersburg. He passed through waivers and accepted an assignment to the Bulls.

• Played in 93 games (395 PA). Starting very slowly, his numbers improved as the year went on — .273/.382/.459,wOBA .375. Low extra base production (for him) of 23 doubles and 13 home runs. 52 RBI. 59 games at 1B, 15 at 3B, and 21 as DH.
• Dan was called back up to the Rays at the end of the season, but he's got to be thinking about his future as a ballplayer. I'm guessing that he will not be back with the Rays in 2012.
• Stats

Desmond Jennings (24) began his year with the Bulls and, to our surprise, stayed with the team until mid-July.

• Played in 89 games (397 PA). The big difference between this year and 2010 was that he stayed healthy and he had some big improvements in his power. Numbers — .275/.374/.456, wOBA .362. A leadoff batter is going to be a bit low in the RBI column, and he was with only 39. But he scored 68 runs and stole 17 bases. Mostly a center fielder this year, with a few starts in right field and a couple as the DH.
• He's had 52 games in the majors as of this writing, and he's tearing things up with a .292/.386/.510, 9 homers, 22 RBI, 38 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. Don't expect to see him back with the Bulls next year.
• Stats

Robinson Chirinos (27) is another of the players from the Cubs/Rays deal. He had a spectacular spring training and came to the Bulls with very high expectations. He had a good, not exceptional, year. And was able to get in 20 games with the Rays.

• Played in 78 games (319 PA). He had a terrible start, so his final numbers actually represent a big improvement on the year — .259/.343/.376, wOBA .324. Because of his terrific spring training, most thought Chirinos was going to have a real breakout year and, at 27, he needed it. Not quite, though. He got the most starts at catcher (63) of anyone on the Bulls' roster and did pretty well.
  
• His main counterpart, Jose Lobaton, had a much better year as a catcher and a hitter. When Lobaton got a call-up he was almost immediately injured and Chirinos followed him to St. Pete within a couple of days, then came back in August.
• Stats

Omar Luna (24) started the season with the Bulls and then was essentially swapped out for infielder Daniel Mayora in late June.

• Played in 56 games (182 PA). Not very good numbers — .203/.229/.227, wOBA .229. Pretty much the worst numbers of anyone who had any serious amount of time with the Bulls this year. Mostly played 2B (47), but had a game at 3B, a game at shortstop, and 3 games in the outfield. He also made two appearances as a pitcher.
• Pretty good second baseman, but Furmaniak better, with a better bat. Luna went to Port Charlotte in the Rays system where he did OK. Hard to tell if he will be coming back.
• Stats

Jose Lobaton (26) had a breakout year and he was fun to watch as long as he stayed with the Bulls.

• Played in 54 games (224 PA). Terrific numbers — .293/.410/.489, wOBA .382. His OBP was the team best. Most of his ABs were as a catcher, but 18 games as DH. Above average catching skill as a catcher.
• His third best OPS (.899) and skills behind the plate earned him a call-up in early July. Unfortunately, he was immediately injured and did not return to the Rays lineup until September. Expect him to stick with the Rays next year.
• Stats

Chris Carter (28) started the year with the Bulls.

• Played 54 games (233 PA) for the Bulls before exercising an opt-out clause in mid-June, 26 games as DH and 28 games in a corner outfield position. Pretty good, but not stellar, numbers for his time with the team — .270/.309/.460, wOBA .323. He brought some power to the team, 10 HR and 11 doubles.
• He signed with the Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta) and was having a great run (OPS of .974) for 23 games before he was injured and went out for the rest of the season.
• Stats

Daniel Mayora (25) came up to Durham from the Montgomery Biscuits in late June.

• Played in 51 games (205 PA), almost exclusively at third base. Of the six different third basemen the Bulls used this year, he was tied for the most games (40) with Russ Canzler. Numbers are OK — .262/.317/.353, wOBA .306.
• Not a standout third baseman and doesn't seem like he will get past AAA level. And yet the Bulls needed him for the second half of the season and may need him again next year.
• Stats

Felipe Lopez (31), a veteran infielder, started the season with Durham, went back and forth to the Rays a couple of times and then moved on to the Milwaukee Brewers system.

