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.

Big Day at Bat for Bulls

Game 130, 22 August, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls (Rays): 10
Norfolk Tides (Orioles): 6
Season: 57-73; Trip: 2-0
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Stats:
Game Score: Cobb 27; Average 33 (3 starts, 11 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.113; Season .673; Difference +.440

From the beginning this was very unusual game. At the top of the 1st inning, in just four pitches, the Bulls hit back-to-back-to-back home runs: Casey Gillaspie (batting left-handed), Taylor Motter, and Jaff Decker. Since Daniel Robertson was on base for Gillaspie's shot, the Bulls were ahead 4-0.

Unfortunately, for him and for the Bulls, Alex Cobb's rehab does not appear to be going well. Over his 4 innings, the Tides came back with four runs on 9 hits, two walks, and no K's. The Bulls came back with two more runs in the top of the 5th, but Cobb started the bottom of the inning giving up a single and was pulled out for Parker Markel. The Tides scored two in the inning leaving the score at 6-6.

In the 7th the Tides' pitcher hit Daniel Robertson and Gillaspie (batting right-handed) hit his second home run of the game, putting the Bulls ahead 8-6. In the 9th the Bulls loaded the bases and two runs scored on a Dayron Verona single.

A couple of important things happened in this game. The Bulls' hitting was as good as it's been this year, the best in terms of total bases at 28. The Bulls have no choice when a pitcher is with them on a rehab assignment. Everything is dictated by the Rays — pitch count, innings, even the baseballs he throws. So it's up to the bullpen to carry the weight. And that's what they did last night. Markel, Eveland, and Geltz only let one run in while the hitters were doing their thing.

Outside the game —

• Virginian-Pilot reporter Jim Hodges is my kind of guy. Remember our curiosity about why manager Jared Sandberg got tossed at the beginning of Sunday's game? Hodges chased it down.

   For those wondering why Durham manager Jared Sandberg was ejected after only one batter Sunday, be advised that the process actually began a night earlier and 185 miles or so away. From the third-base coaching box on Sunday, Sandberg advised umpire John Bacon that he had missed a strike call a day earlier in Durham. Words over the Saturday call were exchanged between Tides batter Dariel Alvarez and Bulls catcher Curt Casali, and the discussion escalated into a rumble in which both benches and bullpens emptied but no punches were thrown.
    Then the two clubs – and the umpires – moved on to Norfolk, where Sandberg decided that the issue should linger. And Bacon decided it, and Sandberg, shouldn’t linger at all.
   “I don’t know why I was ejected,” Sandberg insisted Sunday. “You’ll have to ask the umpire.”
   International League umpires do not comment about such situations.

• About those baseballs Alex Cobb was throwing, they are major league balls and they manufactured in Central America. The IL's baseballs come from China. There's speculation that the MLB versions are being juiced. 

Roadkill

Game 117, August 9, McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 1
Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston): 3
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 50; Season Avg 55 (23 starts, 133.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .486; Season .668; Diff -.182

Game 118, August 10, McCoy Stadium
Durham Bulls: 4
Pawtucket Red Sox: 5
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Cobb (Rehab Start) 22
Tm OPS: Game .658; Season .668; Diff -.010

Game 119, August 11, McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Durham Bulls: 5
Pawtucket Red Sox: 6
Season: 53-66; Trip: 0-3; Games Remaining: 25; Home Games Remaining: 14
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Faria 65; Season Avg 51 (9 starts, 44 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .822; Season .669; Diff +.153

Coming into the bottom of the 8th inning today things were looking pretty good. The Bulls had a 2 run lead.  Big arm Kyle Stanek had had a 3 up/3 down 7th inning. But then — walk, out, out, home run, walk, home run, and the PawSox have a 2-run lead.

In the top of the 9th, the Bulls loaded the bases, and a walk scored a run. But the game ended with the Bulls a run behind and the bases still loaded.

It was something of a change for the light-hitting Bulls to lose a game because of poor pitching, but that was the reason in game 119. Otherwise, the PawSox thoroughly dominated the Bulls.

Changes:

Rehabbing Matt Duffy went to the Rays. He didn't look too happy to be with either the Bulls or the Rays, although someone did get a major leaguer's batting helmet to him. Based on the unfairly small sample, the Giants (who got Matt Moore out of the deal) certainly got the better end of the trade. Two for 11 in 3 games.

Alec Sole, who didn't get a hit in his three games with the Bulls, was sent to Montgomery when Daniel Robertson came off the DL. Robertson was hit by pitch today and left the game. Hope he's OK. Rehabbing Alex Cobb is with the team for at least one more outing. He had a couple of ugly innings in game 118 (and lost the game). Richie Shaffer is reportedly coming back. He was in 3 games with the Rays and had a single and a double in 6 at bats.

