As you have probably read by now, Dusty Baker did not pinch hit for Chad Reineke in last night's game because he didn't think he had enough bullpen arms to get him through the rest of the game. This highlights how taxed the bullpen has been lately, but it also highlights how thin the 'pen is in reliable arms. Right now, Jeremy Horst and Carlos Fisher are taking up 2 of the 7 spots. While Horst and Fisher have performed admirably thus far, I don't think anyone wants to count on them over the long haul. Could Brad Boxberger be useful to the club right now?
It seems increasingly likely he is staying in the bullpen for good, and it's hard to see how much more he has to learn in AA. Last night he pitched another shutout inning for Carolina, bringing his ERA down to 1.44, and giving him 41 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 25 IP. We saw last year that Walt is not opposed to having a guy skip AAA, and Boxy's stuff and ceiling are significantly higher than that of Jordan Smith. The 40-man roster spot is always a consideration, but given that Tom Cochran briefly occupied one of them, that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
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Louisville won 5-1. Devin Mesoraco was 3-4 with a double. He'd been slumping a bit, but now has his OPS back up to .882. Yonder Alonso was 2-4, and Daniel Dorn hit his 7th homer. Scott Carroll scattered 6 hits over 7.2 IP and gave up just the one run to get the win. New Bat Nick Christiani earned the save with a scoreless inning of relief, including a strikeout. Up Next: Daryl Thompson will start at 7:05.
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Carolina lost 3-1. The team only managed 4 hits, all singles. Apart from Boxy and Donnie Joseph, this might be the most boring team in the entire minor leagues. Up Next: Kyle McCulloch starts at 1:05.
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Bakersfield won 4-3. Curtis Partch earned the win with a complete game, giving up 8 hits and a walk over his 9 innings, with only 2 of the runs earned. The team only had 6 hits, but they made them count. Stephen Hunt had a big 2 run single. Up Next: Someone will start at 10:05.
- Dayton lost 11-10. They led 10-5 entering the 9th until Chad Rogers imploded, giving up 6 runs and the lead. Lots of hitting in this one for the good guys. Billy Hamilton was 3-5 with a double and his 41st SB, David Vidal was 3-5 with a double and 4 RBI, Drew Poulk was 2-4 with a homer and walk, and Tucker Barnhart and Theodis Bowe each had 2 hits. Up Next: Someone will start at 7:00.