A Fresh Start, Diamond Move, Varona Stats

Brady Williams about to burst a vessel

To say the series vs the Lookouts has been fun to watch would be a total understatement.

Manager Brady Williams thrown out? Twice! Both resulting in come from behind victories!

Joey Rickard homerun? Two! One of them Hit The Train!

Lots of runs? There have been 59 combined runs so far!

Funky uniforms? And how!

Small ball? Squeeze plays have worked and Cam Seitzer bunts for a hit!

And don't leave early, this Biscuits team saves the best for last by putting up late runs no matter what the score. Some of the biggest rallies have come after the 7th inning stretch.

And the best part, now that we are past the first half and the All Star break the focus is where it should be - the game on the field. The Biscuits have outplayed the first half champion Lookouts in this series and after the recent changes are a new team with fresh hopes.

Tommy Coyle! tags out a would-be base stealer on Sunday

ROSTER MOVE

Scott Diamond was sent from Durham, where the Bulls have 28 players active, 13 former Biscuits. Port Charlotte has 25 guys active, as do the Biscuits, so there isn't much wiggle room.

Maybe Diamond is another Buschmann, using an opt-out clause or refusing the assignment in order to become a free agent. If so, we may just be awaiting the word of his departure. Diamond, who last pitched in the majors in 2013, hasn't pitched as low as double-A since 2010 with the Mississippi Braves.
7w-3L for the DBulls in 15 starts, the Canadian lefty has allowed too many hits and not gotten enough strikeouts, though he walks less than one hitter a game.


COMING UP

A day off to end the month of June, then its a quick trip on the Biscuits bus as the Montgomery team heads to Tennessee for an odd three-game series against, who else, the Smokies. Half of the next six series are against the Cubs affiliate, including back-to-back home series in the second half of July.

This three game road trip is a result of the league rule involving the 4th of July - teams in the Southern league have home games on either the 3rd or 4th of the month.

The team returns on Saturday to give home fans a look at the Southern Division champion Biloxi team and an Independence Day fireworks show.

Dayron Varona has nine doubles since joining the Rays, good for fourth in the organization this month. Hitting just .219 for the Biscuits so far, Varona is the posterchild for "Small Sample Size", but he is handling lefthanders well at .286.