Durham Bulls Clinch Post-Season Spot; Jennings Sets Record

Game 140: Durham Bulls 14, Charlotte Knights 3
Season: 80-60
Games Left in Season: 4; Home Games: 3
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

In a game of superlatives played in Fort Mill, South Carolina, the headline emerges from Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Syracuse Chiefs lost to Lehigh Valley. With the Bulls’ win in Fort Mill we now have a lock on a playoff spot as either the Southern Division champs or as the Wild Card team. So, next Wednesday, at the DBAP, first game of the first round.

Desmond Jennings kept up with his hot hitting, this time setting a Durham Bulls AAA record of 7 hits in 7 at-bats. Really hard to do in a 9-inning game. Really hard to do, period. Six singles and a double, three RBIs and he scored four runs. In fact, the top of the order did much of the damage since Rashad Eldridge, playing right field in place of injured Matt Joyce, was 4-6 with a walk and two RBIs. The Bulls as a team had 17 hits and drew 12 walks against a Charlotte team that has simply been decimated by September call ups and World Cup team assignments. Further, the White Sox have wanted to keep their AA and A teams in contention, so some of the players last night were true rookies getting their first experience at pitching to AAA hitters or facing AAA pitchers.

But I don’t want to take anything away from Calvin Medlock. A superb game in a spot start situation. He was touched for a home run in the 1st and the 3rd (Charlotte’s only runs), but went 4 ⅔ and struck out 9. Joe Bateman got the win and Dale Thayer pitched the 9th.

Norfolk beat Gwinnett last night, so we’re two games ahead of the Braves in the Southern Division with four games left to play. Things are looking pretty good.

Team USA 6, Canada 4 (exhibition)
Indy Week, Box

Jon Weber played left field and went 1-3 with a walk. Jason Childers pitched a scoreless inning.