Sweep, Swept

The Bulls are getting a day off, then leave town for three games in Indianapolis and then three games in Louisville. Indianapolis is off to a slow start.

This was a frustrating home series with the Bulls first taking four games from Charlotte and rising to a solid grasp on first place in the South Division at 6 games above .500. Then they lost three in a row to Gwinnett and fell into a tie with Gwinnett at 3 games above .500.

Adding to the frustration was how the Bulls lost to the Braves: by giving up big innings in the first two games and then taking a tie game into the top of the 9th and one out, and not being able to hang on.

When it comes to stability this year, things are not looking good, 11 games, 10 transactions.

• RHP Jamie Schultz went on the disabled list almost right away. To fill his spot RHP Jeff Ames was called up from "extended spring training" (not sure what that means). Ames has already made three relief appearances and has only given up one run.
• Outfielder Johnny Field was hurt and went on the disabled list, but he's been hanging out in the dugout, so we can hope that he will be back soon. Cade Gotta came up from the Montgomery Biscuits and is 3 for 12 with 3 stolen bases so far. 
• Somebody with the Rays got an ouchie, which led to OF Shane Peterson being put on the 40-man and being called up (good for him). He hit a home run in his first at bat as a Ray.
• To replace Peterson, Granden Goetzman was called up from Montgomery. He's played in two games so far. 
• Tampa Bay called up RHP Chase Whitley and then the next day RHP Taylor Guerrieri was put on the disabled list. 
• Those transactions led to RHP Brent Honeywell being called up from Montgomery where the young (22 years) pitcher has had two starts this year. He has not yet pitched for Durham.
• And, lastly, RHP Yoel Espinal was called up from the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Rays A+ team down in Florida. He pitched a terrific 2 1/3 innings last night. In fact, an argument could be made that he should have stayed in the game after the first out of the 9th. Certainly, he could not have done worse than what was done.

Outside the game —

• The Herald-Sun and News & Observer have been doing an unusually good job on feature articles this year. In one, the current Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker recalled his time as a Durham Bulls manager when the Bulls were a Single-A Braves team. I was pleased to learn that even back then Bulls fans were obstreperous and noisy. Back in 1983 fans put together a petition and sent it to Braves management, to have Snitker replaced (this was pre-internet, so they had to have worked to get a petition together). Got me thinking ...
• As fans may have noticed, Jared Sandberg is managing from the dugout this year and new coach (and former Bull) Craig Albernaz is coaching 3rd Base. Sandberg discusses that change in a feature article by the Herald-Sun's Steve Wiseman. Hard to tell this early in the season if it will make a difference.

Great Beginnings

This year's Durham Bulls are off to a very strong start. They took three of four down in Lawrenceville, Georgia against the Gwinnett Braves and just swept four games from the Charlotte Knights.

About the only early worry we have is the health of the team. Pitcher Jamie Schultz went on the disabled list after his first appearance and last night's starting pitcher, Taylor Guerrieri, left the game with two outs in the 3rd. Outfielder Johnny Field is looking great, but he went on the disabled list earlier in the week.

Today the Gwinnett Braves come to town after winning three out of four against the Norfolk Tides (who are off to an awful 1-7 start). Very early days, but the two teams match up pretty well.

The Durham Bulls in 2016: Part 2 - The Pitchers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ERAs and FIPs

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

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

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

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

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

WHIP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitches Per Out

A home-grown measure of pitching efficiency

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

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

Loose Ends —

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

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

First Round of Durham Bull Callups; and Options Down

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

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

Blown Out in Charlotte

Game 131, Tuesday, 23 August, BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte, NC
Durham Bulls (Rays): 2
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 3
10 innings
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Faria 63; Season Avg 54 (11 starts, 56.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .680; Season .674; Diff .006

Game 132, Wednesday, 24 August, BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 5
Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox): 6
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Marks 48; Season 52 (21 starts, 121.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .773; Season .674; Diff .099

Game 133, Thursday, 25 August, BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte, NC
Durham Bulls: 7
Charlotte Knights: 12
Wrap, Box
Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 19; Season Avg 53 (26 starts, 126.2 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .819; Season .676; Diff .143

In this visit to Charlotte, the Durham Bulls managed to play themselves out of contention for the South Division championship.[standings] Could they play themselves back in? Only if the Knights and Gwinnett really stumble. The Bulls have six games with second place Gwinnett (currently on the three-game winning streak), two with Norfolk, and three with one of the best teams in the IL, the Columbus Clippers. Simply not very likely.

