Break-Even Home Stand

Season: 26-21; Home Stand: 4-4
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Durham Bulls pitching leads the International League in giving up home runs, 41 so far this season. That’s not the only reason that the Bulls had a lackluster home stand, but they did give up 9 home runs over the 8 games. The two yesterday didn’t help. Add to it that they had a starter-by-committee/bullpen day and we had a game that just wasn’t all that much fun.

We did get to see a lot of pitchers, though: five Bulls and six Bats.

There was a big thrill, of course, when Hak-Ju Lee got his first home run of the year, in the 7th, that brought the Bulls within a run. And then there was the huge opportunity in the 8th when the Bulls got runners in scoring position but could not push one across.

The Bulls are off today and then fly to Columbus, Ohio Thursday morning. They are ½ game back of Gwinnett in the South Division and continue to be a very strong team. Let’s hope this 1-3 series with Louisville is just a blip.

Outside the game —

• Day games at the DBAP can be a real hassle and yesterday was worse than most. Traffic getting off the Durham Freeway was scary. Then it took almost a half-hour and three tries to get into a parking lot were full. Unfortunately, it was worse, much worse, on departure. As much as I like day games once I get inside the park, I’m beginning to wonder if they are worth the extra ½ hour you have to tack on coming and going.
• We have no way to judge how much what happens inside the lines is influenced by the current and pending turmoil in the team’s composition. So far this year the Bulls have had more than 40 roster transactions and you’d think it would have some effect.
• More change is coming as Brandon Gomes arrives, Kevin Kiermaier gets sent back, Cole Figueroa gets sent back, someone gets bumped when Alex Cobb starts pitching for the Rays, and a decision is made about the Rays catcher. Likely yet another trip where the team that comes back is different from the team that left.
• Note to the Bulls web page designer: Isn’t it time to take Chris Archer and Wil Myers off? I know they are famous ex-Bulls, but neither is likely to be coming back. Or, as an alternative,  maybe add others like David Price, Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, Grant Balfour, Brandon Guyer, and all the other pitchers (7 more by my count) who have played in Durham?