Rays Rosterize the Bulls; More Moves Likely

First a little housekeeping. Infielder Daniel Robertson has gone on the DL, likely for the injury he sustained Saturday night. See comments about that here. Cameron Seitzer, who has been on and off the roster a lot this year, is back on. Second, as regular readers know, we here at WDBB are far from expert on how the business of baseball really works.

On to the big news ...

The Tampa Bay Rays dealt away three players from their 25-man roster for just one major leaguer, and he's on the disabled list. A good summary article is in the Tampa Bay Times. Dealt were two former Bulls. Lefty Matt Moore is off to the Giants. He remains on my list as the best pitcher I've ever seen at the DBAP (pre-Tommy John). Brandon Guyer is off to the Cleveland Indians. And a player who likely played in the DBAP along the way, but in a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or Indianapolis uniform, Steven Pearce. He's going to Baltimore and will likely have an impact on the Tides' roster.

Not one of the five minor leaguers the Rays received in the trade appears to be Triple-A ready.

Impact on the Bulls:

• Taylor Motter, who was just named International League Batter of the Week, was called up last night.
• Reliever Ryan Garton was also called back up, his third call-up this year.
• That leaves Richie Shaffer and Hank Conger as the only position players left on the Rays' 40 man roster.
• The Rays have three players on the DL and what appears to be a couple of vacancies on their 40-man. So we can guess that at least one more player is going to Tampa Bay, but possibly not Richie Shaffer.
• There are a couple of players on the Montgomery roster we've seen before. We might be seeing at least one of them.
• The Rays have a hole in their starting pitcher lineup, but will likely use former Bull Matt Andriese for the short term.
• Bulls pitchers on the 40-man: Jacob Faria, Steve Geltz, Danny Farquhar, and Tyler Sturdevant. All except Faria have seen some time with the Rays this year.

Bottom line: Probable near-term damage to the Bulls hopes for 2016.

A 14 Inning Win

Game 105, July 27, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Toledo Mud Hens: 4
Durham Bulls: 5
14 innings
Season: 47-58; Home Stand: 2-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 58; Season Avg 52 (16 starts, 91 innings, 50% "quality starts")
Tm wOBA: Game .281; Season .299; Diff -.018

The longest game of the year ended in a very satisfying victory with a clear-cut hero in Jaff Decker. First, his 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th tied the game. Then he bunted for a single in the 14th. Got moved to second base on a Hank Conger sacrifice. Then scored for the walk-off win on a beautiful Daniel Robertson hit down the right field line. Robertson got the ice dump, as he should have.

Before that 9th inning home run, we were regretting the decision for Justin Marks to come out for the 7th inning. Up to that point, the Bulls were ahead 1-0. We did note, however, that the Mud Hens were hitting a lot of deep fly balls, 8 so far in the game. After a walk, a deep fly ball got over the wall and that put the Mud Hens ahead. It wasn't until then that the Bulls even had a reliever warming up.

Rhyne Stanek had his worst appearance of the year. Two runs were added. The rain started falling. I went home and turned on the TV in time to see Decker's heroics.

I'm liking young Casey Gillaspie more and more. It seems odd to me to find a player who plays only first base, but he does a good job of it and he gets on base, a lot. Given the differences in their appearances and games played, you have to think it's very odd that he and Jaff Decker lead in a lot of statistical categories. They are 1 and 2 for both on-base percentage and OPS. Decker's been in 72 games, Gillaspie in just 10. Gillaspie had a double and a walk last night. Richie Shaffer, by the way, had three walks in his 6 plate appearances.

Outside the game —

• Ryan Garton came off the DL to pitch in last night's game.
• Casey Coleman went on the DL.
• Melvin (the shortstop formerly known as BJ) Upton is now with the Toronto Blue Jays and back in the American League East. Fondly remembered as "E6" for those of us who sat on the first base side of the field during the three years (2004-2006) he spent time with the Bulls. During those years he committed 111 errors, earning his nickname. On the other hand, he was also just about the most gifted pure athlete to wear a Bulls uniform for an extended period of time.
• We mentioned all the trade talk. Here's an example from Rays Index. There's lots more.

Conger Has a Good Night

Game 104, July 25, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, North Carolina
Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 2
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 8
Season: 46-58; Home Stand: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Faria 56; Season Avg 47 (6 starts, 26.2 innings)
Team OPS: Game .952; Season .668; Diff +.284
Team wOBA: Game .383; Season .300; Diff +.083

In yesterday's post, I complained about new guy Hank Conger who was not having a particularly good introduction to the Bulls, hitting just .130. Nor could I understand why he'd be put in a DH slot with that kind of record. And then there he was in the lineup as DH as I filled out my score card! I grumbled about that all through the first two innings, along with being appalled at the appearance of the turf. The outfield looks just awful.

