Hot Times at the DBAP

Season: 47-41; Home Stand: 1-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Game time temp 96°! Welcome to summertime North Carolina! And a hurricane is on the way, even if only aimed at the coast.

I filled out my scorecard with Vince Belnome at 1B batting seventh and did not notice that he wasn’t on the field, but leaning against the railing of the dugout. Turns out Jayson Nix was a last minute sub at first base but I didn't figure that out until the 2nd inning. We gossiped and guessed most of the evening and learned this morning that he is apparently on his way to join the Rays. Here’s hoping that his stay is better and longer than the one-game visit he had at the first of the year.

Bulls fans are happy to see Alex Colome back from Tampa Bay and seeing him in good form against the team the Bulls need to beat to win in the South. He did give up a rare home run (only his second this year), but otherwise had a very solid 100 pitch, very efficient (4.76 pitches per out), 7 inning win.

Things seem right in the world when Justin Christian put a home run over the Bull in the 1st and then went on to collect a double and a single for his best night in quite a while. Not to mention several very solid plays in right field. Equally fun to watch was the sequence that began with two outs in the second inning. Robby Price (3 for 3 on the night) bunted himself on and then teased Gwinnett’s pitcher to the point that he ended up with a 3-2 count on Jayson Nix. Price was off on the 3-2 count and easily scored on Nix’s double. If Price had not been running on 3-2, if, if, if. Could have been the winning run, but Mikie Mahtook crushed one in the 5th with two on to put the Bulls ahead for good.

Bulls win and a food truck rodeo, what more can you ask for? Maybe just a little bit cooler?

Outside the game —

• The Rays are a famously data-driven team. But from time to time Manager Maddon’s approach borders on rank superstition, as pointed out by Rays Index recently. Were a voodoo priestess' readings of chicken bones behind the Rays spending $3,300,000 on a 15 year-old in the international draft? 
• Jeremy Hellickson to make his fifth rehab start for the Bulls today. Hope springs eternal. He is at the end of his rehab assignment limit. Not sure what that could mean for him or the Bulls if he cannot reach his 90 pitch limit.