This visit to Charlotte was their big chance but the pitching crew, which had been a strength of this team, blew it. Neil Wagner could not hold on to a lead on Tuesday. The decision to move Ryan Stanek to a reliever role looks ever more questionable as on Wednesday he recorded his third blown save and 4th loss in relief since the All-Star break. And last night it was starter Jamie Schultz' turn as he gave up a grand slam in the second inning and left the game before the inning was out.

The hitters, for a change, did just fine. Just not enough to hold up the pitching crew.

Why then go to any of the eight remaining home games?

As a Bulls fan, not many reasons at all. As a baseball fan, however, all the usual reasons are still there: a chance to see a well-turned double play; a perfectly executed throw from under the Monster to second base; a stolen base; a home run; a nasty curve ball; a diving catch in center field; a cup of beer; a hot dog.

Outside the game —

• Patrick Kinas in back from Rio and in the booth. Doesn't seem to have lost a step.
• Ryan Garton is back from Tampa Bay.
• Tyler Sturdevant went back up.
• Richie Shaffer coming back. He got a grand total of 7 ABs while there. 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 K's, and scored a run.
• Manager Jared Sandberg was ejected for the 6th time this year, in Wednesday's game.
• The Charlotte Observer, which used to cover the Knights very nicely, is not any more.
• Not that different from Raleigh's N&O which has foregone next morning coverage altogether in the last few weeks.

Gee, I sound awfully grumpy, don't I?

At Least the Weather was Hot

Game 126, 18 August, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC
Norfolk Tides (Baltimore): 8
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 5
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Marks 9 (season low); Avg 53 (20 starts, 106.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .746; Season .669; Diff +.077

Game 127, 19 August, DBAP
Norfolk Tides (Orioles): 2
Durham Bulls (Rays): 3
11 innings
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 38; Season Avg 54 (25 starts, 125 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .885; Season .672; Diff +.213

Broke a six-game losing streak, but the next day ...

Game 128, 20 August, DBAP
Norfolk Tides: 4
Durham Bulls: 0
Season: 56-72; Home Stand: 1-2; Games Remaining: 16
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 69; Season Avg 56 (25 starts, 148.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .326; Season .669; -.343

Only one Bull got a hit last evening, Casey Gillaspie, and he got three of them. Did not manage to score, though. So the Bulls were shut out for the 18th time this season.

Austin Pruitt appeared to be flagging near the end, but he did reach 97 pitches in his 8 innings. At 148⅓ innings, he has the most innings pitched of any Bulls pitcher this year. However, at 2,158 pitches on the season, he is considerably more efficient than Jamie Schultz, who has used 2,236 pitches to get through 125 innings.

Dylan Floro is back from a lengthy stay with the Rays. Richie Shaffer has gone to St Petersburg after Nick Franklin got hit by a bat and the concussion protocol put him on the DL. Eury Perez is off the roster for the moment.

The International League South standings are not any less bizarre than the last time we looked, although the Bulls are in last place now. The Division could go to any of the teams currently clustering within a couple of games of each other.

Blown Save

Game 121, 13 August, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 5
Durham Bulls (Rays): 1
Season: 54-67; Home Stand: 1-1; Home Games Remaining: 12
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 89; Season Avg 55 (24 starts, 122 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .406; Season .672; Diff -.266

Jamie Schultz pitched his best game of the season and added to his league-leading strikeout totals by 11. He left the game with a shutout in hand.

At first, I wondered why Tyler Sturdevant was called in for the 9th. However, the facts were that he had only allowed 1 run in 9 appearances since the All-Star break. So, it seemed to make sense. But things got ugly in a hurry when two infield singles and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. Former Bull Jerry Sands came to bat.

The broadcasters mentioned that an intentional walk was the obvious call, setting up a possible double play. What were they thinking? Manager Jared Sandberg has only called for an intentional walk 5 times this year. It is simply not what he does as a manager (he only called for 8 all of last season). He is not alone in his thinking. The best team in the league, the RailRiders, has only called for 4. Still, Sandberg is the same guy who has said that hitting is contagious on both a team and individual level and Sands had gotten two of the three hits allowed by Schultz. Just sayin'.