I continued to be sure of my opinion even after Mr. Conger's single in the 3rd inning. After all, every one of the players on the bench, Jaff Decker, Richie Shaffer, or Daniel Robertson, had much better stats than him. But then he came to bat in the 4th. By that time the Bulls had scored a run off an Arencibia fielder's choice. Runners were on first and second with two outs. So what did he do? Batting left-handed (he's a switch-hitter), he chips one over the Blue Monster, bringing home 3 runs and putting the Bulls ahead, 4 to 2. Jake Goebbert hit a home run the next at bat to put the game away.

Bottom line: As much as it pains me to my soul to admit it, putting Hank Conger in the lineup in the DH slot was the right call last night.

Jacob Faria had a good night. It was particularly notable following his last two starts where he had Game Scores of -6(!) and 24.

But it was a hitters' game. J.P. Arencibia continued his hot streak with a single and 2 RBIs. Taylor Motter hit two doubles, scored 2 runs, and had an RBI. Dayron Varona had a double, walk, scored a run, and an RBI. We've already mentioned the homers by Conger and Goebbert.

Plus, we need to mention that twice the Mud Hens put a runner on third base with a triple and neither of them scored. Good defense, good pitching.

Outside the game —

• The Montgomery Biscuits, Tampa Bays' AA team, is in first place in  their division in the Souther League. (standings)
• The Bulls are 12 games below .500, but have moved into sole possession of second place in the South Division of the International League. (standings).
• The web is abuzz with possible deals involving the Rays. Most of the speculation involves them trading off starting pitchers. If they are dealing pitchers for prospects, we can expect some roster turmoil here with the Bulls.

Durham Bulls Tied for First

Game 100, July 21, PNC Field, Moosic, Pennsylvania
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 8
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees): 4
Season: 45-55; Trip: 5-3
Wrap, Box, Scranton Times-Tribune

Stats:
Game Score: Marks 46; Season Avg 53 (15 starts, 84 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .415; Season .297; Diff +.118

The Bulls are in 1st place in the International League South Division! How weird is that? They are 10 games below .500 and yet they are tied with Charlotte for first place. Plus, they won a game from the best in the IL in a very impressive fashion. See the chart below.

At first, it looked as if Justin Marks, who threw a no-hitter his last time out, was going to have a very short outing. He got through the first inning OK, but the 2nd was a disaster. Then, the Bulls had a great top-of-the-3rd with Taylor Motter's 2-run homer a highlight and acting manager Ozzie Timmons left him in the game. A couple of double plays helped as he did a good job through the 5th.

Timmons and, very likely, pitching coach Kyle Snyder, had to make the decision because manager Jared Sandberg had gotten himself thrown out of the game in the 1st inning. By my count, this was the fourth ejection of the year (2 wins and 2 losses) and gets us wondering about his anger management skills. Did he have a legitimate beef? Probably. Nick Franklin had taken a pitch off his hand that was called a foul ball, not a hit-by-pitch. Franklin ended up leaving the game.

In the 4th Richie Shaffer hit a long home run to tie the game. Jaff Decker drew a walk and did some nice base running to get to 3B on a Daniel Robertson single. Decker came home on a Johnny Field sac fly. That put the Bulls ahead to stay. Speaking of Decker, in the 8th the accounts will show he hit a double, and that's fair. What they don't say is that the hit was a dribbler that barely made it past the infield and the RailRiders didn't expect Decker to even think about going to second base until they looked around and there he was standing on the bag. Decker came home for the Bulls' 8th run on a Johnny Field single.

Add in Daniel Robertson's 2-run homer in the 6th and you have the Bulls best day at bat in a long while.

Parker Markel came back from Hudson Valley to pitch the 6th inning. Ryan Garton has been put on the disabled list. [Note: I assume that most readers of WDBB understand that to/from Hudson Valley transactions are typically paper transactions. Markel, for example, has very likely been traveling with the team, just not wearing a game jersey.]

Kirby Yates, one of WDBB's all-time favorites (e.g., see a typical post here), came to the mound to pitch the 9th inning for the RailRiders. After coming up through the Rays system Yates started the season as a Yankee. He came down to the RailRiders at the end of June. Overall, he seems to be doing OK on the year even if he's back in Triple-A. J.P. Arencibia, who must have caught him a couple of times last year, seemed particularly amused during his at-bat, and he managed a single off of him.