• Played in 48 games (207 PA) and had excellent numbers — .305/.357/.474, wOBA .374 with 37 RBI and 7 home runs. 25 games at 2B, 12 at 3B, and a few as DH.
• Lopez was with the Bulls primarily because the Rays' infield situation was unsettled at the time. Once that was sorted out, he left the system. I would have preferred to see more young players under development.
• Stats

Justin Ruggiano (29) has a five year history with the Durham Bulls and holds a number of hitting records. He started this year with the Bulls, but went up to Tampa in May and stayed there, with the exception of a brief rehab visit in August.

• Played in a total of 43 games (190 PA) and had excellent numbers — .304/.378/.518, wOBA .398. Almost an RBI per game (34), 7 HR and 11 doubles.
• Unlikely that we will see him in Durham next year.
• Stats

Next: New guys, rehabbers and visitors.

Bulls Win; Jennings Leaves; Brignac Back

Game 99, July 23, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC

Durham Bulls (Rays) 4, Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers) 3

Season: 56-43; Last 10: 7-3

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week, MLB.com

Matt Moore had a terrific first day in AAA baseball, Desmond Jennings (finally) went to the Rays, Reid Brignac is coming back to the Bulls, a ballplayer we've never seen before gets the winning hit, and the Bulls go 13 games over .500 staying in first place in the South Division of the International League. 

But you know what struck me most about the game? The remarkable physical fitness of the players on both teams. The temperature down on the field was easily over 100°. And yet there they were playing their hearts out. 

Young Matt Moore did just fine. His fastball was routinely in the 95-96 range. He struck out 7 over 5 innings. His only shaky moments came after two outs in the 2nd inning when he walked two batters in 9 pitches, but he settled down for the next three innings — with the notable exception of a home run. 

The Mud Hens picked up two more runs when Jay Buente's very first pitch went over the fence in the 6th and in the 7th when a grounder bounced over a drawn-in infield.

Which brings me to the managerial choices that seemed to make all the difference in this game. Montoyo took his starter out after 5 innings and 89 pitches on a blazingly hot day. Toledo manager Phil Nevin left his starting pitcher in to start the 7th inning with a 3-1 lead, but at 96+ pitches. A single, double, run scored on a wild pitch, and a Nevin Ashley single bounced over a drawn-in infield scored another and the game was tied. A reliever was finally called in, but a wild pitch sent Ashley to second, he was sacrificed to third by Ray Olmedo, and came home on John Matulia double.

I'm no fan of Lance Cormier, but he did come in the game in the 7th with two runners on base and only one out. He first gave up a single and loaded the bases, but then got a K and a flyout to get out of the bases loaded situation. In the next inning a leadoff error put a runner on second, but a nifty pickoff got him out. He got through that inning and Rob Delaney got his first save.

How'd the new guys do? John Matulia was a last minute addition to the lineup playing center field and leading off. Two K's, ground out, game-winning double. He's fast. Nevin Ashley started at catcher, batting eighth in the order. He went 2-3 with a run scored and a RBI.

* * * * *

As has been widely reported, Desmond Jennings was pulled from the lineup and then sent to Kansas City to join the Rays. Shortstop Reid Brignac is being sent down. From the Bulls point of view what may matter most are Rays' manager John Maddon's comments. |MLB.com| The way I read that, Brignac arrives with some very specific instructions on how he's to be treated by Montoyo and hitting coach Dave Myers. 

The Bulls now have an abundance of infielders: Brignac, Daniel Mayora, Ray Olmedo, J.J. Furmaniak, Felipe Lopez, and (sort of) Russ Canzler. Assuming that Brignac takes over at shortstop (unless he's to be transitioned to second base) and is to get a bunch of at bats, it sure looks like someone is going to get kicked off the bus. 

* * * * *

Speaking of getting kicked off the bus, Indy Week's Adam Sobsey is reporting that reliever Marquis Fleming, whom we've never seen, is on his way back to Montgomery.

For Joe Bateman fans, here's an interview he did after his return to the Bulls. |Bulls Podcast|

Bulls Beat Sox; Roster Roulette

Game 93, Jul 16, McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Durham Bulls 11, Pawtucket Red Sox 8
Season: 51-42; This Trip: 3-2
Wrap, Box, Pawtucket Times

The Bulls got their third short start in a row, only 3 1/3 from Matt Torra, and this time they couldn't blame it on the Rays. But the bats and gloves came through in a big way and they beat the Red Sox for just the second time this season.

