Remember This

Game 45: Durham Bulls 1, Pawtucket Red Sox 0
Season: 25-20
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

Next year for sure, and maybe even later on this year, we brave few (3,404 paid, but you know what that means) are gonna be able to tell our seat mates that we were there when Hellickson threw his one-hitter against the Pawtucket Red Sox. I am continually amazed at the way this fragile-looking young man just seems to get better and better. We could (and did) second guess the walk called in the 7th — they really were in there ump, both the 2-2 pitch and the 3-2 pitch, but the single was clean enough.

For the first time this year, I think, Winston Abreu went back-to-back days. He’s gone back-to-back innings, with notable lack of success. Three up, three down in the 9th. But not without an exceptional array of mound-pacing, eyeglass-wiping, cleat-cleaning distractions. He is something to watch out there. Must drive the batters nuts.

In a quiet, pretty game like this one my focus sometimes drifted to what I hope are transient concerns. Justin Ruggiano made a very nice play in left field in the 8th, but he struck out all three times he came to bat. Fernando Perez got two hits in the Bulls blowout of the PawSox on Sunday, but they (plus one in Columbus on the 17th) are the only hits in his last 31 at-bats. Neither player looks comfortable at the plate.

In the realm of trivia, we note that the Bulls have played in three 1-0 games this year, winning one and losing two (PawSox and Redwings). The Bulls have had 10 one-run games winning four and losing six. So it seems that close games are not our thing this year. Blowouts, which we will arbitrarily set as games won by more than four runs (one grand slam), are another matter. The Bulls have been in 18 of those, winning 13. That just tells us what we already knew. The 2010 Bulls are a big inning team.

Regarding last night’s game, let me commend Bryan Strickland’s piece in the Herald-Sun and Mike Potter’s in Indy Week. Both get good quotes from Montoyo, Hellickson, and others (Warren Harding, Mike?).

On another matter, I had to DVR the last episode of “24” last night. That means that I don’t yet know if my man Jack Bauer has, yet again, saved us from the evil-doers of the world. Gonna have to find some time to take a look.