Coming Home After a Good Inning’s Work

July 5, 2010 - Durham Bulls Athletic Park - 3rd Inning

Dan Johnson, Joe Dillon, Jose Lobaton.

Digging through the photos I took last night I came across this one. Had to put it up.

This is just after Jose Lobaton’s 3-run homer. These three Bulls accounted for 9 of the 11 runs last night. Dan Johnson had 4, Jose Lobaton had 3, and Joe Dillon had 2. Justin Ruggiano and Alvina Colina had one each.

Just a couple of guys coming home from the job ...

DJ!

Dan Johnson at bat in 8th Inning

Game 84: Durham Bulls 11, Gwinnett Braves 0
Season: 51-33; Home Stand: 8-3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Dan Johnson got two home runs in a game for the second time this home stand, putting him at 22 home runs and 75(!) RBI for the season. That’s four homers ahead of the second place guy in the International League (Mike Hessman of Buffalo) and eighteen RBI ahead of Hessman in RBI. (Note: Tampa Bay’s leading home run hitter, Carlos Pena, has 16. Evan Longoria has 60 RBI.)

Just a terrific home stand by Dan and by the team.

Jeremy Hellickson did a fine job in getting his eleventh win. He gave up more walks than usual (4) and had fewer strikeouts than usual (3). Our speculation in the stands was that since he was staked with such a huge lead so early, he was working on his off-speed stuff.

How soon was the game over? Well, our first batter, Desmond Jennings, singled. J.J. Furmaniak reached on a fielder’s choice/error. Justin Ruggiano singled Jennings home. Dan Johnson hit a homer for three more runs. So with the first four batters we had four runs. In the third inning we got two runs on a drought-breaking single by Joe Dillon and three more on a home run by Jose Lobaton. Solo home runs by Alvin Colina and Dan Johnson’s second completed the beat down.

Dale Thayer came off the Disabled List and pitched the 9th inning. Here’s hoping he’s back in form. Hard to tell, but he did a good job last night.

Elliot Johnson also came off the DL, but didn’t play. He’s expected to play tonight in Charlotte.

Aneury Rodriguez and Omar Luna were moved off-roster in various shuffles. Expect to see Rodriguez back. Not sure about Luna since Elliot Johnson is off the DL.

The Bulls have scored 462 runs on the year and allowed 318, for a difference of 144. My bet is that that difference could easily be the highest in franchise history. The peak in last year’s championship season was 68.

According to reader DRR, the IL’s Twitter feed is reporting that Joe Dillon will not by playing in the Triple-A All-Star game. I haven’t been able to get an official response from the Bulls front office yet, but my guess is that given the choice between several days off following his hamstring injury and playing in the game, Joe’s opted to take the days off. He certainly has not been himself at bat.

On the other hand, I got lucky with this series of shots last night of Joe in the middle of a Chevez - Dillon - Johnson double play that began with Canizares' out to end the 6th inning. Enjoy.

Nice Fourth of July

Game 83: Durham Bulls 6; Gwinnett Braves 4
Season: 50-33; This Home Stand: 7-3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Bulls pitching was (with one small exception) superb, our offense was opportunistic, and a monster crowd saw an interesting game.

Overall, Bulls pitching had a season high 16 strikeouts, no walks, and only one freebie, a hit-by-pitch early on. On the other hand, Bulls batters drew 8 walks and reached on errors twice for 10 free base runners (four of them scored).

Virgil Vasquez certainly put his rehab time in Florida to good use. Except for a shaky moment in the 4th inning, he was superb with 10 strikeouts, no walks, one hit batter, and six hits (a double and five singles). Darin Downs had a very nice 7th inning, but could not keep it up, giving up three runs in the early part of the 8th.

Which brings me to Winston Abreu. Yes, his mannerisms on the mound can be irritating, but he’s our quirky pitcher. Last night was the first time since 4 June that Winston has gone more than one inning (he’s had ten appearances over that time), so I was worried. He came on with the bases empty and one out in the 8th. Two K’s to finish the 8th, two K’s and a ground-out to finish the game. Brilliant ninth save.

As mentioned, the offense was opportunistic. In the 4th, Justin Ruggiano drew a walk and scored on a Chris Richard double. In the 5th, Bulls loaded the bases with a walk (Perez), single (Jennings), and a fumbled bunt (Furmaniak). Dan Johnson drove two of them in with a double. The bases were re-loaded by a Chris Richard walk and two runs scored when Gwinnett’s shortstop let a Navarro grounder run underneath his glove. In the 7th Dan Johnson drew a walk, then scored on a Chris Richard double.

Thanks, Gwinnett!

Odds and Ends:

• As remarked on earlier, we have noticed that since his return from a hamstring injury Joe Dillon has eliminated his little hop before approaching the batter’s box. We also note that he is 1 for 27 in his last seven games, including that very long, 400’ out last night. Bring back the hop!