The Bulls had a huge top of the 4th, scoring seven runs and going ahead 7-1. At a guess, however, Matt Torra had too much time on the bench. Only one out into the inning two runs had scored and two runners were on base. R.J. Swindle came in and got Carl Crawford to pop up, but walked a batter and gave up a grand slam. So the Red Sox were back in the game and it was all tied up for a couple of innings.

The Bulls picked up a run in the 6th on a Dan Johnson single and three runs in the 9th, two off a Leslie Anderson home run. That was enough.

It was a game that drives the numbers guys nuts. By every measure (hits, total bases, etc) the Red Sox should have won. They didn't. A key error on their part, two timely double plays on the Bulls part, explain much of the difference.

Given our starting pitching problems, nice to see two relievers able to go back to back. Rob Delaney did fine, Dane De La Rosa less so, but he did get out of a tough 9th inning intact.

Let's back up and see if we can sort out who's playing for the Durham Bulls these days.

• Alex Cobb is not. He's off to St. Petersburg, reportedly to start against the New York Yankees on Monday. |MLB.com| Note: That same item states that the reason that Alexander Torres had a short start on Friday was that Cobb had been hit in the head in batting practice that morning and they weren't sure he would be able to come down to St. Pete.
• Desmond Jennings is. He DH'd last night and went 3 for 4 with two doubles and scoring two runs.
• Ryan Reid is back from Montgomery. He came into the game in the 5th inning and pitched a somewhat shaky two innings. A bases-loaded, nobody out situation was maybe a bit more than "somewhat shaky". Still, an out at home, a popup, and a ground out got him out of trouble. Reid got his first win in his 20 (!) appearances as a Bull.
• John Matulia is also back from Montgomery. You may be forgiven for not knowing who outfielder John Matulia is since he has never played an inning in Durham. He came to the team for the two pre-All-Star break games in Norfolk and then went back to Montgomery. Now he's back. He's working on getting his first AAA hit.

By my count (probably off) the Bulls have had 11 roster transactions in the last ten days. Glad that I don't have to keep track of travel, uniform, and equipment logistics for the Rays, Bulls, and Biscuits.

Comeback!

Durham Bulls 11, Norfolk Tides 8 (13 Innings)
Game 89, July 9, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Season: 49-40
Wrap, Box, MiLB.com

As I type this the Sunday game in Norfolk is just coming on the air (although the MiLB.TV isn’t working). I only heard the 10th through 13th innings of last night’s game and did not hear the roster-related information. So this is a good place to comment on the game and what I've learned about the roster changes.

First of all, last night’s game was an unprecedented comeback by this year’s Bulls as they scored 5 runs in the 9th inning. Yes, the bullpen of the Norfolk Tides is unimpressive, but five runs without a homer is hard to do under any circumstances, and that’s what the Bulls did. In fact, their 11 runs without a homer is unusual.

Then there was the 13th inning when the Tides’ reliever misplayed a sacrifice bunt (runners on first or second) so badly that a run scored. The same pitcher wild pitched in another run. A sac fly by JJ Furmaniak brought in a third run.

Important win. Bulls got back into first place when Gwinnett split a double header with Charlotte.

About the roster changes:

• Desmond Jennings has been put on the 7-day disabled list (he could be back in the lineup right after the All-Star break). Slight fracture (whatever that means) to his right index finger.
• Ray Olmedo was named to the AAA All-Star team in Jennings’ place.
• Brandon Guyer got a call-up to the Rays for at least today’s game (will he go to AAA All-Star game?)
• With two outfielders unavailable, John Matulia was called up from the Montgomery Biscuits. Signed out of high school, 24 year-old Matulia has been slowly working his way up through the Rays system. This is his first time in AAA and he is not on any of the prospect lists that I’ve seen. Stats.
• Brandon Gomes was called up to the Rays where he relieved David Price against the Yankees and pitched 2/3 of an inning.
• Andy Sonnanstine has been sent down to the Bulls from Tampa Bay. The last time Sonnanstine was mentioned in WDBB was back in a post-season wrap-up in October of 2009. He’s been spending a lot of time on the bullpen bench with the Rays. Rays have never been able to make up their minds about whether Sonnanstine is a starter or reliever. We’ll see what slot he gets put into with the Bulls.

