# 8

Game 105: Durham Bulls 2; Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 1 (11 innings)
Season: 65-40; Trip: 3-0; Streak: 8-0
Wrap, Box, Allentown Morning Call

I missed the item that yesterday’s game started at 11:00 AM. I didn’t really notice the game was going on until the webworld lit up later in the day. I should note that the Bulls website didn’t notice it either since they weren’t posting the box score and the link to 620 AM didn’t get you the game.

The web was rumbling about the implications of Jeremy Hellickson coming out of the game after only three innings and 37 pitches. For example, see RaysIndex and The St Pete Times. I've heard nothing since.

Nevertheless, up in Allentown the Bulls played one heck of a ball game and, yet again, our relievers seemed to be just a tiny bit better than the Iron Pigs’ relievers.

Game trivia: I’m pretty sure that it’s the first game with no walks, no hits by pitch for both teams this year. It’s probably also the only game where an out (by Elliot Johnson) was converted to a ground rule double because the ball “lodged” in an outfielder’s shirt. Scroll down to the end of the Morning Call link above.

Maybe it takes a slightly negative mention (Downs and Furmaniak) in this blog for players to turn it around. Or positive mention (Swindle) to start having troubles. The other possibility is that this writer is just wrong a lot, but that seems unlikely. At any rate, Darin Downs put in two very solid innings, the 10th and 11th and got the win. J.J. Furmaniak got the game-winning hit with men on base. R.J. Swindle got his second blown save in two appearances when he gave up the game tying home run in the 9th. Maybe if I just didn’t say anything about the players at all

The longest streak of the year and longer than any last year.

This time last year the Bulls were also in the North and were 60-46 on the year.