Wow!

click on chart for larger image

Game 15: Durham Bulls 10, Charlotte Knights 2
Season: 12-3, Streak: W 7
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

These numbers are certainly unlike any I’ve ever seen before. We’re obviously off to a much, much better start than in recent years, quite likely the best in Bulls history. I suppose there’s a chance that we’ve started a year at 12 and 3, but I doubt that we’ve ever started a year with a +46 run differential, 98 to 52, after just 15 games. Just a few days ago the differential was 17 runs, now it’s 46. Amazing, just amazing.

In addition to scoring runs with three doubles, a triple, and a home run, other interesting things were going on last night. Elliot Johnson showed us his comfort at 2nd base by participating in three double plays. Desmond Jennings and Justin Ruggiano stole two bases each, bringing the team’s total up to 28 on the year. Desmond Jennings made two over-the-shoulder catches in center field look easy. Plate discipline for the year has been exceptional. The Bulls have drawn 67 walks this year.

The Gwinnett Braves are in town tonight for a four day run. We took 3 of 3 in Gwinnett earlier in the month. They took three out of four in Norfolk earlier this week.

Relief pitcher Richard De Los Santos is off to the Montgomery Biscuits. No reason has been given, but that makes for one fewer pitcher in the bullpen than we’ve had all season. Not sure what’s up.

The Bulls parent club, the Tampa Bay Rays, are off to a fair-to-middling start as well. They are 12-4, a half-game behind our 12-3, and have the best record in (major league) baseball. The Bulls have the best record in AAA. If the Rays were charted as above, the runs would be a + 39 differential, 93 runs scored to 54 allowed.

Matt Joyce, last seen hanging out in the Bulls dugout, is in St Petersburg resting after seeing a doctor.

Wickedness: You may have noticed a number of folks out on the streets last night who clearly were not dressed for a ball game. That’s because the Durham Performing Arts Center (the fancy cube with the laser light on the other side of the Diamond II building) is putting on a the musical Wicked to very large audiences. Unlike Bulls games regulars, the folks coming to the DPAC don’t really know their way around the railroad tracks, one-way streets, or how to get to/from the Durham Freeway. Just be careful out there. Fortunately the shows start at 8 pm, when we are all comfortably in our seats. And end around 11 pm, when we should all be safe at home; however …

Mom’s like the Bulls, too.