Was I wrong in my rant yesterday about how Bulls pitching was handled? Well, by stretching out Baker, only two relievers (Ekstrom and Delaney) were used in that game. That meant that last night (after Hayhurst had a rough start) six more relievers could be used (including Delaney for the second night in a row). With Gomes gone, the Bulls only have seven relievers. So, if Montoyo had not stretched Baker out, would it have made a difference? Maybe. However, three of the pitchers “used” last night pitched only a total of 1 1/3 innings, so you’d think all of those three (Swindle, Buente, and De La Rosa) are available for the last game before a three-day break.

Do I really need to remind folks that the Bulls management/coaching team has forgotten more about baseball than I'll ever know?

Jennings Hits Bull, Wins Steak, Dings Finger

Durham Bulls 5, Norfolk Tides 4
Game 87, July 7, DBAP
Season: 48-39; Streak: W3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Sometimes the chatter in our part of the stands is only tangentially connected to the winning-losing aspects of the game. Last night, for example, here were the top topics for comment and discussion:

• Craig Albernaz being officially on the roster,
• That odd 5-6-3 double play to end the 2nd inning,
• Norfolk third baseman Josh Bell’s amazing dodge of Robinson Chirinos’ bat shards while fielding and throwing the ball to first for an out,
  
• and how come Jennings didn’t come out for the 7th inning?

We'll get to those, but first how the game was won.

Alex Cobb gave up three runs with the first three batters, hitting the first one, walking the second, serving up a home run to the third. He never quite settled down after that, but, except for homer in the 4th, he kept the Tides in check. He did hit a couple of high (or low) points, however. He doubled his home runs allowed from 2 to 4 (in 65 innings). He doubled his hit batsmen, from 1 to 2. He has pitched exactly 1000 pitches as a Durham Bull this year.

Meanwhile, the Bulls got the three runs back in their part of the inning with a Bull shot by Desmond Jennings, and a two run shot by Russ Canzler.

About that double play. With one out, runners on first and second, a hard grounder came to third baseman Daniel Mayora. He appeared to only have a play at first, but he then saw shortstop Ray Olmedo heading for second base and they were able to pull off the 5-6-3 double play. I'm sure it happens from time to time. I just don't recall seeing one before.

It was Daniel Mayora's triple in the 7th that set up the winning run. Mr. Mayora is showing some real strength. He had two long opposite field shots (one caught) last night and a homer the night before. His release may not be as quick as some third basemen we've seen, but his strong arm makes up for it. Gonna be fun watching him for the rest of the year. J.J. Furmaniak sent him home with a short fly ball over the drawn-in infield.

Jay Buente, who has not exactly garnered accolades from WDBB, got the win in relief. My guess is that he would be the first to say that he's a better reliever than starter. Maybe he's going to work out after all.

Looks like I've covered two of the bullets at the top. I think I'll put off a more substantive discussion of Craig Albernaz for another post, which will be something along the lines of:

FREE CRAIG ALBERNAZ!

Now that he's officially on the Bulls roster, how about putting him in the game Charlie?

Then there was that terrific play by Norfolk's Josh Bell in the bottom of the 7th. Robinson Chirinos (on something of a tear, by the way) sent the ball and a big piece of his bat right at Bell. Did the bat go over Bell's head, between his legs or just past him? Did not see it that well. At any rate, he kept his concentration, fielded the ball, and made the play at first. Good baseball.

In the 7th inning the Bulls went through an atypical defensive shuffle with Jennings coming out, Lopez coming in at second, Furmaniak moving to left, Guyer to center, Anderson to right. (Confused? So were we.) Of course, the rumble in the stands was that maybe Jennings had been called up to the Rays. From the Herald-Sun report, however, he dinged a finger in a bunt attempt earlier on and will now be day-to-day.

Note: Tonight is your last chance to see the Bulls until July 22nd! Have I mentioned that this year's schedule is nuts?

