Pretty in Pink?

Season: 43-34; Home Stand: 0-2; Streak: 0-5
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, Syracuse

As spectacularly ugly as we thought the pink jerseys were (even if the cause is most definitely not), Bulls pitching in the 2nd inning last night was even more spectacularly ugly. Alex Colome looked a bit shaky in the first inning, starting out giving up a single and walk, but then a K had us thinking things were OK. A single did drive in a run before the inning was over, but Hak-Ju Lee’s baserunning put the Bulls back in the game. The game was 1-1 when the 2nd inning began. And then ...

Single, double, single, single, hit by pitch, double, K (yeah!), single, walk ... and six runs were in and Doug Mathis came on with two runners on base. A K, then a single, walk (pushing a run in), single, walk, single, and single before the last out and five more runs were in. That could be an historically bad inning for the Bulls, but it would be too painful to check and I’m not sure I’d know how anyhow. How bad was it? Suffice to say that, as the chart below shows, it pushed the season’s team ERA up by 0.15 points.

Usually in trying circumstances like these we find a way to blame the Rays for the Bulls troubles. Not last night.

We left.

Sad to say that Robby Price took one for the team in the 9th. Although apparently a very different personality, Mr. Price is becoming this year’s Craig Albernaz as the infielder pitches, plays outfield, and goes to "extended spring training" as roster changes require. He has become a particularly important Durham Bull.

Outside the game —

• The Rays have a double-header coming up on Friday in Baltimore. Under a relatively new rule they can expand their roster by one player for the one day. In turn, that means that the Bulls can expect more pitching roster turmoil (see, we can blame something on the Rays after all). It might mean Hellickson will leave for Baltimore, but he will likely have to show significant improvement over his last two outings.

Bulls ERAs Soar
Only for masochists … click chart for larger image