Four in a Row!

Game 57, June 4, DBAP
Gwinnett Braves: 8
Durham Bulls: 9
10 innings
Season: 25–32; Home Stand: 5–1
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun
Stats:
Game Score: Marks: Game 46; YTD Avg 46
Team OPS: Game .696; Season .650
Team wOBA: Game .376; Season .294

There’s a lot of ways to look at this game. I commend both the Bulls’ wrap and the Herald-Sun stories above. The Bulls did get a bunch of freebies, 11 walks and 3 hits by pitch. For WDBB, however, let’s look at the path that Mayo Acosta took in this game as he went from hero to goat to hero.

For those who don’t follow the Bulls closely, Mayo Acosta is primarily the #3 catcher who comes and goes from the active roster and rarely starts a game, only 9 this year. Last night was his first start since May 10th.

His first “hero” moment came in the 5th when he outlasted Gwinnett’s pitcher and managed a walk that pushed a run in from 3B, starting a three-run inning that put the Bulls ahead 8 to 3.

But then came his first “goat” moment in the 8th inning after Steve Geltz had come in with two outs and nobody on base. Although Geltz got a strikeout, the ball got past Acosta. The batter went to first. The next two batters got on base and a bases-loaded walk from Geltz let a run in and the Braves got to within two runs of the Bulls.

Acosta’s second “goat” moment came in the bottom of the 9th, after the Braves had tied the game in the top of the 9th. He came to bat with a runner on first and no outs, but could not get a bunt down.

But (trumpets please!) came Mayo Acosta’s big hero moment. He came in to pitch in the 10th inning and got three quick outs. The Bulls scored a run in the bottom of the 10th and Acosta got the win and all the appropriate hero accolades.

Outside the game—

• The last time the Bulls won four games in a row was a streak that began in late August, 2015.
• Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times sports writer has some suggestions for the Rays that could affect the Bulls: Send Desmond Jennings to Durham, call up Blake Snell, call up Daniel Robertson.  Worth a read.
• Buffalo, Scranton/WB, and Rochester are in a three-way tie for first place in the North Division. Standings.

Stats Definitions:
Game Score
Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)
On-Base Percentage plus Slugging (OPS)