Another Hot Night

Reminder: Tonight, Sunday, 25 July, the game is to start at 19:00, not 17:00

Game 100: Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) 5; Syracuse Chiefs (Washington) 1
Season: 60-40; Home Stand: 4-2
Wrap, Box

Let’s start with a trivia question for serious baseball geeks: How do you get charged with an earned run without a batter getting an RBI? Or, to put the question in another way (that contains the answer to the first question), When someone steals home, who gets the RBI?

The answer is in last night’s box score. No one gets a RBI when a runner steals home, but the pitcher does get charged with an earned run.

In an otherwise superb outing, Jeremy Hellickson had a lapse in concentration with the Chief’s Brandon Whiting dancing around on third base in the 6th inning. He went into a full windup and Whiting was off for the plate, getting there about the same time as the ball. Heads up baseball on Whiting’s part and Mr. Hellickson did walk the batter at the plate. That was enough to bring in Mike Ekstrom to finish the inning. The steal had little effect on the game, but you have to wonder if Chief’s manager Trent Jewett was trying to get inside Charlie Montoyo’s head with that play and several others during the evening.

For example, he let his pitcher throw to Dan Johnson at the top of the 2nd. D.J. took it over the Blue Monster for home run number 28 and RBI number 88. But not after that. The next three at bats were walks, two IBB. Then he pulled a shift against Desmond Jennings, a right-handed batter, with Jose Lobaton on third base in the 8th, leaving only the first baseman on the right side of the infield. How weird is that? It worked. But very likely because Jennings didn’t step back and think about it for a second or two.

Justin Ruggiano was in fine form last night with two doubles, a single and a RBI. As frustrating as it has been this year watching Mr. Ruggiano strike out a lot, we need to point out that he’s gotten 45 RBI, third on the team behind Dan Johnson and Chris Richard. He may not be having a great year, but not awful either.

Elliot Johnson ticked over .300 last night with three singles and an RBI. And speaking of Elliot, over at The Life of a Baseball Wife are a couple of posts [here, here, here] giving an insiders look at the Triple-A All Star game. Fun reads.

Alvin Colina is out for the year with an ACL tear. We really like this guy and are sorry to see him go. Sad moment watching him on the ground past first base the other night.

Two former Bulls met in Cleveland last night, with David Price getting the better of Mitch Talbot. But not before Talbot struck out six Rays in a row to set a new Cleveland record. As a Bulls fan, we have to point out that Mitch Talbot did a lot more for the Durham Bulls that David Price ever did. Sure Price is the better pitcher, just not the better Durham Bulls pitcher. We are cheering for Mitch to have a great season with Cleveland.

NB: We stayed in the AC at home and watched on TV. Tonight? Maybe. If the Bulls can suffer for us, shouldn't we suffer for them?