Split; Bulls Come Home; Games on FM

Season: 61-55; Trip: 3-5; Home Games Remaining: 17
Wrap, Box, The Morning Call

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs were supposed to be a weak-hitting team, the doormat of the International League. But they produced 42 hits against Bulls pitching over these four games, including 3 home runs, a triple and 11 doubles. The Bulls only had 40 hits so a 2-2 split sort of makes sense.

Probably the idea behind yesterday’s game was to get out to the stadium, have some fun, then take a day off (IronPigs), go home and take a day off (Bulls). After 180 pitches and 3½ hours the Bulls finally got off the field and eventually left town. Which is one way of saying that the pitchers really worked for the win. It was not a gift from the IronPigs.

Yesterday morning’s game was a good example, notable mostly for it’s length, than for the pitching by either side. Bulls pitching gave up 12 hits and 5 walks, but then IronPigs weren’t able to bring many home, leaving 12 men on base. The Bulls didn’t do much better, they left 11 runners on base. In some ways the game really wasn’t decided until the 8th, when Jeremy Moore cleared the bases of Bulls on a single to deep right field. That put the Bulls up 7 to 3, the Pigs got two back in the bottom of the inning and the Bulls got one back in the top of the 9th.

Every Bull got a hit, except for Hak-Ju Lee. Betemit and Solis got 3 hits each, a great day for the two of them.

As an aside we have to pass on Patrick Kinas’ humor during Mike Montgomery’s awful 3rd inning. (Note: cannot guarantee accuracy here. You’ll have to ask him.) Bases loaded, count is 2-2, and Kinas says something like, “and now perhaps we’ll some some Montgomery magic on the mound.” Montgomery threw a ball making it 3-2. “Well, if he can’t pull a rabbit out of the hat, maybe a hamster.” Next pitch was a ball, walking in a run. No more comments about Montgomery magic, although he did get out of the inning. Could have been worse.

Outside the game —

• Double header on Thursday. First game starts at 6:05 against the Buffalo Bisons. Making up a rained out game a month ago.
• Not happy with AM 620? Try FM 99.3. Low power FM is on the air with coverage of much of Raleigh area. Not sure about the rest of the region, yet. I’m having decent luck from northern Wake County, which helps since the AM radio in my car isn’t very good. This is a good deal for me.