DBAP/ DURHAM—

[to the tune of “Accidents Will Happen” by Elvis Costello:]

Oh I just don’t know where to begin
Though we’ve sat here near forever
It’s now or never
(Bulls beat Knights, 10-9, when Desmond Jennings’s grounder goes through the legs of the Knights’ shortstop (who failed to get a bunt down three times in the 10th and struck out))

But you’ve kept us hanging on
(in the last of the 11th inning,)

You silly champions
(of a game played amateurishly by the Bulls,)

You say we can’t go home
(which lasted over four hours,)

Until a save is blown.
(redeeming Winston Abreu, who blew his first save of the year in the ninth,)

Accidents will happen
(as well as the hitters, who loaded the bases with no outs in two straight innings and didn’t drive a single runner home.)

And that’s how Durham won
(despite stranding 14 baserunners in 11 innings).

And for his perfect inning
Downs improves to 6-1.
(Darin Downs was the last available pitcher in the bullpen.)

Accidents will happen
(Earlier, Knights manager Chris Chambliss was ejected for arguing after the umps reversed their call and awarded Angel Chavez a 3-run homer.)

When you’re league-leader in home runs
(Charlotte starter Matt Zaleski passed the Bulls’ Heath Phillips by allowing four homers in a nine-batter span.)

But I don’t want to hear it
’cause Vasquez was also a bum.
(he allowed seven runs in 3 1/3 innings).

There’s so many fish in the sea ducks on the pond
(The Bulls had men in scoring position in eight of 11 innings.)

That only stand there helpless as though they’ve done something wrong
(They went 3-19 with RISP.)

But you keep leaving them on
Long after Virgil’s gone
(and Jake McGee charges him with three more runs by allowing a bases-loaded triple to Jeremy Reed, making it 9-7 Bulls by the 4th inning)

Your sacks are full up but you can’t get it done.
(From the 4th-6th alone, trying to re-extend a lead trimmed to two runs, the Bulls leave four men in scoring position.)

Accidents will happen
(like infielder J. J. Furmaniak having to play right field and misjudging a fly ball that went for an RBI double)

And injuries will come
(Because Fernando Perez was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game (left shoulder))

It’s pointless to point fingers when there’s blame for everyone.
(Chris Richard, Dioner Navarro and Leslie Anderson all choked with the bases loaded and no outs in the 10th; Justin Ruggiano was sent to time-out ejected for acting sassy after he was called out on strikes in the eighth).

Accidents will happen
(Knights reliever Miguel Socolovich loaded the bases in the 11th with a throwing error)

Sometimes many more than one
(after he issued two leadoff walks)

I don’t want to hear it
‘Cause the Bulls did not deserve the game they won.
(The Knights didn’t really deserve to win it either, though.)

And it’s the damage that we do
And never know
(The already-thin bullpen is virtually wasted for Thursday)

It’s the runs we don’t drive in
That scare me so.
(The Bulls have loaded the bases three times with no outs in the last two games, and failed to drive in a run;
they have stranded 25 total).

There’s so many ballgames to see
(tonight Richard De Los Santos takes the hill)

So many people you can check up on
(well, not really: Durham’s only got 22 active players, and that’s counting Perez;)

And add to your collection
(but at least Dale Thayer’s back from Tampa—he made a nifty behind-the-back toss to Chris Richard on a dribbler up the line in the 7th inning)

But the roster will churn on
Thru September One
The division’s locked up but the Bulls are undone.

Accidents will happen
(Omar Luna made a dreadful throw to first in the 10th;)

But skill will save a run
(Chris Richard’s superb scoop of the fiendish in-between hop preserved a 9-9 tie; Richard also went 3-6 with a homer)

You’d sometimes like to trade young prospects for a veteran.
(Joe Dillon, who wasn’t even supposed to play, subbed in for late-scratch Perez and homered, drew two walks, and laid down a good sac bunt after taking a foul ball off his hand.)

Accidents will happen
(Outside the main gate, after the game, one of the Knights nearly stepped on two bats—like, the flying kind, as in chiroptera—)

Even when you cut and run
(—after rudely blowing off two autograph seekers—)

I don’t want to hear it, Knights
((—the reversed Chavez homer call was the correct one, by the way—))

’cause I know what you’ve done.
(and I thought, the loss serves you right; good-Knight, you jerk.)