Last Home Game Tonight

Game 141, Friday, August 31, DBAP
Durham Bulls 2, Charlotte Knights 7
Season: 65-76; Home Stand: 0-1; Home Games Remaining: 1
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

It was a steamy night and about all we had on offer was a couple of quirky moments. Otherwise, the Bulls seemed to be more than a bit flat. After last week’s 6-game win run, the Bulls have dropped four in a row. They won’t end the year in the absolute cellar, but they’re working on it.

One of the mantras of baseball, especially “small ball”, is to never let the leadoff runner on base. Particularly unpardonable is to walk the leadoff batter. But Charlotte did let the leadoff runner on eight out of nine times last night, and half of those on walks. Nevertheless, only one of those runners scored (new guy Kevin Kiermaier, we’ll get to him later). Three double-plays killed any chance of those leadoff runners making a difference.

Leslie Anderson had an 0-fer night, dropping his batting average to .308. The three players ahead of him on the list have been called up, meaning that their numbers can’t change. So all Leslie has to do is raise his average up to .315 over the next three games and he’s in!

Jim Paduch’s final start of the year began really ugly with a home run. Then an error, wild pitches, passed balls and a couple of singles set up a 4-run inning. That was enough. A few innings later, he was followed by Josh Lueke, whose end-of-season work has not been impressive. He’s let in 13 runs over his last six appearances. I’d guess his hopes at a call-up are fading fast.

On the other hand, Brandon Gomes and Dane De La Rosa are looking good. 3 innings with no runs and 6 Ks between them.

The Bulls started the night with exactly one position player on the bench (if you don’t count the designated hitter), new guy Kevin Kiermaier. He came in for Jesus Feliciano in the 7th and singled up the middle, got to third base when the next two batters walked, and came home on a passed ball. The next inning he ran into the center field wall. (I wonder. The Bulls didn’t take batting practice yesterday. Was that his first time ever in the DBAP center field?) He drew a walk for his AB in the 9th and got to second base, but Henry Wrigley flied out with the bases loaded. He’s probably a lock for our Moonlight Graham award (unless someone else gets called up to fill the hole, but maybe we’ll get to see some more of him next year.

Last home game tonight! No more Durham Bulls Baseball at the DBAP in 2012. Expecting another sell-out crowd. Let’s hope for some good baseball to end the year.

Outside the game —

• Adam Sobsey at Indy Week is reporting that Dan Johnson was called up to the White Sox last night. Good for Dan. Seems like end-of-season call-ups are his role in baseball.