Close Game Blues

Game 88: Bulls 3, Tides 5
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

Game 89: Bulls 3, Tides 4
Season: 50-39
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

This losing string is very different from the last one, and gives me quite a bit of hope for the future. Yes, we’ve lost four in a row, but not by much: 7-6, 8-6, 6-3, 4-3. So, we’re scoring runs, but it’s been a small-ball run. For better or worse, this season we’ve been living and dying by the homer, and it sure seems like a long time since one of our guys have put one over the wall (Ruggiano on July 8th against Gwinnett). We have not hit a single home run in these last four losses. By the way, if there was any worry that our guys are trying too hard for the home run, the strike out rate doesn’t show it. No doubt they are capable: seems like every batter in the lineup has hit at least a couple this year, just not recently.

Has our pitching been shaky? You bet. The opponent’s OPS for the last four games has been well above the average for the year. And although the hitting has been OK, we just haven’t been getting our runners on base across the plate.

One game out of first, a chance to tie it up going into the break. I like to think we’re OK.

We’ve got a 1 o’clock game today in Norfolk— I wonder why we never have Sunday afternoon games in Durham? I’d like that. Because of Sonnanstine’s mononucleosis the Bulls will go with “starter by committee” approach. My guess is that they’ll start with Calvin Medlock, who hasn’t been on the mound for Durham since the 2nd of July.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you: Today is the ninth game in a row with the same umpiring crew. Wonder why that is? Do managers start gaming the umpires in a situation like that?

No one answered my last trivia question. He hasn’t left the Rays bench since the 4th of July.

About the AAA All-Star Game: Pleased to see Reid Brignac and Dale Thayer in the game. Am most definitely not pleased with the secretive way the fan balloting has been handled. Search as I might (and I’d be glad to be corrected), I have not been able to find any information on what happened to our votes. So, here’s hoping Reid and Dale enjoy their trip to Portland and enjoy the game, but I don’t think I’ll bother to vote next year.