Standings

Sunshine Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the game —

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

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.

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.

Shutout in Columbus

Game 49, Huntington Park, Columbus, Ohio
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 2
Columbus Clippers (Cleveland): 0
Wrap, Box

This was only the second shutout by Bulls pitching this year. The last came on April 13, the 8th game of this season. Jamie Schultz seemed to recover from the rough outing he had in his last game and pitched 6 shutout innings. Parker Markel got his first win as a Bull, in relief. Adam Kolarek faced just one batter in the 9th, gave up a hit, and was replaced by Dylan Floro, who appears to be the Bulls new closer. Floro got his second save of the season, and his career, with just 10 pitches. Shultz and Floro were both involved in the April 13 shutout, as was Tyler Sturdevant, who had a clean inning against the Yankees last night.

All of the Bulls' runs were scored off a Nick Franklin double that brought in pinch-running Patrick Leonard and Daniel Robertson. Tim Beckham had a nice day back at shortstop by starting a key double play in the 9th and fielding a grounder for the last out.

Snell Looks Good

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

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

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

Outside the game—

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

Bag Rules

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

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

click for larger image 

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.

What If?

Game 23, April 29, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Louisville Bats: 4
Durham Bulls: 2
Season: 10-13; Home Stand: 1-5
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

For the stats geeks, one play made all the difference. For the fans, not so much. As Blake Snell started the 6th he was moving into unknown territory, having not gone more than 5 innings this year. He gave up a single. The next play was a very hard grounder just to the left of second base. Bulls shortstop Daniel Robertson knocked it down, but could not start the double play. Result: runners on first and second, no outs. In our section of the stands, the ruling was 3-1 to call the play an error on the shortstop. The official scorer called it a hit. Snell then got an out, but next gave up a home run and the Bats were ahead 3-2. He walked the next two batters and was pulled from the game. His replacement, new guy Danny Farquhar, let one of the baserunners in. So all four runs were charged against Snell and his ERA went up quite a bit. If it had been an E6, some of those 4 runs would have been unearned.

On the other hand, the Bulls had their first error-free game in a long while. They committed 11 in the previous six games.

This was as dismal a home stand as I can remember. Unless something got on track on the bus ride to Louisville, it’s not going to get much better. The Bulls play five games games against the very same teams they just played in Durham — two against Louisville and three against Indianapolis.

Outside the game —

• Joey Rickard, who was a great-looking young Durham Bull at the end of last season, went to the Baltimore Orioles in a Rule 5 draft action. He beat the Rays the other day.

Chart: ERAs and FIPs

The ERAs and FIPs(Fielding Independent Percentages) of the Durham Bulls pitching crew, sorted by innings pitched. the usual early season, small sample warnings apply.

Promising Pitcher; Pants!

Game 4, April 10,  Durham Bulls Athletic Park

Charlotte Knights: 4

Durham Bulls: 6

Season: 3-1; Home Stand: 3-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

In his first Triple A start Austin Pruitt was spectacular — the longest and best outing of any starting pitcher this year. Kyle McPherson, who followed him, not so much.

In the top of the 4th RF Jaff Decker crashed into 2B Daniel Robertson not too long after hitting his home run in the bottom of the 3rd. Dayron Varona took his place and hit a double and a homer (3 RBI). Now that’s depth in right field.

What’s really different about the Durham Bulls this year? Trousers.

OK, it took me a while to notice, but I’m guessing youth (as in managerial youth) finally won out. Yesterday most of the Bulls were in long pants. In all previous years the only players in long pants were re-habbing major leaguers. Pitcher Austin Pruitt and 1B Richie Shaffer were holdouts in knee breeches.

First Look: Pitchers

RHP Austin Pruitt: 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 11 K’s, Game Score - 73
For his AAA debut Pruitt had a career high number of strikeouts, a solid 6 inning start, and a win. He spent last year in Montgomery, pitching 160 innings and recording 122 K’s. He looks to be a very solid asset. Stats.
RHP Kyle McPherson: ⅔ innings, 2 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 2 K’s
McPherson was simply awful in his short outing. He has been playing pro ball for parts of 9 seasons, although the last time he put in a lot of innings was in 2011 in the Pittsburgh system. He’s coming back from surgery and spent 2015 in the Rays system. The Rays are good at spotting pitching talent, so we hope that this game is an anomaly.  Stats.

Outside the game —

• Set your recorders for PBS’s documentary on Jackie Robinson. Starts tonight on WUNC. 

Bulls hitting against Charlotte was pretty darn good. Here’s the team OPS for each game compared with a three-year International League average, and this year’s running IL average. [Update: I forgot to add that the current season OPS of .840 leads the IL]

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.