The Durham Bulls in 2011 — The Hitters: Part II

The new guys, the rehabbers, and the visitors

John Matulia (24) has been playing professional baseball since he was 18 years old. When he came to the Bulls in July, it was his first time in AAA. He was up and down a couple of times in July as the Bulls' roster seemed to turn over almost every day. Eventually he stuck in Durham by early August.

• Played in 36 games (134 PA). Mostly he took over for Desmond Jennings/Brandon Guyer/Justin Ruggiano in center field (29 starts there). Not strong numbers — .238/.278/.429, wOBA .290, and they were about the same as he was showing in Montgomery. He hit 5 home runs and got 16 RBI. His speed got him 2 triples.
• At the end of the season John was one of the few Durham Bulls showing any speed in the field or on the bases, so he was needed. But even as a youngster, he needs a really good year to keep moving up. Not sure he will be back next year.
• Stats

Nevin Ashley (26) also came up from Montgomery in mid-July after Bulls catcher Jose Lobaton got called up, got hurt, then Bulls catcher Robinson Chirinos got called up to St. Pete. This was his sixth year as a pro. He had a couple of games with the Bulls in 2010 and is on the Rays 40-man.

• Played in 32 games (112 PA) mostly as a catcher (1 DH appearance). One of six different catchers who played for Durham this year, he had almost as many games as Jose Lobaton (38) by end of the season. Not very good offensive stats — .218/.273/.307, wOBA .256. However, 10 of the 21 guys who tried to steal on him got caught.
• A fan really can't judge a catcher's game-calling skills from the stands, but it looks like Ashley has a home in the Rays' system if he can get his hitting stats up.
• Stats

Stephen Vogt (26) came up from the Biscuits at the end of July and a more versatile player I haven't seen in a very long while. This was his fifth year in pro ball and first time in AAA.

• Played in 31 games (131 PA) at catcher (5 games), 1B (5 games), outfield (10), and DH (11). Good, strong, left handed bat — .290/.305/.516, wOBA .351.
• Seems like the Bulls have always had at least one strong left-handed bat in the line-up. Vogt may be that guy for 2012.
• Stats

Tim Beckham (21) joined the Bulls in early August, the last of the Biscuit call-ups on the year. In his fourth year as a pro. It was his first time at AAA.

• Played in 24 games (111 PA) all at shortstop and, I think, all as the leadoff batter in the lineup. Stats were OK — .255/.282/.462, wOBA .310, but they will need to improve as he moves up.
• Does he look like a superstar? No. Does he look like a good, solid middle infielder? Yes.
• Stats

Matt Carson (29) was signed out of the Oakland system at the beginning of August to fill in some big holes in the Bulls' outfield. Although he was briefly injured he helped keep the Bulls on track to win the South Division title.

• Played in 22 games (95 PA) all in the outfield. Good power — .250/.337/.512, wOBA .354.
• A long-time AAA ballplayer, hard to tell if he will be back. At a guess, probably more a matter of clubhouse "fit" than anything else. Heck of an arm.
• Stats

* * * * * 

The Bulls had a few players down from the Rays on rehab assignments. Shortstop Reid Brignac was in town for 11 games, catcher John Jaso for 6 games, Elliot Johnson was back for just 2 (both on the road), and Justin Ruggiano put in 6 of his games while on rehab.

* * * * *

Lastly, three players that don't really fit into any category.

Craig Albernaz (28) was present with the Bulls almost the entire season, not going down to the Montgomery Biscuits until the end of July when Nevin Ashley came up. But he rarely got into a game as he was mostly confined to a bullpen role. From the stands he appeared to be a vital part of the team, his good spirits infectious even at a distance.

• Played in 8 games (25 PA). Pitched in 4 innings in 3 games. Back in Montgomery at the end of the season he got in 29 games catching, an inning pitching, and a game at 2B (!).
• Obviously, we like Craig. Would be happy to see him in a Bulls uniform again.
• Stats

Casey Kotchman (28), the Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman, actually started the year on a minor league contract with the Durham Bulls. That's going to be a trivia question some day. However, the Bulls' season started a week after the Rays' season, which allowed enough time for the Manny Ramirez fiasco to start playing out. Played in 1 game (5 PA), single and a walk, and was called up to the Rays.