[Update: 9:03, bunch of typo's fixed, awkwardnesses, and more. Sorry, folks. There's probably more.]

Rainy Win

Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) 11, Norfolk Tides (Baltimore) 5

Game 86, July 6, Durham Bulls Athletic Park

Season: 47-39; Last 10: 5-5

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Midway through the 7th inning it looked like the new guys, pitcher Matt Torra and third baseman Daniel Mayora, were going to be the goats of the game. Torra had let three runs across in the first inning and Mayora's two errors in the 7th had let the Tides get to a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the 7th, it all changed.

Before getting to the bottom of the 7th, however, I've got to bring up the tag team of Brandon Guyer and Dan Johnson. In the 1st Guyer doubled and Johnson singled him home. In the 5th Guyer doubled, stole third base, and Johnson singled him home. In between, Robinson Chirinos hit a home run. As a result, the Tides and Bulls were tied going into the 6th. Lance Cormier served up a home run ball to Rhyne Hughes and then Norfolk, surely watching storm clouds swirling, went into a full-court stall.

I lost count of how many times catchers, managers, and coaches came out to the mound over the next inning and a half all apparently in hope that lightning would strike and the tarp would get pulled before Norfolk's bullpen got exposed to the stadium lights.

Norfolk was ahead by two runs and had one out in the 7th and it was raining. What could go wrong? Walk, walk, RBI single, fly out, walk (bases loaded), new pitcher, RBI walk (score tied), RBI single, RBI single. Bulls ahead by 2, all was right with the world. Rain lessened.

The four-run 8th was icing on the cake, and included a two run homer by prospective goat, Daniel Mayora. What about the other new guy, Matt Tora? Not bad. Could be what the Bulls need to get through this season. 

Here's an odd number: the current crop of pitchers (starters and relievers) account for only 69% of the innings pitched for the Bulls this year. 

Other odds and ends:

• Rays Index has stirred up a minor storm by suggesting that the Rays might trade Desmond Jennings. |Rays Index|
• Meanwhile, Desmond gets a nice article by Kelly Parsons over at the Bulls website. |Durham Bulls|
• Another blog took a close look at the Rays bullpen. Possible implications for the Bulls if they start moving folks around. |DRaysBay|
• Speaking of moving people around. The folks over at Rays Prospects have some opinions on who in the Rays farm system should be moving up and around. |Rays Prospects|
• With all the threatening weather we've been happening, remember that the DBAP has an always on stadium cam that can be checked to see if the tarp is on the field. For your planning, it's about 30-45 minutes from pulling the tarp to baseball. |Stadium Cam|

Chart of the Day — Hitting

The last time we looked at hitting was June 23. Here's how it looks today. This table is sorted by wOBA, which is a stat that does a better job of showing a hitter's contribution to the team than just about any other.

The big guns continue to be Lobaton, Guyer, and Canzler. Picking things up are Lopez, Chirinos, and Anderson.

click on table for larger image

Sources: Stat Corner and Baseball Reference

Rainy Night in Georgia

Game 84, July 4, Coolray Field, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Gwinnett Braves 11, Durham Bulls 3

Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

Game 85, July 5, Coolray Field

Durham Bulls 3, Gwinnett Braves 1

Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

Season: 46-49; Last 10: 5-5

Alex Torres was doing his usual thing of letting the leadoff hitter on base (walk, walk, walk, single for innings 2, 3, 4, and 5) and yet only one run had gotten across for Gwinnett when the skies opened up down in Georgia in the bottom of the 6th. Uncharacteristically, Torres had gotten the leadoff batter out in that inning. 

In the meantime Desmond Jennings, Robinson Chirinos, and Leslie Anderson had hit bases-empty home runs. That was enough for the Bulls to win it and for Torres to improve to 5-6 on the year. 

This Braves-Bulls rivalry looks to continue for the rest of the year. They are back in a tie for first place in the division. In another instance of this year's weird scheduling it turns out the that they have seven more games to play, all at the DBAP, four games at the end of July and two at the end of August. I'm betting that they will still be arguing over the South division title.

Interesting stuff on the web:

• Given my background, I tend to look for connections between soldiering and baseball. Here's one about a guy who's played minor league ball and is now serving in Iraq.
• What were you doing when you were 16 years old? Probably not signing a professional baseball contract as this young man just did with the Rays.