All of which became moot when Sands hit a three-run home run. A couple more hits and a couple more runs later Parker Markel came in to get the last out. But not before Sturdevant had earned his 4th blown save and a loss, his ERA had ballooned from 1.14 to 2.51 and the Bulls had slipped out of first place .

Moving on to another topic: Unless local reporters, that would be the Herald-Sun, ask the question, or we happen to tune in to the broadcast early, we fans never get injury updates from the Bulls. Jaff Decker played last night for the first time since August 5. Injured? Probably.

Pitching

Since the All-Star break the relief crew has been doing a terrific job. By last Thursday, they'd brought their running ERA down from 3.79 to 3.43, even better than the starters. In just two games, two of them, Kyle Stanek up in Pawtucket and Sturdevant here in Durham, have added enough runs to push the entire relief crew's ERA back to being well above the team average.

click for larger view

Mistakes Matter

Game 116, August 7, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves: 5
Durham Bulls: 2
Season: 53-63; Home Stand: 2-3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 48; Season Avg 54 (23 starts, 114 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .294; Season .301; Difference -.007

Steve Wiseman, writing for the Durham Herald-Sun, captured some of my feelings about the game here:

In the eighth inning, [Casey] Gillespie represented the tying run at the plate with one out and Durham runners on first and second. But, on a 3-0 count, he grounded into an inning-ending double play.
“For a young hitter to come to Triple-A and get the green light, you try to get a good pitch to hit and do some damage,” Sandberg said. “Obviously it’s easy to be critical of him because he made an out. But I want him to be aggressive there. I was pleased with how aggressive he was.”
In the ninth inning, the Bulls loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a Gwinnett error and two walks. But, after working the count full against Braves hard-throwing closer Maikel Cleto, Alec Sole took a called third strike to end the game.

Actually, I'm not critical of Gillespie, I'm critical of the manager. The same manager who, at the start of the 6th inning, didn't even have a reliever warming up when Jamie Schultz was at 90+ pitches. After a double, a long fly ball that moved the runner to 3B, a walk, an errant pick-off throw that scored an unearned run, another walk, Schultz was up to 106 pitches. Markel was finally warming up. The same manager who, with an unusually deep bench, sent to the plate a fellow who has yet to have a hit for the Bulls.

By the way, new to the Rays shortstop Matt Duffy was with the Bulls on a rehab assignment, 0 for 4.

Outside the game —

• The Bulls have a day off. It's time to note just how much harder these guys work than their major league counterparts. The Bulls first game this year was on April 7, the Rays first game was earlier, April 3. The Bulls have played 116 games in 122 days. The Rays have played fewer games (110) in more (126) days and, of course, traveled in much more comfort. Today is the last day off of the season.

About those unearned runs ...

Unearned runs are the result of mistakes by the defending team. So, it somehow doesn't seem fair to count them against the pitcher. That's why we have earned run averages. Overall, one of the many problems of the Bulls this year is mistakes of various sorts (errors, passed balls, etc.). That situation can be expressed as the percentage of unearned runs as part of the overall runs scored against the Bulls. It is not a pretty picture. And it has been an unlovely picture for most of the year. For the International League as a whole, 10.5% of the runs scored have been unearned. For the Bulls, as of last night, 13.8% of runs scored were unearned. That's down from a season-high of 15.9% back on May 8th, but the Bulls have been above the IL average since very early in the season. Some of that percentage can be attributed to Eddie Gamboa's contribution to the passed ball numbers, a league-leading  28, but the Bulls also hold second place in errors in with 93.

Here's how the unearned run rate has looked since the All-Star break (game 93).

click on chart for larger image

Win Six; Lose Three

Game 111, August 2, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls: 1
Norfolk Tides: 2
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 58; Season Avg 54 (22 starts, 108.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .172; Season .301; Diff -.129

Bulls cannot seem to win at Harbor Park.

Game 112, August 3, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC
Norfolk Tides (Baltimore): 6
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 0
Season: 51-61, Home Stand: 0-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, MiLB (w/video)

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 28; Season Avg 55 (22 starts, 120.1 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .031 (season low); Season .299; Diff -.268

The Durham Bulls only managed two baserunners (and those in the 9th inning) as they were completely dominated by Tides' pitching to be shut out for the 14th time this season.

Oddly enough, however, after three losses, they remain in first place in the South Division of the International League. Standings.