John Shelby (25), got in one game (3 PA) with the Bulls in late July and then went back to the Biscuits. We might see him next year.

Roadkill

Game 137, Wednesday, August 31, Knights Stadium, Fort Mill, SC
Charlotte Knights (White Sox) 10, Durham Bulls 2
Season: 78-59, Games Remaining: 5
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

My road game ritual goes like this:

Go to Bulls website. Click on "Listen Live" link and adjust volume. Click on "Watch Live" link and go through the MiLB TV sign-in and see what's there. In the case of Charlotte it's nearly pointless since the "TV" is a single camera set high over home plate. Click on "game day" to get the running pitch/box score.

Last night I went through all of the above. Got a bit of Neil Solondz's update (more later). Bulls end the first inning with two men on base. Charlotte comes to bat with Andy Sonnanstine starting.

First batter reaches base on a Daniel Mayora throwing error. Second batter reaches base on a fielding error by Ray Olmedo. Single, run scores. Single, run scores. Fly out (out #1). Double, run scores. Single, two runs score. Ground out. Strike out. Five runs on four hits and two errors.

Close web browser. Go watch regular TV.

* * * * * 

Outside the game, a good bit was going on.

Justin Ruggiano, Brandon Guyer, and Andy Sonnanstine are going to the Rays.

If I'm candid, I'm pleased to see Justin go back. He got a few hits while he was here, but his injury apparently kept him from putting in much of an effort on the bases or in the field. Setting himself apart by wearing the long trousers seemed to be a thumb in the eye of his teammates. Mostly he seemed to be taking up space on the roster.

As for Brandon Guyer, he's worked very hard for this chance in the majors. Good luck. The Bulls will be fortunate to get him back for at least the beginning of next season. Indy Week reports that John Matulia from the Biscuits will be his replacement. Welcome back, John.

Cannot imagine why Andy Sonnanstine was recalled, but his departure may help the Bulls. His ten appearances led to 3 wins and 6 losses and he carried a not-very-stellar 5.46 ERA. As fans, however, it probably won't make much difference in whom we see this year. It might have been more fun, however, to have taken a look at another Biscuit.

Congratulations are in order for Matt Moore and Stephen Vogt. They were named to the Southern League All-Star Team. More info here and here.

Elsewhere, the Gwinnett Braves split a semi-double header with Norfolk. Lehigh Valley lost (troubles up in Pennsylvania, here and here). So the Braves moved into the wild card spot and gained a half game on the Bulls. Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew, in the meantime, weren't much help to the Pawtucket Red Sox, who were swept by the Red Wings.

Russ Goes Home

Game 124, Thursday, August 18, PNC Field, Moosic, PA

Durham Bulls 5, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 1 

Season: 72-52; Trip: 5-2; Streak: 5-0, Games Left in Regular Season: 18

Wrap, Box, Wild Card 

The 10,000+ fans who came to see Alex Rodriguez on Wednesday dwindled to 3,000+ for Thursday. Apparently most of those came to see the Bulls' Russ Canzler. He put on a show for them and got some love in the local newspaper. Deservedly so. The local lad (from nearby Hazelton) had three hits, including a big home run in the 8th. 

Every year it seems the Bulls have a non-40-man roster guy who is beating on the door of the Rays in August. This year it's Russ Canzler. We can hope that the Rays are listening — just wait for the playoffs to be over, if you don't mind. 

Meanwhile the Bulls infield continued with some simply stellar baseball. Six double plays! OK, two of them came after errors by Bulls' infielders that let runners on in the first place, but six in one game has to be some sort of season high. (Am I too lazy to go leafing through all the box score? You bet I am.) Ray Olmedo's hitting might have fallen off a cliff since coming to Pennsylvania (0-8), but he and Tim Beckham make one heck of a pair out there at short and second. Pretty to watch them. Beckham, by the way, got his second home run of his brief AAA career. His rep was not as a batsman, but 7 RBI in 8 games for a leadoff batter is quite an accomplishment.  