Chart of the Day — ERA

Tonight we get our first look at new guy Matt Torra, who is coming to the Bulls with a AAA ERA of 6.07 in 15 starts. Hate to say it, but that's not too promising. Obviously the Rays (or one of their scouts) saw something and we are going to get a chance to see it as well.

This chart is sorted by innings pitched, so the usual cautions about small sample size for the players at the bottom of the chart apply. Note that the caution applies both to players who are having troubles (Buente and Cormier) and those doing OK (McGee and Gomes).

The Bulls seem comfortable with a 13 pitcher/11 position player setup this year, so I'll slip Mr. Torra in the next time I update this chart.

click on chart for larger view

Anderson Gives His Best

Game 75, June 25, DBAP
SWB Yankees 2, Durham Bulls 1
Season: 42-33; Home Stand: 3-3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Leslie Anderson did his level best to win the game for the Bulls yesterday, but it wasn’t enough. In the 3rd inning he had a lead-off double and was sacrificed to third by J.J. Furmaniak. At the end of the inning he was still there. In the 5th inning he had another lead-off double and was again sacrificed to third by Furmaniak. At the end of that inning he was still on third base. In the 7th inning he took things into his own hands and hit a leadoff home run. But that wasn’t enough to carry the game. Valiant try on his part.

The rest of the offensive story was the nine other Bulls who also got left on base during the course of the game.

Meanwhile, Chris Bootcheck is emerging as a terrific starting pitcher for the Bulls. He’s going long into games (starts of 7, 7, and 7 1/3 innings) and with even a modest amount of run support would have won his third in a row last night.

A notable moment was Desmond Jennings’ beautiful catch against the centerfield wall in the 4th. He really is a terrific outfielder. He and Guyer make one heck of a team out there.

Chart of the Day — ERA

Not a lot of surprises here. Young Mr. Buente (currently on the DL) is distorting the chart a bit.

Alex Cobb’s last game was while with the Rays against the Marlins on June 18th. Seems to be yet another example of the Rays calling up a pitcher, breaking him, and sending him back (as with Brandon Gomes). In this case Mr. Cobb is reportedly going to pitch on Monday after recovering from flu-like symptoms.

The other day’s disastrous outing by Brian Baker and Ryan Reid are pushing them out. R. J. Swindle’s ERA is falling nicely, but with his extremely short appearances, it wouldn’t take much to push it back up.

Obviously the starters as a group (the Bulls have had 13 different ones) need to do better.

click on image for larger view

Cranky Old Geezer Alert!

Am I the only one who gets blown out of his seat by the noise when they crank up the PA volume for a large crowd? We sit right under one of the corner speakers and that may be it. They may be trying to get their noise out to the Diamond View seats.

I just don’t understand why it’s necessary to try to make 10,000 folks sound even louder than they already do. Am I just of a generation too old to have had his hearing destroyed at rock concerts? Am I alone in wanting to have a conversation with my friends between innings?

Out of the Smoke, Into the Sun

Game 71, June 21, DBAP
Buffalo Bisons 9, Durham Bulls 1
Wrap, Box, Herald Sun

Game 72, June 22, DBAP
Durham Bulls 9, Buffalo Bisons 3
Season: 40-32; Home Stand: 2-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Let’s start this off with something really trivial, and yet something that takes away from the fan experience this year. I think maybe I’ve mentioned this problem before, but at the end of a post. This time it goes up front.

I got to the park a bit late for the day game because the Durham Freeway was essentially a massive parking lot. But at least the smoke had cleared out some from the day prior and I could breathe. The Bulls were on the field by the time I got to my seat so I scanned the field to get a sense of where Charlie had put his team for the game. At second base, for example, he has essentially three choices: Furmaniak, Lopez, or Luna. But I can’t tell who’s on second because the jersey NUMBERS ARE UNREADABLE and HAVE NO NAMES ON THEM!

On second thought, this really isn’t a trivial issue. I find it extremely frustrating to not be able to tell who’s playing in the game or getting ready to pitch, and I recognize quite a few of the players. How much more frustrating it must be for fans who have only the program to go by with very little hope of being able to put a number against a name.

