Stumbling at Home; Mud Hens Arrive

Missing from the accounts of the last four games is the fact that a former Bull played a key role in two of the Bulls' losses. Richie Shaffer, who spent part of 2015 and most of 2016 with the Bulls, is now in the Cleveland system. He got key hits in games 2 and 3 of this series.

Nevertheless, even after losing three games in a row, the Bulls remain firmly in first place.

Rosterification

Just to try to keep things up to date ...

• LHP Justin Marks went up to the Rays. Got DFA'd and then claimed by the LA Dodgers. I'm just a blogger, but sure looks like a dumb move by the Rays.
• RHP Chih We Hu is back, but not as a starting pitcher. So that hole remains unfilled.
• RHP Yoel Espinal went back to Montgomery
• RHP Kyle Winkler is back from "extended spring training"
• Outfielder Johnny Field came off the disabled list
• Outfielder Shane Peterson, who started the year with the Bulls, is back from TB.
• Outfielder Granden Goetzman, surely one of the more exciting Durham Bulls in a while, has gone back to Montgomery.
• Outfielder Dayron Varona has been "assigned" to the Hudson Valley Renegades. 
• RHP Austin Pruitt, who has been with the Rays all year, but spent last year in Durham, is headed to the Bulls
• RHP Diego Mareno got called up.

Matchup - Toledo Mud Hens

In most years visits by the second-most famous team in minor league baseball, the Toledo Mud Hens, are fun. Probably will be fun this year as well. The Mud Hens are leading the West Division, but their numbers are not good. On paper, the Bulls should be in good shape. On the other hand ... Tampa Bay, where's a starting pitcher? The Bulls have been without a 5th starter for a long time and it's starting to show. They used three (3!) position players as pitchers the other night. They gave up 10 runs on 7 hits and 6 walks in 2 innings, putting a severe kink in the team's pitching stats.

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.

End of Season Call-Ups

Tampa Bay reached down into the Durham Bulls roster after yesterday's game and pulled a few guys up. Mostly expected, but a couple of surprises. Links here and here.

• Left-hander Justin Marks was the surprise. He's got a lot going for himself. He's thrown a ton of pitches (2,400) with little apparent ill effect. He's left-handed. He has some experience as a reliever. He's got a decent WHIP (1.27). His won-loss record of 7-11 wasn't stellar, but neither was the team behind him. And he's got that big no-hitter. Plus, 13 of his 25 starts had game scores of greater than 50. Good luck!
• Mikie Mahtook was no surprise at all. Here's hoping he gets some playing time. He's had a tough year.
• Richie Shaffer is in the same category. His season with the Bulls has shown only rare moments of flash. But some of those moments have been in August. Again, good luck to both.
• Steve Geltz was called back. We like him. We hope he does well enough to stick with the Rays into 2017.

But who did not get called up? Yet. The two that stand out are infielders Tim Beckham and everyman Taylor Motter. Tampa Bay beat writer Mark Topkin speculates at the end of his article. Since the player for whom the Rays gave up Matt Moore, Matt Duffy (we saw him here on a rehab assignment), is out for the season, you'd think that one or both of these guys have a shot.

To make room on the roster, Bulls catcher Hank Conger was designated for assignment.

The only other Bulls on the 40-man are starting pitcher Jake Faria, who is probably done for the season, and reliever Tyler Sturdevant, who has been back-and-forth a lot this season. Some possibility that he could go back up.

Lastly, Eddie Gamboa had a very solid three innings against the Orioles yesterday. Box. Good for him!

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?

Big Night

Game 120, August 12, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, NC
Charlotte Knights (White Sox): 2
Durham Bulls (Rays): 10
Season: 54-66; Home Stand: 1-0; Remaining Home Games: 13
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Games Score: Marks 74; Season Avg 55 (19 starts, 111.2 innings)
Tm OPS: Game 1.212 (season best); Season .674; Difference +.538

The Bulls' very best night of hitting this season,  a solid start by Justin Marks, and a loss by the Gwinnett Braves: The Bulls are back into first place in the South Division of the International League!