With that kind of defense, as long as you're not giving up home runs, a pitcher can do just fine. Alex Torres went seven innings, Jay Buente finished off the last two. 

The Bulls have won five in a row. The Yankees have lost eight in a row. Brian Baker is starting tonight. Time for the big bats to roll out, cause Baker is gonna give up a couple of runs. We like Mr. Baker a lot, but he has only pitched 3 innings since July 25. We hope he's ready to come back. 

Speaking of coming back, catcher Robinson Chirinos, last seen in a Bulls uniform in Pawtucket on July 16, is coming back. John Jaso has finished his rehab and went to St. Petersburg yesterday. With Brandon Guyer back and covering center field, outfielder John Matulia was sent to Montgomery. Hope he's ready to come back, because I'm guessing the Rays are gonna want to take a look at Guyer in September. 

Pleased to read that Alex Cobb's surgery was successful.

Chart 

What we're looking at here is the team wOBAs for each of the last 15 games. The green bars are the Bulls, the red bars are the Bulls' opponents. The Bulls won 10 of the last 15 games and the widening gap between the trend lines helps explain why — pitching and defense has been just terrific.  By the way, the Bulls are now 20 games over .500, the best they've been all year.

Nice Home Stand

Game 117, Thursday, August 11, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Durham Bulls 6, Rochester Red Wings 1
Season: 67-50; Home Games Remaining: 9
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Examiner, Indy Week, Wild Card

The Bulls are off to Buffalo today after a very good 5-3 home stand. They have four games in Buffalo, four games against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, two games against the Norfolk Tides, a day off, and then are back here for their last home stand of 9 games (including a double header on August 27).

Matt Torra, who has been improving steadily since his arrival from Reno, had a very solid seven innings last night. The Red Wings did not get a baserunner until the last of the 3rd inning and didn't get a runner to second base until the 5th. Torra isn't a strikeout kind of guy, but he doesn't walk many either (none last night). He lets the fielders do the work and last night that worked out just fine. Particularly notable was John Matulia's over the shoulder grab of a Justin Marneau shot to deep, deep centerfield in the 6th and J.J. Furmaniak's nifty grab of a foul ball out of the Red Wing's dugout in the 7th. Torra did give up a home run, but that was it.

Adam Russell (let's be very quiet here and not disturb anything) continued his 0.00 ERA performance since his arrival. Rob Delaney closed out the 9th.

Russ Canzler continued his amazing performance — walk, single, triple, 2 runs scored. He leads or is close to the lead in a bunch of International League categories: Doubles (#1), Slugging (#1), Runs Scored (#1), Total Bases (#2), RBI (#3), Hits (#3), OBP (#2), Extra Base Hits (#1), Batting Average (#4), OPS (#1).

Ray Olmedo almost hit his first home run of the year, but the umps got together and decided that the ball hit the top of the fence. But Ray got 2 RBI out of the hit at any rate. His double was part of a four-run 2nd inning that was enough, with Torra's pitching, to win the game going away.

For a game oddity we had the Red Wings third baseman Chase Lambin get thrown out of the game while standing on first base after hitting a single to left. Speculation was that he griped about the ump's call of a close play earlier in the game. Don't think I've seen that happen before

Tim Beckham's first game as a Bull was notable for not being notable. He handled several plays straightforwardly and got an infield hit.

As seem to be the norm this year, we can expect more roster changes as the Bulls hit the road.

• The Herald-Sun and the Indy Week links above report that Justin Ruggiano is coming back to the Bulls as part of a rehab assignment. The Indy Week piece expresses some of the same cynicism that I have about this move. My hope is that Ruggiano doesn't let his maltreatment by the Rays affect his play. He could be a huge asset over the next couple of weeks, and he doesn't count against the Bulls 24 man limit.
• The same links are also reporting that Brandon Guyer and Matt Carson may be about to come off the DL. If so, someone will probably have to leave. My guess would be John Matulia back to Montgomery.
• There are some terrific photos at the Indy Week link.