• Justin Ruggiano has had an erratic season. He gets some attention from the News & Observer in today’s edition. For our part, we note that when he comes to bat with bases loaded and one out (4th inning) he really needs to get a bat on the ball. He struck out looking.

• Fernando Perez, batting 9th in the order, ended up leading off in three innings — ground out, walk (run scored), strikeout.

I will admit to traffic cowardice last night. We left during the 8th, so listened to 9th on the radio. Good idea for someone who had to trek back to Raleigh because Durham really turned out.

So a fitting near end to a weirdly long home stand. Today’s five o’clocker will probably play to just a few folks. But maybe not. Lots of folks have the day off. And then the schedule continues its weirdness with two games in Charlotte, two here, two back on the road, then three days off. All against our South Division colleagues. A chance to get further ahead.

Outpitched

Game 82: Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) 0; Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta) 3
Season: 49-33; Home Stand: 6-3
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

No getting around it, Todd Redmond & Co of the Braves did a better job that our Richard De Los Santos. Not that we didn’t do OK, but it wasn’t good enough. It could have been worse, but several very nice plays kept us in the game.

• In the first inning Fernando Perez lost a ball in the sun, but the next batter hit on just wide of the pitcher’s mound. In a very nifty play, De Los Santos fielded the ball and threw out the runner going from second to third. That same inning was wrapped up by a clean bases-loaded Furmaniak - Dillon - Richard double play.
• Quick thinking in the 3rd kept a runner off second. The Braves’ Matt Young, on first, stumbled on his way to second. Second baseman Joe Dillon, who seemed to have only a play at first base, instead went to second and got the lead runner.
• In the 5th third baseman Angel Chavez made a nifty bare-handed grab-and-throw for the second out, followed by a nice sliding catch by left fielder Dan Johnson.
• In the 8th a grounder ricochetted off pitcher Mike Ekstrom, but Chavez gobbled it up and made the out.

That’s the good stuff. Now for the cranky old man stuff.

• Jose Lobaton looked at three pitches and made three outs. In two of those runners were on base. For a guy who was doing OK with his On Base Percentage (see below) that was terrible.
• I took a look at the Montgomery Biscuits stats. They don’t have an outfielder who is having a great year, but several, including Rashad Eldridge, are having better years than Fernando Perez. I really like Perez, but things do not seem to be getting better.

Durham Bulls On Base Percentages

Thought there might be some interest in isolating out OBP for the Bulls position players. PA is “Plate Appearance”. Navarro's numbers will drop after he's been here a while. I hadn’t realized how well Angel Chavez was doing at getting on base, or how poorly Alvin Colina was.

It’s really going to hurt when Dan Johnson goes somewhere else, but you have to think that he isn’t long for the Bulls. He’s just having too good a year not to be noticed.

USO and More

Before we talk about the game, let’s mention the USO. As it happens, I spend a good bit of time lending a hand at the USO lounge at RDU. There I have the privilege and opportunity to spend some time with the men and women (and their families) serving our country these days. As you must know, North Carolina is home to three of the major military installations in the country — Camp LeJeune, Fort Bragg, and Seymour-Johnson — so we have plenty of traffic at the USO (and at the one at Charlotte’s airport). Volunteering there gives me a chance to stay in touch with these young people and let me tell you they are just great. You’d be proud to know them.

Anyhow, you can bid on a cool jersey worn by a Bull this 4th of July. And the USO gets the proceeds. How neat is that?

— — —

Game 81: Durham Bulls 5; Louisville Bats 10
Season: 49-32; Home Stand: 6-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

You know things are not going well when:

• It’s Joe Bateman, not Heath Phillips who gives up a big home run;
• You get 15 strikeouts, but they get 15 hits;
• Dan Johnson hits two two-run homers and you can’t get the lead in the game;
• Desmond Jennings gets caught stealing;
• The opposition gets four lead-off doubles (three of them scored, as did the leadoff single they got);
• Your pitchers throw 205 pitches in nine innings;
• Your suggestion that this Louisville team might be better than their record becomes painfully, obviously true.

I could go on, but you get the point. For a deeper meditation on the meaning of it all, especially the youthfulness of the Louisville team, there’s the Indy Week link.

In the meantime we get to take on Gwinnett tonight. They are on a run, having won six in a row. We should do what we can to change that.

Shut Out

Game 80: Durham Bulls 6; Louisville Bats 0
Season: 49-31; Home Stand: 6-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week, Louisville Courier-Journal

A list for our contemplation and reflection:

• Another shut out (8 so far).
• Four wins in a row.
• 6-1 in this home stand.
• 7-3 in the last ten games.
• 18 games over .500.
• 9 games ahead of Charlotte in the South Division (who just reached .500 for the first time since 21 April when we pushed them over the edge).