Durham's 13 hits included 4 doubles and 3 home runs. Richie Shaffer celebrated (?) his return to the Bulls with a single, double and home run that resulted in 2 RBI (he played right field). Center fielder Johnny Field also had a double and home run ; catcher Curt Casali had a single and home run. In all, Bulls hitters accumulated 26 total bases, the most in a single game this year.

Meanwhile, Justin Marks' post-All-Star break performance has been exceptional. In his six starts, five have above-average Game Scores; his ERA is just 2.38 over 41.2 innings; and, of course, he threw a no-hitter.

Outside the game —

• The Bulls moved into first place in the South. Should the front office start printing playoff tickets? Order 2016 South Division Champs T-Shirts? Re-sod the outfield?
• Alec Sole, who went over to Montgomery after several hitless games with the Bulls, had two hits, including a home run, in his first game with the Biscuits.
• Juniel Querecuto went to Hudson Valley to make room for Richie Shaffer.
• The Bulls are still carrying three catchers.

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.

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.

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.

Baserunning, Hot Bats, First Place

Game 107, July 29, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Louisville Bats (Reds): 1
Durham Bulls (Rays): 9
Season: 49-58; Home Stand: 4-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 67; Season Avg 57 (21 starts, 120.1 innings)
Team wOBA: Game .438; Season .301; Diff +.137

Eury Perez came back to the Bulls last night when Nick Franklin was called up to the Rays. Batting ninth in the order he drew a walk to start off the 3rd inning with the Bulls trailing 1-0. The next batter, Jake Hager, struck out, but not before Perez stole second base. Jaff Decker flew out to center field for the second out. While Taylor Motter was at bat, Perez stole third base. Motter drew a walk, the fourth of nine the Bulls drew during the game. After Richie Shaffer came to bat, a couple of pitches in, Motter took off for second and Perez stole home for the run that tied the game. Gee, that was fun to watch. Here's a scoring puzzle, though. Does a guy who steals home get an RBI for himself? (Ans: No)

Then, remember Richie Shaffer's still at bat, a double by him brought home Taylor Motter from second base and the Bulls went ahead 2-1.

In the next inning, the game came unraveled (from the Bats point of view) or we could say that the Bulls bats came alive. In the middle of it? Eury Perez. Jake Goebbert drew a walk to start the inning, moved to third on a Johnny Field single. A Perez grounder towards second base started a double play effort, but Perez did get an RBI when Goebbert came home. Even better, the shortstop threw the ball away instead of finishing the double play and Perez ended up on second base. Jaff Decker picked up the Bulls' sixth walk of the game and Taylor Motter hit a very pretty home run over the Blue Monster. Bulls went ahead 7-2 on just 4 hits.

The Bulls picked up a couple more runs in the 6th. Austin Pruitt got his 6th win. All was right in the world.

Even better, up in Toledo, the Mud Hens were beating the Gwinnett Braves. That meant that the Bulls moved to sole possession of first place in the South Division. It's been a long time. To be specific, back on April 11th, the fifth game of the year, the Bulls went a half-game ahead of Gwinnett for the only other time this year that the Bulls have led in the South. (standings)

Outside the game —

• If you're curious about all the "non-waiver trade deadline" talk. Here's the definition. Not saying it will help understand why folks are so obsessed with it. But maybe.

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.

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

Loss in Rochester; Off to Moosic

Game 99, July 20, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls: 2
Rochester Red Wings: 6
Season: 44-55; Trip: 4-3
Wrap, Box, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Stats:
Game Score: Faria 24; Season Avg 45 (5 starts, 20.2 innings)
Team wOBA: Game .250; Season .296; Difference -.046

Morning did not suit the Bulls yesterday, especially young Jacob Faria. He will undoubtedly improve, but he's obviously having trouble adjusting to Triple-A hitters.

Nick Franklin is back with the Bulls and accounted for all of the game's RBIs. Dayron Varona continued his hot hitting. Richie Shaffer committed his 14th error. Hank Conger is still working toward his first hit as a Bull. Eury Perez was moved to the Sand Crabs to make room for Franklin.

Moving on down the road

After yesterday's game, the Bulls trekked on to Moosic, Pennsylvania to play the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Interesting site for a baseball field. (zoom in to see)

Matchup

If this looks/sounds familiar, it is. I mistakenly put it up a couple of days ago when I misread the schedule. Updated.