Ups ... and Downs

Game 115, Tuesday, August 9, DBAP
Durham Bulls 10, Rochester Red Wings 6
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Game 116, Wednesday, August 10, DBAP
Red Wings 11, Bulls 3
Season: 66-50; Home Games Remaining: 10
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Examiner

The lights flickered on Tuesday night, but all was well in the end.

But last night. Last night. Last night. Oh, woe. Oh, woe. Let's just tell the worst of it and move on to something else. The scoring summary gives a clue. Durham: 12 hits and 3 runs. Rochester: 8 hits and 11 runs. How can that be? Good question.

It all started in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Bulls starter Ryan Reid's "troubles" began with a two-out walk to Rochester right fielder Rene Tosoni. Reid then proceeded to walk the bases full, but got off the hook with a grounder to third.

The 3rd inning was possibly the worst inning I've seen the Bulls play this year. Mr. Reid walked the first two batters. Ray Olmedo (at shortstop) bobbled a grounder from the third batter and the bases were loaded. Reid then walked in a run and was pulled.

Brian Baker came in for his first appearance since July 25th. (Note to broadcaster Steve Barnes — love the stories you and Scott Pose tell each other, but love background on players more. No background on Baker's long vacation from baseball. Had to look it up after I got home.) Baker induced an easy ground ball and I'm thinking, OK another run but things will be OK. But Olmedo committed his second error of the inning and two runs scored, leaving runners on first and second. Double, single and three more runs were in. Three runs on two hits. It would have been worse except for an accurate throw from outfielder John Matulia to home that caught an overaggressive Rochester baserunner trying to score from first on the third hit off of Baker. But, I have to note that the run saved by Matulia was given back with a throw into the dugout after a Rochester double in the 7th. That runner then scored — a "Little League Home Run."

Last note before going on to other things: The 11 walks awarded by Bulls pitching was the most in a game this year and, to explain the rest of that odd scoring summary, Rochester's four double plays meant that a lot of the Bulls hits didn't lead to runs.

Web World

• Over on Rays Prospects their analysis of hitting prospects has been updated.
• Ever wonder what the Arizona Fall League was about? DRaysBay has the answer.
• A fire almost got to 620's broadcast tower the other day.
• Reid Brignac gets an enthusiastic welcome back into the loving arms of Rays Manager Maddon. And honestly, if you were sitting on a jury, would you believe that story about Ruggiano's knee? I didn't think so.
• Here's a listing of the top 25 minor league ballparks in the country. Two in North Carolina make the list. The DBAP isn't one of them.
• I really like Nicole Johnson's Life of the Baseball Wife blog. Here are a couple of recent stories. Coping with "sportmanship"; a day in the life; and dealing with the other love.

Baseball in the Steam Room

Game 113, August 7, DBAP, Durham, North Carolina
Durham Bulls 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 4
Season: 64-49; Home Games Remaining: 13
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Examiner, Wild Card

Matt Moore showed himself to be human last night, allowing two runs in the 7th inning of what turned out to be a 6-4 game. But he also had a bit of bad luck up at the scoring table. Yes, he did start the inning by giving up a double and a single, putting runners on first and third. But Reid Brignac really did botch the grounder hit to him by Lehigh Valley's Josh Barfield — probably getting ahead of himself going for a double play. Instead of what should have been an E6, the grounder was scored as a hit. That meant that the run scoring from third was scored an earned run and on the books against Moore. If an error then the run goes on the books as unearned. The next run that scored (on a wild pitch from Jay Buente) might also have been unearned. And Moore's fabulous numbers would have been even better. Oh well, Moore will just have to live with the awful 1.09 ERA. Nice to see Moore's work so well recognized by Bulls fans as he left in the 7th. Gonna have to work on his hat tip, though.

