What Else Happened?

Game 134, Friday, 27 August, Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta): 11
Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay): 1
Season: 57-77; Home Stand: 0-1; Home Game Remaining: 7
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Stats:
Game Score: Pruitt 22; Season Avg 54 (26 starts, 153.1 innings)
Tm OPS: Game .705; Season .676; Difference .029

In keeping with my comments yesterday, let us reflect on the interesting/beautiful things that happened last night.

The 2nd inning was awful; however, it ended on a very nice play. The Braves had runners on first and second base. The batter singled to Dayron Varona in right field. The runner on second scored. Bulls first baseman Cameron Seitzer positioned himself perfectly for the throw home from Verona, cut the throw off, and threw out the Braves runner trying to reach from first to third (runner happened to be former Bull, Reid Brignac).

Speaking of Cameron Seitzer: He's done a lot of bench-sitting, bus-riding this year. Great to see him hit a nice double to start the 3rd inning.

In the Bulls half of the inning, Braves first baseman Sean Kazmar made a very pretty grab of a very hard hit Hank Conger grounder and had no trouble beating Conger to the bag.

In the Bulls part of the third inning they load the bases with one out. Taylor Motter struck out, but Richie Shaffer hit what looked to be a sure single into left field. But a very clean play by Braves Daniel Castro stopped the grounder and he easily threw out Casey Gillaspie at second base.

Neil Wagner, one of those pitchers we would like to see do well, had a clean two innings in relief.

Normally we are annoyed when Patrick Kinas gets into full-blown story-telling mode. But last night was different. The game was a blowout and he had some great stories from the Olympics. I left the game in the 8th and they were nice listening on the way home.

On a somber note, the Bulls are now 20 games below .500. Quite a fall from their end-of-July status of 8 games below .500