Up Into 3rd

 Box, Wrap

Season: 22-29; Trip: 2-0; Bulls v. Tides: 4-4; Standings
Box, Wrap

How weird is it that in a 10-inning game on Friday one of the weakest hitters in the Bulls lineup, Reid Brignac, hits the game-winning RBI and then on Sunday in a 10-inning game he hits another game-winning RBI? Thanks, Reid, the Bulls needed that; Bulls fans needed that. Keep it up.

Three wins in a row is very unusual for the 2012 Bulls, and they haven’t been 7 games under .500 in more than a month (April 23d to be exact). That happens to be exactly the same day that the Bulls dove into last place in the South Division. Today they rose up to third place a game ahead of Norfolk. We should not be surprised that Baltimore and Tampa Bay are tied for first place in the American League East and that Norfolk’s roster has been pillaged as much as Durham’s (although that’s hard to imagine).

The pitching in these two games was exceptional. In 19 innings Norfolk only scored 2 runs. Matt Torra had a very decent 5 inning outing Saturday (although it took him a worrisome 99 pitches to get through it) and Lance Pendleton had an exceptional 6⅓ inning start today.

Broadcaster Patrick Kinas went nuts over a play by second baseman Cole Figueroa in the Norfolk half of the 3rd inning. As reported, he went far to his right to stop a ground ball and start a double play that ended the inning. Since the bases were loaded, one out, the play saved at least one run, possibly two. And those were the last Norfolk base runners until the 7th inning.

Has Brignac turned a corner? Maybe. Since coming back in the lineup for the last four games, he’s gone 5 for 15 with 2 RBI and one BB. While that might not be stellar hitting, he’s raised his average by 21 points, and that is very promising. Almost as promising is that they have all been singles. For Mr. Brignac, I like singles.

Outside the game

• The Bulls are off to Indianapolis where they were not watching baseball today.
• Runner Diane Van Deren is over 600 miles into her nearly 1000 mile trek. The GPS tracking doesn't seem to be working, but it's good news to hear that Nash County's White Oak Hill Free Will Baptist Church treated her with kindness as she passed through.