Durham Bulls Sweep Chiefs; Bisons in Town; Charts!

Syracuse came to Durham on a six-game winning streak. They left town on a three-game losing streak. Last night the Bulls' bats simply got very, very hot — especially Patrick Leonard who is now at .413 on the season!

Disturbingly, the Bulls pitching roster is short two starters and one of the fill-ins, newcomer Edwin Fierro left the game with an injury last night.

Time for some charts. All can be expanded by clicking on the image.

The Bulls lead the IL South and have the best won-loss record in the league.

Pitching is better than the league average, with the relief crew doing a simply superb job.

As are the hitters, with last night's game being their best effort of the year.

Tonight the Bisons are in town. The Blue Jays' Triple-A team leads the International League North and is arriving after splitting a series with Norfolk (and putting up with much of the same weather we've seen this last week).

Familiar faces on the Bisons include pitcher Jeff Beliveau from 2013 and 2014, catcher Luke Maile who was with the Bulls for much of 2015 and 2016; and infielder Jake Elmore, who had 57 games with the Bulls (and 51 with the Rays) in 2015.

Who's in Camp? Durham Bulls from 2016

2016 Position Players

Of the 19 Durham Bulls who played in 25 games or more in 2016, just 8 are in the major league camp with the Rays this spring. And of those, 3 are on the 40-man roster of the Rays, having a shot at sticking with the team. For more info, check out our end-of-season report here.

Here's last season's group, listed in order of # of games played. Players now in the Rays camp are in bold.

• Richie Shaffer, 199 games: Now with Cleveland Indians (via Mariners, Phillies, and Reds over the winter)

• Daniel Robertson, 118 games with Bulls in 2016: On Rays 40-man. Infielder. 22 years old. Not having a particularly good spring with 23 ABs and just 2 hits.
• Dayron Varona, 117 games in 2016: Non-Roster invite to spring training. Outfielder. This spring: 6 hits in 18 ABs. 

• Jaff Decker, 99 games in 2016. Now with Oakland Athletics.
• Jake Goebbert, 93 games in 2016. Now with Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Taylor Motter, 88 games in 2016. Now with Seattle Mariners
• J.P. Arencibia, 78 games. Free agent?

• Jake Hager, 71 games with Bulls in 2016. Non-Roster Invite. Infielder. 23 years old. Spring so far: 21 ABs, 3 hits.
• Johnny Field, 69 games. NRI. Outfield. 16 ABs. 3 hits.
• Nick Franklin, 64 games. On 40-man. Infield. Having a decent spring, but only 18 AB and 9 hits.
• Luke Maile, 58 games. On 40-man. Catcher. 20 AB, 8 hits. 

• Kyle Roller, 50 games. Free agent?

• Casey Gillaspie, 47 games. NRI. Infield (1B). 24 years old. Impressive spring. 19 AB, 5 hits (2 HR).
• Patrick Leonard. 42 games. NRI. Infield. 18 AB, 4 hits.

• Cameron Seitzer. 40 games. With Chicago White Sox
• Juniel Querecuto, 36 games. With San Francisco Giants
• Hank Conger. 30 games. With Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Mikie Mahtook, 27 games. With Detroit Tigers.
• Eury Perez, 17 games. With Pittsburgh Pirates (May see him with Indianapolis).

Update [14 March]: Ooops! This is position players only. Makes my head hurt trying to keep track of the pitchers.

The Durham Bulls in 2016: Part 3 - The Hitters

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

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

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

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

Click on chart for larger image

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

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

The Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rest

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

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.

Luke Maile Coming Into His Own?

Luke Maile

Game 87, July 5, Goodman Field
Syracuse Chiefs: 6
Durham Bulls: 4
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Marks 37; Season Avg 48 (12 starts, 53 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .816; Season .653; Diff +.163
Tm wOBA: Game .352; Season .294; Diff +.058

Game 88; July 6, Goodman Field, Durham, North Carolina
Syracuse Chiefs: 2
Durham Bulls: 11
Season: 38-50; Home Stand: 1-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
GSc: Faria 72; Season Avg 69 (3 starts, 15 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.072; Season .658; Diff +.414
Tm wOBA: Game .478; Season .296, Diff +.182

These are big hitting numbers to go along with a solid game, and first Triple-A win, by new guy Jacob Faria.