The time has come for the Bulls to accept the fact that they made a bad decision. I agree that if you’re up close, say 10 or 20 feet away, they look OK. Otherwise, they are the worst shirts in the International League. Please, please do something about them. 

If you auction them off, I’ll even bid for Albernaz’. Maybe not very much, but I will bid.

[Update, 11:00 am, Thursday: I've been informed that, because of the mesh material they are made from, the players love the jerseys. In this heat that makes all the sense in the world to me. So we have to back off. The Bulls should be wearing what works best in these very early dog days. 


The players will have to get used to the fans not knowing who's on third until a new batch is obtained with names and more legible numbers.]

Maybe I’m just grumpy because I missed Tuesday night’s game. From all accounts, however, it wasn’t much of a game and the smoke from the fires down east made things difficult.

Yesterday afternoon Dirk Hayhurst started and he had trouble closing the deal. In every inning he'd get a quick two outs and then take more than a batter or two to finish up. The temperature and humidity was brutal. If that was the reason Montoyo took him out after four innings, that made a lot of sense to me.

The oddity of the afternoon was the way the ball seemed to be carrying. A bunch of both team’s hits that didn’t seem to be much coming off the bat, sailed on out to the warning track. A couple went in for doubles and couple, after missteps by fielders, were caught. Maybe an out wind, but that's rare at the DBAP. Probably something to do with what aviators call “density altitude”. Whatever it was, that condition did not account for the three home runs. Those were authoritative shots by the Bisons’ Pascucci, and the Bulls’ Lobaton and Johnson.

Another oddity was Ray Olmedo’s triple in his first at bat. He was also the first of two Bulls that got stranded on third in the early innings. In the 3rd, however, both of the Bulls that got to third base (Desmond Jennings and Brandon Guyer) scored. After the third it seemed it was a matter of Bulls relief pitching hanging on, which they did. Speaking of relief pitching, the masterful jobs of Brandon Gomes and Jake McGee need to be mentioned. Gomes had a 1-2-3 8th and McGee, after giving up a double in the 9th, struck out the next three batters, the last two looking.

After running through three left-handed pitchers, Buffalo brought on Dale Thayer with the bases loaded, one out in the 8th. At that point the Bulls were only ahead by a score of 4-3, so there was certainly a chance for a team who recently scored 16 runs in the last third of an inning a couple of nights ago. That is, a chance if they could get two more outs. Didn’t happen. Ray Olmedo singled in a run. A Brandon Guyer ground out brought in another run and left runners on second and third. Dan Johnson’s home run brought in three more.

Chart of the Day — The Hitters

The trend over the last 10 games is not very encouraging. On the other hand, the Bulls have a 7-3 record over the period. Notable is Robinson’s Chirinos’ improvement and the very high level that Brandon Guyer has achieved. Worried about Anderson.

Looking to the future? Here’s a piece over on DRaysBay that’s an analysis of the Montgomery Biscuits hitters. A couple are looking pretty good.

"Efficient" Win

Game 70, June 20, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC
Durham Bulls (Rays) 2, Buffalo Bisons (Mets) 1
Season: 39-31; Since Strickland’s Haircut: 5-1
Wrap, Box

Robinson Chirinos led off the 3rd with a double. One batter later Desmond Jennings hit a home run (his 10th). That was enough to win.

Chris Bootcheck got out of trouble twice and generally pitched a terrific seven innings. In the 1st things looked dire when the Bisons had runners on first and third with one out. But, for the first time in my memory, the old “fake to third base, throw to first base” pickoff gimmick actually worked. With a runner trapped between first and second, the runner on third broke for home and was thrown out by Dan Johnson. Just to keep our hearts pumping, the next batter got a single, so we were back to runners on first and third with two outs. Bootcheck got a K and didn’t look back until the 7th. In that inning two singles and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. But Bootcheck, in what might have been the key moment in the game, struck out Bison catcher Mike Nickeas. The next batter flied out to end the inning.