This series with the IronPigs tested the mettle of the roster that we are likely to see through August and the end of the season. Although the changes are far from over, as you'll see below, we can hope that the pace of change will dampen down some. Russ Canzler rediscovered both his power and plate discipline last night with a single, double, home run, and a walk. Stephen Vogt's home run turned out to be very important. John Matulia's bat is hidden somewhere on the other side of Magnum St. Reid Brignac laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, but still isn't hitting all that well. Dan Johnson had the day off. My point is that this is the team we'll be watching for the rest of the month and they are playing pretty well, with each having his ups and downs. Given the brutal heat, that has to be expected.

Speaking of the heat, yesterday was just awful. Again, all praise to the conditioning of these young men.

The Bulls gained a game on Gwinnett and are now 2 1/2 games ahead of Gwinnett.

Roster changes. Brian Baker is back from his stay on the Hudson Valley roster. As noted in an earlier post, Cesar Ramos went back to St. Petersburg. The Bulls have no left-handers in the bullpen at all. John Jaso is coming back to the Bulls for what may be an extended rehab assignment. Should be in the lineup by tomorrow. That will help out a lot.

Question of the day: Who is the catcher who's been warming up pitchers while Ashley's been behind the plate and Vogt's been in left field? Not Craig Albernaz, too tall, too much hair. No name on his jersey. Anybody know? Anonymous answers welcome.

Last roster change: Broadcaster Neil Solondz has been called up to St. Petersburg for a few days. He's expected to rejoin the Bulls in Buffalo where he can spend the evening telling Fernando Perez stories.

Update: Oops! Forgot to put up the link to the fabulous Brignac-Johnson play on the 6th. 

Matt Moore Is the Real Deal

Photo Kailey Farmer, examiner.com

Game 103, July 25, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta) 9, Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) 3
Wrap, Box, Examiner, Indy Week

Game 104, July 26, DBAP
Durham Bulls 4, Gwinnett Braves 0
Season: 59-45; Home Stand: 4-2
Wrap, Box, Examiner

Tuesday’s game wasn’t very interesting and besides the Bulls lost, so let’s just jump to Wednesday’s game.

Matt Moore is the best young pitcher I’ve seen at the DBAP. I am not famous for the accuracy of my judgements regarding ballplayers; however, I watched every current member of the Rays starting rotation as they came through Durham (Price, Shields, Niemann, Davis, Cobb, and Hellickson) and I think at comparable points in their careers he’s better than any of them. If you live nearby you want to make an effort to see him before he goes on up to the Rays.

Fortunately, the Rays are famously cautious with the development of their starting pitching, so you may have time this season and probably the first half of next season to see him work. I wish I could say the same about how the Rays handle their AAA relief pitching assets, but that’s for later.

The matchup was terrific. Matt Moore against the Braves’ Mike Minor, also a left-hander. Statistically, there really wasn’t that much separating the two pitchers in the game. The obvious difference was the home runs Minor gave up to John Matulia and Leslie Anderson. And the record-tying 13 K's of Moore. But as we watched the batters flail away at Moore’s stuff there wasn’t much doubt as to who was the better pitcher. Most impressive of all was the apparent effortlessness of his delivery. This is a fun guy to watch. Both pitchers worked quickly. Possibly the shortest 9-inning game this year at 1:55.

John Matulia’s home run was a thing of beauty, a line drive that just sailed over the center-right wall into the seats. Two home runs in two days.

Reid Brignac is back and playing just fine. He had three well-struck singles against a sharp left-handed pitcher (how many lefties was he allowed to bat against with the Rays?) and was in the middle of a 4-6-3 double play. Since he’s going to be getting a lot of at-bats with the Bulls, we can hope that he will continue to help the team.

