Bulls Still in First Place; Season Near End

The Durham Bulls had a very satisfying last week in Durham, winning 4 out of 6 against the Louisville Bats. They are now in Lawrenceville, Georgia for their final six games of the season. They are in great shape to win the second half of the International League season, but neither Lehigh Valley nor Buffalo is letting up their own runs at the championship.

Standings

What ar their competitors up to? The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies) (42-27) are hosting the Worcester Red Sox (38-30). They are evenly matched teams, with the Sox holding a remote shot at the championship. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) (39-28) are hosting the winner of the first half of the season, the Norfolk Tides (Orioles). The Tides have their own shot at ending in first place. 

Every game by the five top teams this week will matter.

Could not have been happier to see Tristan Gray finally get to the big leagues last week. After 326 games over three seasons with the Durham Bulls, he got his call. He joined the Rays in Baltimore and did his thing, hitting a home run and a single in 5 at-bats. It was a temporary assignment and he’s already back with the Bulls, but maybe later on this season? 

Matchup

Matchup: Bulls vs Braves, September 18, 2023
As of September 17	W-L	Rk	RDiff	OPS	ERA	WHIP	uERA
Durham Bulls (Rays)	44-25	1	104	.829	4.65	1.44	.613
Gwinnett Stripers (Braves)	35-32	11	15	.744	4.92	1.45	.473
RDiff-Run differential;  Rk - Rank in International League; WHIP - Walks/Hits per Inning; uERA-unearned runs per 9 innings

The Bulls match up well against the Strippers, who are not having a good year except as a defensive team. They have undergone a lot of roster turmoil, over 40 transactions just this month. Perhaps that has to do with Atlanta’s proximity, but it has to be tough. In comparison, the Bulls have had 27 transactions this month. The Bulls can close the deal in just a couple of games. We’ll keep an eye out.