Outside the game —

• Taylor Motter returned to the Bulls without getting an at-bat with the Rays.
• Juniel Querecuto was called up from Montgomery and played 2B last night.
• Richie Shaffer was called up to Tampa Bay and saw duty as a pinch runner in St. Petersburg last night. Apparently to play first base. Lame effort to explain turmoil here.
• The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs moved into first place in the IL North a day ago for the first time since 2012. [NoiseNation] They slipped back into a tie with the Rail Riders last night.

Bulls Sweep Hens

Game 106, July 28, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit): 2
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay):5
Season: 48-58, Home Stand: 3-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 56; Schultz on season: Quality Start % .667
Tm wOBA: Game .320; Season .300, Diff +.020

This sweep of the Mud Hens is a big deal. Not that the Hens are all that good a team, but Bulls pitching and hitting showed some real improvement. In fact, the offensive trends are up since the All-Star break.

As an example, sacrifice flies are a rarity this year. The Bulls have only had 25 in the season and only in two games have they had two. Both of those games were in July. Both of them wins.

Last night Richie Shaffer and Jake Goebbert both had sac flies in the 4-run 6th inning that won the game.

Outside the game —

• Patrick Kinas, the Bulls' superb broadcaster, is off to Rio to broadcast Olympic swimming. He will miss 22 Bulls games. In his absence we will be hearing quite an array of "voice talent". Check out the list at the link. 
• If I heard right, there's a very good reason that Casey Coleman suddenly went on the disabled list — he had an emergency appendectomy a couple of days ago up in Pennsylvania. Why the Bulls, or, for that matter, reporters that cover the Bulls, don't pick up on human interest stories like this continues to surprise me. About the only way to get details about the Bulls is to listen to Kinas' pre-game interviews with manager Jared Sandberg, which the Bulls don't podcast. At any rate, we wish Coleman well. No idea how long his recovery will take.
• Trade rumors are a'buzzin' [Rays Index]. Why should we care? Because the Rays could be trading for prospect talent and that talent could end up here, not to mention folks that might get called up to replace traded players.
• The Bulls have a day off. The Louisville Bats come to town on Friday, 7 pm.

The Bulls remain in second place in the IL South. The Charlotte Knights have had an awful stretch. The Gwinnett Braves have bounced back from a big collapse.

Arencibia Rules!

Game 96, July 17, NBT Bank Stadium
Durham Bulls: 8
Syracuse Chiefs: 4
Season: 42-54; Trip: 2-2
Wrap, Box, Syracuse

Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 49; Season Average 54 (19 starts, 93 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .392; Season .296; Difference +.096

Catcher J.P. Arencibia accounted for a big fraction of the runs yesterday, for both teams.

His solo home run in the 2nd inning started things off. Then a 2-RBI double in the 4th put the Bulls ahead 3 to 1. A bases-loaded passed ball let in a run for the Chiefs in the bottom of the 6th. Another solo home run in the 8th put the Bulls up 6-2.

Jamie Schultz is apparently on a very restricted pitch count, something like 75 pitches per game. He is up to 1,634 pitches on the year (19 starts), the most of any starter on the team. Perhaps because the Rays want him to be available in September?

At any rate, he did OK yesterday. Several of the newish guys followed, all except Danny Farquhar looked fine as well. Farquhar's stint was affected by yet another iron-handed play that led to two unearned runs.

Outside the game —

• I'm puzzled by the Chiefs' dismal attendance, just 3,000 for a Sunday afternoon. I've never been to Syracuse, so all I've seen of the park is what shows on the MiLB-TV shots. All day yesterday the background visual was trains, noisy trains. From the satellite shot (below) the location appears to be industrial, very different from so many other minor league parks that are located in the middle of cities. 
• Maybe it's their affiliation, they are far from Washington, DC.
• On the TV broadcast during the Friday blowout the announcer made the comment that the IL South Division was, "an affront to organized baseball." And he regularly pointed out the Bulls' dismal stats, especially their strikeouts and batting average, both worst in the league. So it was satisfying to take these last two games. I do have to note that he was more than gracious when he called the final inning of Marks' no-hitter.
• Nonetheless, it is a bit odd that the Bulls, who are 12 games below .500 are in second place in the South Division. [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.

