Hitters Hit; Pitcher Pitches

Game 76: Bulls 12, Clippers 5
Season: 42-34
Wrap, Box

Great night for Bulls at the plate. Lets just list them:

• Henry Mateo: 2 for 5, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 2 runs
• Reid Brignac: 3 for 5, 1 homer, 2 singles, 1 RBI, 2 runs
• Matt Joyce: 2 for 5, 2 doubles, 2 runs
• Justin Ruggiano: 3 for 5, 3 singles, 2 RBI, 2 runs, no strikeouts (he leads team with 41 RBIs)
• Chris Richard: 0 for 5, 1 run scored (he reached first on an error)
• John Weber: 2 for 5, double, single, 1 run scored
• Ray Sadler: 1 for 5, single, RBI (Sadler has 40 RBIs on the year)
• Ray Olmedo: 0 for 3, 2 walks, 1 run scored
• Craig Albernaz: 1 for 4, double, 3 RBIs

Now, that is a great night. Our best at the plate since a 13-2 blowout of Rochester on May 27th.

Yesterday I wrote that when the starting pitching situation sorts itself out, James Houser was the leading candidate to move elsewhere. So what does he do? He throws 6 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits, 2 walks, and he hit one batter. A good night, and much, much better than his last three starts.

I guess relievers respond to pitching with only a day off differently. Calvin Medlock pitched two innings and only let one guy on base. Dewon Day pitched one inning and got hammered: 3 hits, 2 walks, 5 runs (3 earned).

Webworld

• Thanks to a hint from Stacy Long over at the Montgomery Advertiser, I’ve found Elliot Johnson. He’s playing on the Rays’ Gulf Coast League team. Four games so far. All at 2nd base or as DH. 12 AB, 3 hits (2 doubles), 2 walks.
• Rays Prospects has catcher stats for all in the Rays system. Can’t say that our guys look all that good in comparison. But no worse, either.
• We all saw Chad Bradford pitch while he was with Durham. The Rays Party has an interesting chart of how his ball loops toward the plate.
• Marc Tompkin with the St. Petersburg Times has some thoughts on why Andy Sonnanstine was picked to come to the Bulls.