The Bulls face their most formidable matchup of the year in these four games against the Yankees Triple-A franchise. Back at the end of May, the Bulls took two out of three. We could say that stats aren't everything, but...

Since then the RailRiders have gotten even better and the Bulls have remained in the cellar for offensive stats and middle of the road in pitching. As can be seen, the RailRiders lead not just the North Division, but the entire International League in all these key metrics.

They are 4th in errors committed, but the Bulls are 14th in that category, too.

The RailRiders are coming home from a 3-game series in Charlotte where they lost 2 of 3. However, they've won 7 of their last 10.

Gonna be a tough series.

Another Comeback Win

Game 98, July 19, Frontier Field, Rochester, New York
Durham Bulls: 7
Rochester Red Wings: 6
10 innings
Season: 44-54; Trip: 4-2
Wrap, Box, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 68; Season Avg 54 (7 starts, 26 innings)
Tm wOBA: Game .289; Season .296; Diff -.007

Eddie Gamboa had his second terrific start in a row, thoroughly baffling the Red Wings lineup. Plus the offense put together 6 runs on mostly small ball. In the dugout after six innings, he should have been chalking up his sixth win. Dana Eveland had a nice, clean 7th inning. Then there was a truly awful beginning of the 8th. The Red Wings scored 5 runs off of Steve Geltz to tie it up.

No fan just watching from the stands or on TV can do anything more  than just speculate, but this is Mr. Geltz' second visit back from Tampa Bay and he's not doing well at all. On yesterday's 1/3 of an inning his ERA ballooned from 3.31 to 5.94. More than that, he just doesn't look confident on the mound.

New guy Casey Coleman came on to get out of that inning and the 9th. In the 10th a walk and a single (Casey Gillaspie and Richie Shaffer) led to a pitching change. After Jaff Decker K'd, a bit of shakiness on the part of the pitcher/catcher combination led to a passed ball and set up Dayron Varona's second RBI.

Then new guy Ryne Stanek simply blew away the Red Wings in the bottom of the 10th. The Red Wing announcers were called the fastball speeds and they were 97-98 mph most of the time and one was 100. A very impressive young man.

Outside the game —

• Nick Franklin is coming back. In yet another example of how little I understand Rays' decision-making. Here's a guy who has played in 4 different positions for the Rays over 19 games and a holds a .836 OPS. And they are sending him back?  Happy to have him. But looks foolish on the Rays part. 
• Early morning game today. 11:05.

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.

Die By the Home Run; Live By the Home Run

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the game —

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

Short and Sweep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the game —

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

Big Day at Bat; Shaffer?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside the Game —

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

Pretty Game

Game 73, Tuesday, June 21, DBAP
Charlotte Knights: 1
Durham Bulls: 3
Season: 32-41; Home Stand: 2-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Gamboa 57; Season Avg 46 (3 starts, 9.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .700; Season .644
Tm wOBA: Game .312; Season .291

Sometimes we get so caught up in our numbers that we forget what a genuinely beautiful game this is.

Last night we got to watch Eddie Gamboa flutter his knuckleball in towards the plate at 71 mph for 3 innings, and then a parade of four more Bulls kept the Knights in check. Only in the 8th were we particularly worried when runners got on second and third base. Richie Shaffer showed his chops as a third baseman, grabbing a grounder and throwing home to prevent a run. They got out of that inning, then Danny Farquhar struck out the side in the 9th to end a very quick game (only a few minutes over 2 hours long).

For the first three innings, the Bulls simply chipped away at Charlotte. In fact, if not for two very timely double plays by the Knights, the score could have been much more in favor of the Bulls.

Good pitching. Good defense. Good hitting. Great weather. A win. What more could you ask for?

Outside the game —

• Nick Franklin got called up to Tampa Bay.
• Juniel Querecuto came back to the Bulls from Montgomery.
• After throwing a grand total of 7 pitches on Monday, Ryan Garton went back up to the Rays.
• Reliever Dana Eveland is reported to be in the Bulls bullpen. Have not seen him yet.
• Nice to hear that Mikie Mahtook's broken hand will not require surgery.

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.