Fireworks (Not by Bulls) at the DBAP

Game 86, July 4, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham,North Carolina
Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals): 9
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays): 2
Season: 37-49; Home Stand: 0-1
Wrap, Box, Herald Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Shultz 56; Season Avg 55 (17 starts, 86.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .397; Season .651; Diff -.254
Tm wOBA: Game .193; Season .294; Diff -.101
[See note below]

Pretty ugly pitching and hitting, but the weather was fine and a big crowd saw the fireworks ... after the game.

Reliable Jamie Schultz did quite well. Mark Sappington and Neil Wagner were awful. After their appearances, the Bulls bullpen was essentially empty, although Parker Markel, Steve Geltz, and first baseman Cameron Seitzer filled in for a couple of innings.

The crew was limited to just three hits.

Outside the game —

• Taylor Motter is back. He's a fun player to watch. Just wish his bat would come back to 2015 levels.
• Starting pitcher Ryne Stanek is coming up from Montgomery. This will be his Triple-A debut, but the exact date hasn't been announced. Stats.
• Tyler Sturdevant has been called back to Tampa Bay.
• Outfielder Johnny Field has gone on the disabled list.

Note on Stats —

• Game Score gives you a sense of how the starting pitcher did in a game. A game score of 50 is a "quality start". In this case, Jamie Schultz had a quality start and is having an above average season.
• The Team OPS for this game was well below the team's season OPS, which is the worst in the International League. Not a good game at all.
• The stats geeks think that wOBA is a much better measure of individual performance than OPS. I like it. But no site I've found tracks wOBA for either  a team or a league, so these are my computations. After 86 games the Bulls are just at .294. An individual player with a wOBA of .300 is considered a "poor" player. A .320 wOBA is considered average.

Durham Bulls Limp Home

Game 69, Friday, June 17, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls: 2
Norfolk Tides: 4
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot
Stats:
Game Score: Schultz 41; Season Average 55 (14 starts, 72 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .683; Season .651
Tm wOBA: Game .297; Season .294

Game 70, Saturday, June 18, Harbor Park
Durham Bulls: 0
Norfolk Tides: 1
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot
Stats:
Game Score: Pruit 74; Season Average 58 (14 starts, 81 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .198; Season .645
Tm wOBA: Game .102; Season .292

Game 71, Sunday, June 19, Harbor Park
Durham Bulls: 6
Norfolk Tides: 10on
Season: 30-41; Trip: 2-7
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Stats:
Game Score: Wilk 13; Season Average 53 (14 Starts. 80.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .580; Season .645
Tm wOBA: Game .258; Season .291

After his best game of the year on June 13, Adam Wilk followed up with his worst. But the Bulls were not helped by what turned out to be one of Jared Sandberg's worst decisions of the season.

By the middle of the 5th inning, Wilk had already given up 9 hits, 3 walks, and 4 runs. He was on his 97th pitch. He'd walked two batters and given up a single so far in the inning, loading the bases. A reliever was warmed up in the Durham bullpen. Yes, there were two outs and, yes, Tides' shortstop  Ozzie Martinez had little reputation, but what was the risk in taking out a pitcher who arguably should not have even started the inning?

Wilk gave up a grand slam and the Bulls were behind 8 to 2. They never caught up.

This was an awful road trip, the Bulls losing 7 out of 9 games. In these last three games they were swept by the worst team in the league, although you could now say that the Bulls are closing in on that distinction. Today's game will be the midpoint of the season (the International League plays 144 games, today is game 72) and we will be putting together some midseason stats. But they will not be pretty.

Why? We'll take a look at that. We could blame the Rays, and there's something to be said for that. They just got their head handed to them by the San Francisco Giants and their pitchers and hitters are not having great seasons. You could even argue that last season's turnover at the top of the Rays organization is behind what begins to look like two less-than-stellar seasons for the Bulls.

The question remains, however, are these players improving over the season or not? And if they are not, what's going on?

Should we even mention that in addition to the justly famed Bill Evers and Charlie Montoyo, the Triple-A Bulls had another manager who's name is never spoken, even though he managed the current Tampa Bay Rays manager? Should we mention he managed the 2006 Bulls who finished 15½ games out of first in the South?

Outside the game —

• Reliever Ryan Garton is back.
• Reliever Steve Geltz got called up.
• A Tampa Bay rehab, Ryan Webb, has joined the Bulls. He has never pitched for the Rays. He has pitched one inning for the Bulls and was charged with the loss.
• Tampa Bay reliever Dana Eveland may be showing up soon. He brings a less-than-stellar major league ERA of 7.56 over 16+ innings with him.
• The Bulls roster is short a couple of position players.