I’ll admit that an 11-day home stand is too much for me. As much as I love the Bulls, the trek to Durham every night got to be a bit too much. So I watched it on TV (Channel 151 in the new Time-Warner line up).

Carlos Hernandez did just fine in his return to the rotation. Actually, both starters did just fine. The Bats' Malone had a very good 7 innings.

With Jennings taking a couple of days off, Fernando Perez is having some opportunities at the top of the batting order. He got a bunt single to lead off last night and stole his 19th base a few minutes later. He doubled in Dioner Navarro in the 5th for what was the winning run. Not sure why he didn’t sacrifice bunt in the 8th with Luna on first, no outs.

Home runs by Navarro, Chavez, and Ruggiano in the five run 8th really slammed the door on the Bats.

How about that extraordinary play by Angel Chavez in the 6th? On his knees, behind third base, across his body throw that got the runner, finished the inning, and saved a run. That one play might have made all the difference even without his 2-run homer in the 8th.

In spite of our three wins over them, my impression is that the Bats are a much better team than their 36-45 record indicates. Obvious problems in the relief pitching area.

Regarding relief pitching: Time to point out the terrific job Brian Baker has been doing for us this year. He is certainly one of the keys to our success.

No one has scored a run off him for three games and over 13 innings. He’s appeared in 23 games including two starts. He’s 7-0, which gives him the best won-loss percentage on the team. He is, in essence, our only long reliever. Although, now that Hernandez and Vasquez are back in the rotation, it looks like Rodriguez will be filling that role as well. At 48+ innings, he’s got the most time on the mound of any of the relievers. Why wasn’t he also on the All-Star list? Possibly because middle/long relievers don’t get much respect. Possibly because the Bulls already had three guys on the team (plus the manager).

He’s been working his way up the Rays system since 2005. Is this the year for the 27-year old? Could be.

Justin Garcia, a reliever who joined the Bulls from Montgomery while they were on their last road trip, has been sent to the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Unless I missed something, we didn’t see him here in Durham. At 4 ⅔ innings, he is the leading candidate for this year’s Moonlight Graham Award for pitchers. Craig Albernaz, unfortunately, leads the position players.

The News & Observer has an article on the Bats’ Aroldis Chapman, the fellow who plunked Dan Johnson with a 99 mph pitch and Dioner Navarro with a 102 mph pitch the other night. Background on his defection, separation from his family, and Cincinnati’s approach to getting him ready for the big leagues.

All-Stars Looking Good

Game 79: Durham Bulls 5; Louisville Bats 4
Season: 48-31; This Home Stand: 5-1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

The Bulls load the bases in the bottom of the 10th of a tie game. The Bats pitcher, Jared Burton, walks Jose Lobaton for Bulls win.

A look at our all-stars, and a couple of plays.

Dan Johnson. The recently named International League All-Star started in left field, something he’s done a couple of times although he's usually at first or third. From there he was able to watch Jeremy Hellickson’s worst start. The Bats hit him hard. Hellickson was well over 50 pitches in the 3rd inning with two outs and runners on second and third when DJ made a very nice sliding catch to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, DJ's RBI single got the Bulls back within one run of the Bats (2-3).

In the top of the 4th, Johnson played a carom off the Blue Monster and made a perfect throw to Dillon coverning second base to tag out a Bat trying to stretch a single into a double. That started off Hellickson’s only 1-2-3 inning.

In the 5th another RBI single tied it up. A solid night’s work for DJ.

Joe Dillon is another IL All-Star in last night’s lineup (the third, Elliot Johnson is still on the DL, due back “soon”). He was also in line to be the night’s goat until the 10th. In the 2nd he struck out with DJ on first. In the 3rd he popped up to the catcher with DJ on first. In the 5th he grounded out with Ruggiano on second and DJ on first (are we beginning to see a pattern here?). In the 7th he took the blame for Lobaton’s bad throw that let a run in.

Nevertheless, in the 10th he had a one out single. Desmond Jennings came in to pinch run for him, and Jennings scored the winning run. All was forgiven.

Must point out that newest Bull, Dioner Navarro, got his first hit. As the night’s designated hitter, he got a single in the 8th that turned out to be crucial. OK, what was really crucial was Montoyo’s decision to take advantage of the hit by pinch running Omar Luna, who then scored on Chris Richard’s double. Not sure that Navarro makes it from first to home.

That’s two key pinch runner decisions by the last All-Star, that is, Charlie Montoyo, the manager of the team.

Darin Downs got the win. He’s making Triple A look easy. Three appearances, a total of five innings, two wins. Not bad.

Side note: Bulls fans will remember with some fondness relief pitcher Jason Childers, one of the guys that got us to the playoffs last year and then went off to win a gold medal with Team USA in the World Cup. Adam Sobsey has a nice profile in this week’s Indy Week.