16 Innings of Not Very Good Baseball

Game 79, June 30, Knights Stadium
Charlotte Knights 6, Durham Bulls 3, 7 innings
Box

Game 80
Durham Bulls 7, Charlotte Knights 4, 9 innings
Season: 44-36; Last 10: 5-5; Trip: 2-1
Wrap, Box, MiLB.com

There’s so much not to like about these two games that it’s hard to know where to start.

Probably the best thing to do is to find at least a couple of good things to say about the game(s). Then go on to the ugly stuff.

Hmmmm.

Well, they tied the second game up in the 7th and R.J. Swindle, working much harder than he usually does, got the Bulls through the end of the inning and set up the extra innings.

And then there was just the sheer hanging in there for 16 innings of baseball until Jose Lobaton walked in the 9th and scored the go-ahead run all the way from second base on a Knight’s errant throw. Says something about the character of the team that they hung in there so well.

New guy Daniel Mayora got his first hit(s) and Leslie Anderson had a good night.

That’s about it.

On the other side of the ledger is the bottom of the 5th in the first game where the Bulls gave away a three run lead; the 11 strikeouts in the second game; the struggle to take advantage of the gifts of Charlotte pitching in the second game (12 walks, 5 in the 9th inning); the combined 5-21 with runners in scoring position in the two games; and the two home runs given up by Chris Bootcheck, his 8th and 9th of the year (is that why the Rays didn’t bring him up?).

These opt-outs are messing with my mind. Wonder if they are messing with the team’s mind as well.

Tied for first place. Could have slipped into second place without the late night win.

Turn the page. A new day.