Streak Ends; Bulls Back Home

Game 60, June 7, Harbor Park, Norfolk, Virginia
Durham Bulls: 3
Norfolk Tides: 7
Season: 27–33; Trip: 1–1
Wrap, Box, Virginian-Pilot

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 31; Season Avg 56
Tm OPS: Game .583; Season .652
Tm wOBA: Game .246; Season .295

Well, it couldn’t last — the winning streak, I mean. Sure was nice, though. Yesterday, however, nothing went well for the Bulls. Austin Pruitt was coming off a terrific start, but found himself in a six run hole before the 2nd inning was over. Even when the Bulls hitters seemed to get a handle on rehabbing Oriole Yovari Gallardo, especially Jake Goebbert’s 2-run homer, it was too late.

Outside the game —

• Here’s some more details about Jamie Schultz's near-perfect game.
• Here’s a bit of trivia that I’d not heard before. When major league pitchers are rehabbing in the minors, they are provided major league baseballs to throw. Is that so? Maybe a reader will fill me in. What would be the difference, I wonder?
• Yesterday was not a good day for this year’s Bulls in the big leagues. Box. Taylor Motter started at 3B and went 0 for 4; Mikie Mahtook started in right field and was 0 for 3; Nick Franklin pinch hit and flied out. However, Ryan Garton did come on to pitch with one out in the 8th and had 2 K’s to finish the inning.

Bulls Pitching

This is a pretty picture. The team ERA (3.46) is now below the International League ERA (3.59). The big improvement is the relief crew. Over the last 15 games their combined ERA has dropped from 4.31 to 3.75.

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.

First Durham Bulls Series Win Since Mid-April

Game 54, June 1, DBAP
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: 3
Durham Bulls: 4
Season: 22–32, Home Stand: 2–1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Jamies Schultz let a lot of guys on base, but got through his 6 innings with only one run scored. Meanwhile, the Bulls chipped away with runs in the 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th, the highlight being J.P. Arencibia’s opposite field home run in the 7th that saw him chatter his way around the bases.

We should note that we watched the game via MiLB-TV which was only showing a fixed shot from up high and behind the screen. Not a good way to watch the game. Assume that the usual crew was in school.

Manager Jared Sandberg came close to outsmarting himself when he brought in Adam Kolarek for just one out in the 8th and then followed him with closer-in-training Dylan Floro. Floro had a solid 8th, but the 9th was very, very dicey with Floro allowing four hits.

Outside the game—

• Tim Beckham has been called back to the Rays. Not sure why Beckham got the call. He has not been stellar anwhere this year (2 hits in 16 at-bats as a Bull, 10 hits in 54 at-bats as a Ray). Nick Franklin, who is also on the 40-man, is doing just fine (for a 2016 Bull) with a .258 BA, .740 OPS, .332 wOBA, in 48 games. But Beckham’s status has been a puzzle to me for a long time.

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.

One-Man Home Run Show; Not a Bull

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

Game 44, May 21, DBAP

Rochester Red Wings: 12

Durham Bulls: 2

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

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

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

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

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

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

Outside the game — 

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

Pitching Update

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

A Win!

Game 24, April 30, Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, Kentucky
Durham Bulls: 3
Louisville Bats: 1
Season: 11-13; Trip: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Louisville Courier-Journal

Both the wrap and the Courier-Journal stories laud the performance of Durham Bulls outfielder Dayron Varona. Wish that I’d seen the plays. Worth a read.

Then there was Taylor Motter’s 4th home run (he playing third base for just the third time this season). And Kyle Roller’s 3rd homer. (Note that as early as we are in this season, five different players have begun a game at third base for the Bulls—basically every infielder on the roster.)

Jamie Schultz had a great start. His game score of 72 was the best of any Durham starting pitcher since his own 71 back on April 24th. He only let up 2 hits and threw 6 K’s over 6 innings.

Outside the game —

• Guess we aren’t the only ones upset about home field losses. Check out the Courier-Journal link. Seems that the Bats aren’t doing good at home either.

Chart

I like the Game Score stat as a way of looking at starting pitchers and, in context, it gives some indication of the importance of starting pitching. Here are the scores of the last 15 games. The circled scores are the anomalies. They mark scores that were above average, yet the Bulls lost (4 of them) or below average, yet the Bulls won.