The guy I want to call attention to today is Luke Maile. Last night he had 2 doubles raising his total to 12 on the season and collected his 12th RBI. That doesn't sound all that special until we recognize he had a stretch of time early in the season on the disabled list and a not-very-successful early June. But in the last month, he's been hitting at a .309/.373/.471 pace, with 5 of his 12 doubles and 2 home runs (the only ones this year). He's started at catcher in 43 games this season, the rest of his games are as the designated hitter. Maile got a late call-up last year with the Rays and did OK behind the plate, not so good at bat. But lately, he's looking better, much better. He's on the 40-man and the Rays have catcher issues.

[Note: Former Bull  catcher Steven Vogt selected as All-Star. Surely one of the most egregious mistakes in Rays history to let him go off to Oakland.]

Meanwhile, recent returnees Jaff Decker and Taylor Motter picked up 4 RBIs between them and every Bull except Mayo Acosta got a hit (and Acosta got a sac fly RBI).

Outside the game —

• Manager Jared Sandberg recently gave a talk to a Durham sports club. Some insights into his managing philosophy presented.
• Dylan Floro got his first call-up to the major leagues. Likely to make his debut today. Good luck! Congrats!
• To make room, Dana Eveland, who has three appearances with the Bulls this year, was DFA'd.

Die By the Home Run; Live By the Home Run

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the game —

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

Short and Sweep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the game —

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

Big Day at Bat; Shaffer?

Game 74, Wednesday, June 22, DBAP
Charlotte Knights: 4
Durham Bulls: 6
Season: 33-41; Home Stand: 3-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 50; Season Avg 54 (15 Starts, 77.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.018; Season .649
Tm wOBA: Game .435, Season .293

A big day at bat for the Bulls, as the stats show. But let's get to what matters to Bulls fans first — Richie Shaffer. From a distance (We watched the game on TV) it looked like a "face plant" as he sprawled to his left reaching for a ground ball. After he finally stood up trainer was busy checking out his upper jaw. Today's Herald-Sun is the only source we have on outcome:

The Bulls lost third baseman Richie Shaffer in the sixth inning after he landed hard while diving for a ground ball. He was able to walk off the field. Sandberg speculated that Shaffer may have injured his neck or upper back.

Assuming tradition followed, any update is more likely to come from Tampa Bay than local sources, although perhaps from the radio lead-in to today's game.

Shaffer's departure led to a reshuffle of folks on the field including bringing in Mayo Acosta to catch. We like Acosta and we could not be more happy to report that he got his first hit of the year after 32 at-bats.

Meanwhile, Luke Maile got his first home run of the year, Jake Goebbert got his 6th (plus a sac fly), and Jayron Varona got his 8th.

Jamie Schultz was much improved from his last two starts, which were not very good at all. In fact, all of the Bulls pitchers kept all the Knights in check — except for former Bull and Smithfield High School product Jerry Sands. Sands hit two 2-run homers. Essentially telling the White Sox they shouldn't have DFA'd him. (Ironically, he was DFA'd to make room for another former Bull James Shields.)

If the name of the pitcher getting the win, Dana Eveland, is new to you, that's because he's new to the Bulls. It was his first appearance in a Bulls uniform. "Well-traveled" would be an understatement describing the 32-year-old's career. He has played for 10 different major league teams and 9 different AAA teams. Experience could be a good thing, though. I'd guess it depends on how he works out in the clubhouse.

Outside the Game —

• Gonna be a bit warmish tonight. Predicting 97° for game time.

Bulls Start With a Win; Callups Coming?

Game 72, Monday, June 20, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, North Carolina
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 2
Durham Bulls (Rays):3
10 innings
Season: 31-41; Home Stand: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 60; Season Avg 49 (9 games, 53.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .575; Season .644
Tm wOBA: Game .261; Season .291

Justin Marks had an unusually good start, but left the game with the Bulls behind by one run. The bullpen crew threw no-hit ball for 3⅔ innings and the Bulls scored a run on a Nick Franklin single, a Richie Shaffer double, and a Dayron Varona single tieing the game.