Over in his blog, Durham starter Dirk Hayhurst recently offered a meditation on pitching efficiency. I’m sure that the sabermetricians have a metric for that idea, but I don’t know what it is. However, whatever a good metric might be, a simple one suffices to look at the terrific job that Mr. Bootcheck did last night. Over his seven innings he faced 27 batters and threw 89 pitches (3.29/batter). Compare that to his opponent, Dylan Owen, who in his basically very good six innings had to throw 96 pitches to 25 batters (3.84/batter). Of course, throwing fewer pitches is not necessarily a good thing if they’re crushing everything you throw. Nevertheless, safe to say that Bootcheck had an “efficient” outing.

First time I’ve seen Felipe Lopez at second base. J.J. Furmaniak made a couple of very pretty plays at third. The relief crew has now gone three games in row (9.1 innings) without allowing a run.

Dale Thayer (missing his moustache) came on for two innings for the Bisons. Have to admit he was looking better than the end of last year. Lots of pop to his fastball. That’s enough, Dale. You’ve shown us your stuff. Go back to the bullpen and stay there.

Other stuff:

Because of a couple rainouts, the Bulls are only going to play 142 regular season games this year. That means that today’s game is the exact midpoint of the season.

Remember that Elliot Johnson visited the Bulls when they were up in Allentown playing the Iron Pigs? Turns out his blog writing spouse, Nicole, was traveling with him.

Rays Index discusses Alex Cobb, Justin Ruggiano, and the return of Jeff Niemann to the Rays' lineup.

How about a totally impossible, unsubstantiated, unlikely, couldn't possibly happen speculation? Why not? We note that the modestly well-known Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is on the disabled list and might (or might not) play a rehab game or two. We also note that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are in town later this week ...

Two Good Starts; Two Wins

Game 37, June 17, Coolray Field, Lawrenceburg, Georgia
Durham Bulls 8, Gwinnett Braves 5
Wrap, Box

Game 38, June 18
Durham Bulls 8, Gwinnett Braves 1
Season: 37-31; Last 10: 5-5; Trip: 2-1
Wrap, Box

I missed most of Friday's game, but the Dirk Hayhurst interview was instructive. Not making jokes, but instead talking about his pitching and then the early run support helping him out.

And then there was Desmond Jennings and Ray Olmedo getting on base a lot for Brandon Guyer to hit them in. The three of them pretty much kept that up into Saturday's game. Decent pitching, solid top-of-inning hitting, what more can you ask for?

On Saturday Alex Torres got his first win since May 1 (counting last night, he's had eight starts in that period — 1 win, 3 losses, 4 no-decisions). After his five innings, the relief corps of Delaney, Swindle, and De La Rosa had a perfect 4 innings. They did not let a single runner get on base. In fact, from the 3rd inning on, the Braves only had two men on base.

The oddity of the evening has to be Dan Johnson's four walks, one for a RBI. For a guy who's only hit one home run since he came back to AAA, they sure are being careful about how they pitch to him.

With the win the Bulls pull one game ahead of the Braves in the South Division and have one more game, today at 2:00, before coming home. Begins to look like we'll be back and forth with these guys all season. Much like the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies), the Gwinnett Braves seem to suffer a bit by being close to their parent club. The Braves have had 32 different position players on the roster this year (the Bulls have had 16).

Speaking of roster changes, time to speculate about the return of Alex Cobb. He pitched his last game for the Rays last night and did very, very well as reported by the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune. But now he's coming back to Durham (hooray!).

So, who gets thrown off the bus? Or at least sent back to the bullpen?

Only one of the current starting pitching crew has a recent history as a starting pitcher. In fact, only two of them (Hayhurst and Torres) began the year as a starter. So among Baker, Hayhurst, Bootcheck, Buente, and Torres who would you send back to the pen? Or off the bus entirely. Note that in the pen you've only have four who are not on the 40-man, Swindle, Delaney, Reid, and Cormier.

Let's see if the charts are any help. First a look at FIP, then at WHIP.

At this point, of course, the Rays have long since made their decision. It'll be interesting to see who, as they are packing out of their hotel this morning, gets told, "Don't worry about what time the bus leaves for Durham after the game. You're not going to be on it. Here's a ticket to [Montgomery/???]. Good luck."

Don't want to finish up without pointing out a couple of good pieces over at Rays Prospects. The first is a summary of how the Bulls did last week. The second is an analysis of the pitching prospects in the Rays system. Four current Bulls are on the list.