Now, I’ve put it off long enough. Let’s talk about the pathological behavior of the Tampa Bay Rays. Alexander Torres gets called up, pitches one inning on July 18, gets sent back. Dane De La Rosa gets called up, pitches 1 inning on July 20, gets sent back. Jay Buente gets called up, pitches 2 innings on July 26, gets sent back. Rob Delaney gets called up and pitches 3 innings (!) on July 27. Not sent back ... yet ... but the day is young. [See update below]

This is nuts. Not helping the Rays and it has to be hurting the Bulls as a team, not to mention what it’s got to be doing to the pitchers. Take this story about Jay Buente’s day. Of course, Maddon, who hadn't even met Buente until after he'd pitched his first inning, sent him back to Durham after telling reporters he was going to keep him for a while.

By the way, right-handed reliever Adam Russell is reportedly ready to play. No word yet on left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos. Both were recently sent down from the Rays, along with Andy Sonnanstine. The difference, obviously, is that when a player goes from Durham to St. Pete he’s got maybe 30 minutes to get to the plane. When the reverse happens, the player gets 5-7 days to report.

Brandon Guyer has gone on the disabled list. We are going to miss his bat for what will be at least a week, probably more.

Temperature's going up. Let's take it easy out there tonight. Air.

[Update: 
Reports on Moore's game in Indy Week and Herald-Sun. 
Rob Delaney is coming back to the Bulls and how Buente was told he was coming back to Durham in Tampa Tribune and St. Pete Times.
Will Joe Bateman get his chance? Is there anyone left?
Rays Index kvetches about Indy Week kvetching about roster turmoil.]

Bulls in the Fifth for Five in a Row

Game 101, July 24, DBAP
Durham Bulls 2, Toledo Mud Hens 1
Season: 58-43, Home Stand: 3-0; Streak: 5-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

The two guys you might think to be the most unhappy about being in Durham were the two guys who made the biggest difference last night — Andy Sonnanstine and Felipe Lopez. From a distance you'd think that neither could be happy about being in Triple-A and yet there they were, out there winning ball games. Part of what makes watching the Durham Bulls so much fun.

Mr. Sonnanstine went a solid seven innings, assisted by two double plays. Most write-ups noted his efficiency at just 83 pitches. Our little pitching efficiency metric, pitches per out, would agree. In his 17 innings so far he's at 4.08. The Bulls most efficient pitcher this year has been Alex Cobb who in his 65 innings with the Bulls was at 5.10. Cobb, by the way, won a game for Tampa Bay yesterday. He might not be coming back any time soon.

Felipe Lopez, at DH last night, hit the winning home run in the fifth, picked up his 37th RBI, had an additional double and single, and snuck past Brandon Guyer in batting average (.309 to .306).

It was good that the pitching was so effective last night, otherwise the story would have been leaving runners in scoring position. The Bulls were great at getting runners to third, but only once got the runner in (Furmaniak's single in the 4th). Speaking of J. J., is he coming out of his season-long troubles? We can hope so. Very likely that Reid Brignac's arrival will complicate the scheduling of infield duties, but the J.J.'s glove and now his bat are needed assets. Maybe some outfield time with the other infield/outfield players Anderson and Canzler.

Interesting interview with new guy John Matulia. |Durham Bulls Podcast|

Last night's win put the Bulls at 15 games over .500, the best this year. The five game winning streak ties the best for the year. The Gwinnett Braves lost both games of a double header to the Norfolk Tides and dropped to 2 1/2 games behind the Bulls in the IL South Division.

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 Bash 'Em; Bateman Back

Joe Bateman in 2010

Game 97, July 20, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls 7, Rochester Red Wings 6 (10 innings)
Season: 54-43; This Trip: 6-3
Wrap, Box, Rochester D&C

Three timely home runs, an extra inning win, and Joe Bateman back in a Bulls uniform, what could be better than that?

To hear the Rochester newspaper tell it, last night was something of a meat market for rehabbing Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey. The stands were reportedly full of scouts checking him out. The Bulls came to win a ball game. In the fifth inning Felipe Lopez hit a grand slam and Leslie Anderson hit a solo homer and the Bulls were ahead 5-1. Bulls pitcher Matt Torra was cruising along just fine until giving up a home run in the 6th. The ball was handed to new guy Marquis Fleming with a runner on first. Things got really ugly, really quickly with a wild pitch, error, two triples and the Red Wings were ahead 6-5 before Joe Bateman came in to close out the inning.