In the 10th, after the Bulls got runners on 1B and 3B, Charlotte let Cameron Seitzer get to 2B on defensive indifference, then gave up on a 3-2 1 (oops! Tnx Chris) count and intentionally walked Johnny Field. Knights pitcher Tommy Kahnle walked Daniel Robertson and the Bulls got their first win in quite a while.

This is a critical series for the Bulls as they reach the half-way point of the season. Good start.

Outside the game —

• The Bulls are now ½ game out of second place in the south.
• Two Tampa Bay players were injured yesterday. WDBB favorite Mikie Mahtook had his hand broken by a pitch and infielder Steve Pierce pulled a hamstring. More info here and here. 
• Can expect two callups today. Bulls currently on the Rays 40 man are Richie Shaffer, Nick Franklin, and Luke Maile. However, the Rays are very clever about manipulating the rules. So, they could add to the roster. Who gets a call? I'd guess Richie Shaffer for one. But who else? Dayron Varona? Or give a prospect a shot? Johnny Field?

Update: Nick Franklin got the call to Tampa Bay (playing in Cleveland). Juniel Querecuto called back from Montgomery. Still short one on roster.
Update to Update (16:19): Relief pitcher Ryan Garton recalled (didn't occur to me that Rays would reach out for a pitcher. Bulls now two short on roster.

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.

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.

One to Fourteen

Game 25, May 1, Slugger Field, Louisville, Kentucky
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 0
Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): 3
Wrap, Box, Courier-Journal

Game 26, May 2, Victory Field, Indianapolis, Indiana
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 9
Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates): 2
Season: 12-14; Trip: 2-1
Wrap, Box

Last night was a big change from being one-hit and shut out on Sunday to a 14-hit blowout on Monday. Daniel Robertson led the charge with walk, 2 singles, a double, and a triple (4 RBI). And several more had a multi-hit game: Taylor Motter, Richie Shaffer, and Jake Goebbert.  The only Bull who did not get a hit was returning catcher Luke Maile, who had his first game behind the plate since coming off the disabled list over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Adam Wilk, who had not previously gotten much in the way of run support, got his first win on the year in a 7 inning, 0 earned run outing.

Outside the game —

• Andrew Bellatti went on the disabled list when Luke Maile came off. Mikie Mahtook remains on the list.
• The Gwinnett Braves had their roster shredded with three players being called up (including former Bull Reid Brignac) and two or so Atlanta Braves being optioned down. Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Win, Roster Moves, and More

The Durham Bulls go into a double-header today after a rainout and a flurry of roster transactions following Thursday’s win:

Game 15, April 21, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls: 4; Norfolk Tides: 2; 10 innings
Season: 9-6; Trip: 5-3
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

On a very windy day, the game went into the 10th tied at 2-2. A Richie Shaffer double made all the difference and Jhan Marinez got his second win in relief.

But then things got busy.

• Blake Snell got called up to pitch against the Yankees. This attracted a lot of attention in the webworld, including these notes from the Tampa Tribune, Rays Index, MLB Trade Rumors. Apparently he will be sent back to the Bulls after his start today.
• Young Chih-Wei Hu has been called up from Montgomery to fill Snell’s spot. He’s carrying an ERA of 0.00 in his first two starts with the Biscuits. He could be fun to watch if he gets a start in Durham. Stats.
• MLB Trade Rumors reported that Rays reliever Danny Farquhar was being sent down. Have not seen that anywhere else and not quite sure how that works out.
• Mikie Mahtook went on the disabled list for a pulled muscle, joining Luke Maile, who may, or may not, come off soon.
• To fill Mahtook’s spot Cameron Seitzer has returned from “extended spring training”. Seitzer played in game 1 this year, and several games last year. He was taken off the roster to make room for veteran Jake Goebbert. Goebbert is batting .050 in his 11 games (2 for 40 with 5BB) since being claimed from the  Pirates. Seems like the Bulls would have been better off if Seitzer hadn’t been gathering rust these last 14 games.

