Trouble With Lefties?

Game 6, Tuesday, April 10, DBAP
Charlotte Knights 5, Durham Bulls 0
Season: 4-2; Remaining Hme Games: 1
Box, Wrap

We’ve got another game here in just a few minutes, so I’ll be brief.

The Bulls have a bunch of left-handed batters in the line-up this year — five of nine last night. Two of the three players on the bench were lefties. So here they were facing their first left-handed starter of the year, 32 year-old Eric Stultz, who was followed by left-handed Donnie Veal. Except for the gifts, 5 walks, the Bulls did not do well. They only managed two hits off of Stultz and one off of Veal, all singles.

Not that the Bulls didn’t have a couple of opportunities to score. On three separate occasions the Bulls had runners in scoring position. But those runners were mostly there as a result of gifts and when the Knights pitchers stopped giving, the Bulls stopped getting on base.

Alex Cobb went a full seven innings and only gave up four hits, but they hit him pretty hard. All the hits were doubles.

On some nights, for some pitchers, you get the feeling that manager Charlie Montoyo wants to see what the pitcher's made of. In the 8th Marquis Fleming was in real trouble. After getting an out he gave up a home run, walked the next batter, then a single and another walk. After a wild pitch that let a run score, he was ordered to walk Dan Johnson to re-load the bases. At another time and another place he would have been able to look over to the bullpen and see someone warming up. Not last night. Very quiet over there. He was on his own. He got a double play to end the inning. In the next inning he gave Ray Olmedo his first hit of the year and faced five more batters, giving up one more run. Tough night for the young man.

Outside the game:

• Really enjoying Scott Pose’s commentary on the radio broadcasts. Nice to have him back. 
• I miss Doc Watson’s rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for the 7th inning stretch.