Bateman and Rob Delaney kept the Red Wings in check while the Bulls tied it in the 8th on a Leslie Anderson single that scored pinch-runner John Matulia and then won it in the 10th on a Russ Canzler home run.

For the first time this year I was glad to have MiLBTV because I got to see Joe Bateman rejoin the Bulls. One of my all-time favorites, he did a great job for the team in 2009 and especially in 2010. Last year he pitched 76 innings in relief with a spectacular 1.66 ERA. If Brian Baker's interview yesterday is any indication, he brings a lot to the clubhouse as well. Not sure what happened out there on the left coast with the Oakland system. Maybe we'll get an interview and find out. More stats. Welcome back!

Oh, the Braves lost. The Bulls are in first place in the South!

Early game today. New guy Jim Paduch is starting at 11:05.

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.

Take a Break

Game 90, July 10, Harbor Park, Norfolk Virginia
Durham Bulls 3, Norfolk Tides 1
Season: 50-40; Last 10: 6-4
Wrap, Box, Virginia-Pilot

Am I going to have to start saying nice things about pitchers I’ve been criticizing? Beginning to look that way. At least for today. Alex Torres and Jay Buente took the Bulls into the All-Star break with solid performances. Torres got the win and Buente got the save.

Torres has actually done quite well recently, winning four out of his last five games and getting his tendency to give up bases on balls under control. He's only had 12 walks over those five games. Trust me, for Torres that's great. He (and Buente) were helped a lot by the Bulls defense yesterday when they pulled off 4 double plays. Torres needed them since he gave up 10 hits, but just one double. Buente has made four appearances as a reliever now, 4 2/3 innings, 1 win, 1 save, no runs. Much better.

Meanwhile in the 6th Russ Canzler got on base with a single and Jose Lobaton walked. Robinson Chirinos' double brought them home. In the 7th JJ Furmaniak doubled, stole third, and came home on Felipe Lopez' sac fly.

The Bulls go into the break 10 games above .500 and a half game ahead of Gwinnett. Note that for the Bulls, the break is well past the midpoint of the season. They only have 52 games left in their 142 game season. Half of those will be at the DBAP, the other half on the road. If you haven't seen a game yet, you're running out of time.

Outfielder John Matulia is on his way back to Montgomery and Brandon Guyer is on his way back to the Bulls.

Mr. Matulia didn’t get a hit in his two games with the Bulls, but he did do a fine job in center field, making at least one nice catch that I happened to catch on MiLB.TV. Also managed to not be distracted by the seagulls, who appear to be a problem in Harbor Park. His sacrifice bunt attempt, mishandled by the Tides' pitcher, was the event that opened the door to the Bulls' win late Saturday night. So he did make a difference even if he didn't get credit for an RBI.

I'm guessing that Guyer will go through Salt Lake City for the AAA All-Star game on his way back to Durham.

* * * * * 

Ready for some weirdness (thanks to DRR for the tip)?

Last Saturday the Yuma Scorpions played the Lake County Fielders at the Fielders home field in Zion, Illinois (north of Chicago). They won the game 8-3. Nothing special about that, until you take a look at the box score and check out the battery. The pitcher was former Ray Jose Canseco and the catcher was former Bull Joey Gathright! And Canseco got the win. Gotta admit that's some kind of weird.

But wait! There's more! Why was he pitching in the first place? As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times the Fielders manager and several players had walked out in protest over a pay dispute prior to the game and the Fielders team for the day were mostly pitchers. Player/Manager of the Scorpions, Jose Canseco, decided to make things more even by putting himself in the game to pitch. More details in the Yuma Sun. 

And there's more! An owner of the Fielders is none other than Bull Durham star Kevin Costner.

In addition to the sheer fun of just chasing this one down, I had been wanting to do an update on Joey Gathright. He created a lot of excitement as a Bull several years ago. Good to know that he's still in baseball.

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?