Outside the game —

• The DBAP got new infield grass (So now I get to worry about brown patches in right field). All because those Trinity College guys are messing things up. And then the ACC tournament is coming. But does look good from the stadium cam. 
• N&O columnist Jake Shaffer reported that Peanut Guy, Da’Quan Samuel, got “fired” because season ticket holders were getting annoyed. Well, yeah, Samuel was a bit over-the-top, but so is Shaffer. “The peanuts will never taste as good.” Really? On the other hand, the column got a comments supporting Samuel. For myself, after two years, yeah, I got annoyed sometimes. Particularly on days when the stands were almost empty. On the other hand, on an Education Day it was fun.

Split With Charlotte; On to Gwinnett

Game 8, April 14, BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte, NC

Durham Bulls: 2

Charlotte Knights: 0

Wrap, Box

First shutout of the season. Jamie Schultz looked very good. Taylor Motter got his first home run.

Game 9, April 15

Durham Bulls: 6

Charlotte Knights: 2

Wrap, Box

Austin Pruitt has another terrific start (Game Score-78). Mikie Mahtook got his first home run. Jake Goebbert got his first hit of the season. Luke Maile pulled hamstring. Ends up going on DL. Mayo Acosta added onto the active roster.

Game 10, April 16

Durham Bulls: 1

Charlotte Knights: 4

Wrap, Box

Game 11, April 17

Durham Bulls: 1

Charlotte Knights: 2

Wrap, Box
Season: 6-5; Trip: 2-2

Blake Snell started off game by giving up 4 hits and a hit batsman. Overall a shaky start although only one run scored. Mahtook batted 5th, the first time this season he has not batted leadoff. Mahtook and Shaffer have played in every game so far this season. Mayo Acosta made his first appearance since Sep 6, 2015. Note: Acosta is mostly a bullpen catcher for the Bulls. Home run given up by Snell is the 11th this year by Bulls pitching, the worst in the IL.

Matchup

The Bulls will play the Gwinnett Braves at Lawrenceville the next three games. They lost two out of three to the Braves in Durham last week. The Braves are turning out to be one of the best teams in the league so far this year, and certainly the best in the South Division.

Close, but No Comeback; Watch Out for the Wind

Looks Breezy!

Game 2, 8 April 2016, Durham Athletic Park
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 8
Durham Bulls (Rays): 6

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

The Bulls had a nice lead going into the 6th, but Andriese ran into a bit of trouble and new-to-the-Bulls reliever Tyler Sturdevant let two runs score and gave up one of his own. The Bulls came back to tie it up, however 2015 stalwart Jhan Martinez couldn’t hang on.

Continuing my look at this year’s team …

The Lineup

(note: The “slash line” is: Batting Average/On Base Percentage/On Base Percentage+Slugging; “*” indicates player is on 40-man roster)

RF Mikie Mahtook*: 2 for 4, 1 BB, scored 2 runs. Season — .333/.400/.733
CF Jaff Decker: 2 for 5, scored 2 runs. Season — .500/.500/1.100
SS Taylor Motter*: 1 for 5. Season — .300/.300/.600
1B Richie Shaffer*: 3 for 5, scored 1 run. 3 RBI. Season — .625/.667/1.542
2B Nick Franklin*: 1 for 5, scored 1 run. Season — .222/.222/.444
3B Daniel Robertson: 3 for 3, scored 1 run, 1 HR, 2 RBI. Season — .500/.625/1.625
DH Kyle Roller: 0 for 3. 1 RBI (sac fly). Season — .000/.000/.000
Roller spent the last two seasons with the AAA team of the Yankees, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. Exclusively a DH and first baseman he was signed as a minor league free agent. Solid stats. Looks like a good addition to the roster. Stats.
LF Patrick Leonard: 0 for 4. 1 RBI (bases loaded ground out). Season — .250/.250/.625
C Luke Maile: 0 for 4. Season — .250/.250/.625

The Pitchers

RHP Matt Andriese*: 5 ⅓ innings. 6 hitds, 4 ER, 0 BB, 9 K’s.
Matt Andriese is essentially with the Bulls for a month or so while the Tampa Bay Rays work with a 4 (instead of 5) man pitching rotation. He had a fine year last year in his 65 innings with the Bulls and his 65 innings with the Rays. Stats. Solondz interview.
RHP Tyler Sturdevant: ⅓ inning. 1 hit, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 inherited runners scored.
Sturdevant spent 2015 with the Cleveland affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. Decent stats.
RHP Ryan Garton: 1⅔ innings. 1 hit, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K’s
Garton is working his way up through the Rays system. He had 70 K’s in 61 innings last year with Montgomery. Stats. Solondz interview.
RHP Jhan Martinez: 1⅔ innings. 2 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s.
Martinez was a star of the 2015 Bulls bullpen. Have to think he will come around. Stats. Solondz interview.

Outside the game —

• Rosterification begins. Cameron Seitzer who started at 1B on Thursday is off the roster and Jake Goebbert has been assigned. Gooebert was claimed off waivers from the Pirates. We’ll profile him when/if he ever shows up at bat.
• Baseball America had some love for Blake Snell's game Thursday (Thanks to DRaysBay for the link).
• Tampa Bay has released a top prospects list. Several Bulls are on it. 

Singing in the Rain — Nice Start

Game 1
Durham Bulls (Rays) - 7
Charlotte Knights (White Sox) - 3
Season: 1-0; Home Stand: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun (paywall), N&O, WRAL

The weather was ugly. Cold mist swept across the field as the National Anthem was sung (quite well, by the way, by a Duke a cappella group). Blake Snell kept things on track for the Bulls. Charlotte’s Scott Carroll only lasted an inning and a third. After the rain stopped, the temperature dropped like a stone, but it was baseball! And the Bulls won!

Here begins my look at this year’s team. Starting with last night’s lineup.

The Lineup

(note: “slash line” is Batting Average/On Base Percentage/On Base Percentage+Slugging;(OPS) “*” indicates player in on 40-man roster)
Also note that former Bulls broadcaster Neil Solondz has interviewed a bunch of these players. All of the interviews worth a listen. See the links below.

RF Mikie Mahtook*: 2 for 5, scored 2 runs. Season — .200/.200/.400
Mahtook spent much of last year with the Bulls playing in 98 games with .209/.304/.670. And he really looked good in his 41 games with the Rays (.295/.351/.970). So why is he back? Hard to tell. Perhaps to get playing time? The Rays really like the outfielders they have. Stats. Interview.
CF Jaff Decker: 3 for 5, stole 3B in 1st inning. Season — .600/.600/1.400
First game as a Bull. Decker signed with the Rays as a minor league free agent. Had some major league time with the Pirates last year and 69 games with the Indianapolis Indians (.214/.371/.693). Stats. Pre-season interview with Neil Solondz.
SS Taylor Motter*: 2 for 5, stole 2B. Season — .400/.400/.400
Motter was a star for the Bulls last year. He played in 127 games with a slash line of .292/.366/.837 with 26 stolen bases. He apparently impressed Rays in spring training, so there’s a good chance he will spend some time with them this year. Stats. Solondz interview.
DH Richie Shaffer*: 2 for 3, 1 BB, 3 RBI. Season — .667/.750/.1.417
Shaffer had a busy 2015 playing for the AA Montgomery Biscuits (39 games), the Durham Bulls, (69 games — .270/.355/.937), and 31 games with the Rays at the end of the season. Stats.
2B Nick Franklin*: 1 for 4. Season — .250/.250/.500.
Franklin played in 57 games for the Bulls last year (.266/.353/.853) and 44 games with the Rays. Stats. This will be his 8th year in baseball, but he’s still just 25 years old. Maybe this year?
3B Daniel Robertson: 0 for 3, 1 BB, scored 1 run. Season — .000/.250/.250
Young (22) Mr. Robertson came out of the Oakland system and played in 78 games in Montgomery last year. This was his first game at AAA. Stats. Interview. A player to watch this year.
1B Cameron Seitzer: 1 for 3, 1 BB, scored 1 run, 1 RBI. Season — .333/.500/.1.167
Seitzer came up from Montgomery at the end of 2015. He did fine in his 7 games as a Bull. Another player to watch this year. Stats.
LF Patrick Leonard: 2 for 4, scored 2 runs, 1 RBI. Season — .500/.500/1.250
Leonard (also a youngster at 22) also made his AAA debut last night. At Montgomery in 2015 he was mostly an infielder, splitting time at 3B and 1B. Last night was his first game at AAA. Seems like the Bulls have a lot of third basemen this year. Stats. Interview.
C Luke Maile*: 2 for 4, scored 1 run, 2 RBI.  Season — .500/.500/1.250
Luke Maile had 84 games with the Bulls last year (.207/.298/.594) and 15 games with the Rays. We like him a lot. Stats. Interview.

The Pitchers

LHP Blake Snell*: 5 innings, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K’s
Snell is much written-about, so I won’t add anything here except to say that he’s the Rays hottest pitching prospect and the Bulls will be lucky to keep him for a couple of months. He helped the Bulls a lot at the end of last year. Stats.
RHP Dylan Floro*: 3 innings, 1 ER, O BB, 5 K’s
Mr. Floro, on the other hand, was not our favorite Bulls pitcher last year. He’s back, this time as a reliever, and things are looking up. He certainly did a good job last night. So perhaps the 25 year-old is back on track to the majors. Stats.
RHP Andrew Bellatti*: 1 inning, 1 BB, 1 K
Bellatti probably should not be in Durham, but the Rays are pretty deep, so they can afford to leave a young (24) player here. Expect him to be rotating back and forth, much as he did last year (46 innings as a Bull, 23 innings as a Ray). Stats.

Outside the Game —

• Think I’m going to get used to the netting. Here’s some TV of the netting going up.
• Unlike most years the Bulls have a bunch of position players on the 40-man (7) and only 3 pitchers.
• Also, the Bulls don’t appear to have any left-handed relief pitchers.

Bulls in the Bandbox by the Bay

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six to the Rays

The first round of September call-ups were announced last night. This is going to get complicated today and over the next couple of days as we find out who's going to be filling in.

Pitchers

• Matt Moore
• C.J. Riefenhauser
• Kirby Yates

Hitters

• Mikie Mahtook
• Richie Shaffer
• Luke Maile

All except for Luke Maile are are the Rays 40-man so nothing needs to be done there except to make room for Maile. That will probably be announced today. Worst case, for the Bulls, is for a current member of the Bulls team to be designated for assignment, which would mean that he could not play for a few days, if at all.

Note that the Biscuits clinched the second half win are in the Southern League playoffs. They likely will be making the case that they not get stripped of their best players.

Today is José Constanza's 32nd birthday. He will be celebrating in a Bulls uniform. If the name is familiar, he spent much of last year in a Gwinnett Braves uniform and the early part of this year in a Louisville Bats uniform. Last played in mid-July. Stats.

Long-time Durham Bull Justin Ruggiano is back with the team that drafted him, the LA Dodgers.

Bats Muffled

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Season: 55-58; Home Stand: 3-5

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

This was possibly the best all-around Bulls game of the year. The run differential of 9 runs was, by a couple of runs, the biggest of the year. The 16 hits and 8 walks were part of a team OPS of 1.064, 300 points above the IL average of .717. Matt Moore and 3 relievers held the Bats to just 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run with 11 K’s. 

It was a rainy night in Durham. I watched on TV and noticed all the fans huddled under their umbrellas. Ground balls in the outfield spun up rooster-tails as they ran over the grass. One long ball to the right field wall didn’t bounce, it just died on the warning track. Several times the grounds crew was out with Diamond-Dry for the mound and batter’s box (trivia question of the day: What is Diamond-Dry made from?). Batters were constantly wiping their bats down between pitches (How could that possibly do any good, I thought. Maybe?)

Every Bull got a hit, except for Hak-Ju Lee. However, Lee got an RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the the 1st inning. Mikie Mahtook is back and batted leadoff. He started with a single and followed up with a 3-run homer in the 6th. He looked more comfortable at the plate than I’ve seen him all year. New guy Joey Rickard is making the most of his time in AAA. He was 4 for 6 and is hitting .444 so far. Taylor Motter was 4 for 5 in one of his best games of the year. Luke Maile got back up above the Mendoza Line.

Meanwhile, the newest Bull is Rays star left-hander Matt Moore. He has been sent down to sort out his recovery from surgery and, after some real troubles with the Rays last month, he gave the Bats a tutorial on big league pitching. He may not yet be back to his best fastball, but his off-speed stuff was nasty. Indeed, he had four perfect innings before a couple of singles got through in the 5th. The rest of the inning was ground outs (with one walk), but a run got across. The 6th was 3 up, 3 drown. 

He was followed by Andrew Bellatti, not seen for quite a while. He K’d the side. Then Bradin Hagens for his first appearance as a reliever in this trip to AAA. He gave up a single before getting the next three batter out. José Dominguez walked one, but he was double up and a ground out finished the game.

Bulls-Bats games over the years have often been fun to watch. The Reds have a good system and, usually, manage their guys well. 

Maile Makes Good

Season: 48-43; At Home: 22-21; This Home Stand: 2-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Home plate umpire Brian De Brauwere had his hands full last night. He was on the crew (at first base) back on May 1st when the Bulls played the PawSox up in Pawtucket. Veteran catcher for the PawSox, Humberto Quintero, chunked a full-strength throw into Bulls catcher Luke Maile’s gut and later in the game spiked Hak-Ju Lee. We summarized the aftermath at the end of a post back on May 3.

De Brauwere's first big challenge came in the 2nd inning. Cory Brown was attempting to score from second base and to everyone (except the one guy who mattered) it sure seemed like Brown made it past the tag. So we’d have to say he (De Brauwere) missed his first chance.

Corey Brown slides under Humberto Quinetero's tag
Photo by Sue Roth

If Quintero got a gift then, the Bulls Maile in the 5th did not. Again, folks in the stands figured that Boog Powell in left field made a perfect throw home to catch the runner. De Brauwere did not agree.

Maile tags Jamile Weeks
Photo by Sue Roth

However, as they say in some circles, payback …

Even after wearing out the grass between home and the pitcher's mound — Quintero must have gone out the mound 15 or 20 times last night trying to sort out the PawSox pitching crew; he was the main reason the game went on for 3½ hours — in the 8th the Bulls managed to load the bases. Luke Maile hit a very pretty double that cleared the bases putting three runs across and putting the Bulls ahead 8-7.

Even more fun in addition to Maile's 3 RBI ensued. Boog Powell singled and Maile moved to third base. Ryan Brett and Mikie Mahtook struck out and J.P. Arencibia came to bat. Boog Powell attempted a steal of second base. On the throw, Luke Maile headed for home. So we were seeing double steal in action. Powell beat the throw to second and the second baseman threw home. Quintero blocked the plate without the ball as he waited for the throw (remember he’s an old-school guy). Catcher’s interference was called and the run scored. Luke Maile, the young catcher Quintero had essentially slugged in the gut back in May had three RBI plus had stolen home for a fourth run (in the books it will go down as an error on the catcher)! So, in the eyes of WDBB, umpire Brian De Brauwere had redeemed himself.

It got better when he threw PawSox manager Kevin Boles out of the game a few minutes later. Boles was last seen flipping a bird at the ump. Here’s hoping he gets whacked with a serious fine for that bit of childishness.

Lots of other thrills in last night’s game as the Bulls seem refreshed from their break. Richie Shaffer showed a ton of plate discipline as he drew three walks and got a RBI on a bloop single. Corey Brown got two doubles. The team batted around twice and came from behind twice, something not typical in this year’s Bulls.

Roberto Zarate actually looked very good for 4⅔ innings, but that previously mentioned call at home and then an uncharacteristic error by Corey Brown messed things up for him. Similarly, C.J. Riefenhauser got some solid defense from catcher Luke Maile and almost got out of a bad start to the 8th. But then a 3-run homer had him with at least a blown save. He ended up, however, with the oddity of a blown save stat and a win stat.

Best of all from the pitching side is that, at least for this game, the Kirby Yates of 2014 came out of the bullpen and struck out the side. That is a very, very good sign for the Bulls.

Outside the game —

• Scanning down the Pawtucket roster we see our old friend Ronald Belisario looking very odd in his brand new PawSox hat. Expect we’ll see him the next day or so.
• Last night the paid attendance 10, 370 and it looked like almost all of them actually came to the game. Good vibe, even if some of them were members of the Red Sox Nation.