The Durham Bulls ended their season with a whimper yesterday, losing 7-1 to the Norfolk Tides and ending any hope of playoff baseball at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this season. The Bulls had entered the weekend with a chance to sneak into the playoffs by winning the International League South but were unable to pull it off.
Despite a record well under .500, the Bulls entered the final week of play just 2.5 games back of the division lead. The Bulls went 4-3 in their final seven games, ceding the division to the Gwinnett Braves, who won a winner-take all season finale over the Charlotte Knights to take the division crown.
The Bulls finished the season at 64-80, just a game and a half back of the division title. An abysmal road record — the Bulls were just 26-46 away from the DBAP — undermined a team that finished with the sixth most home wins in the International League.
The team also had difficulties hitting all season, as Durham tied for the worst average in the International League, hitting a paltry .238 for the year. Despite the low average, the team hit for power, mashing 115 home runs, good for fourth in the league.
However, the power couldn’t make up for the other inefficiencies in the Durham offense, as the team finished near the bottom of the league in runs and RBI.
The Bulls entered the season with high expectations due to having several players that were major league-caliber on the roster.
The list was headlined by left-handed starter Blake Snell, who was indeed terrific for the Bulls when he was on the mound, posting a 3.29 ERA for the season. Unfortunately for Durham, Snell was called up to the big league club after making only 12 appearances and the team lost its ace at the front of the rotation. Snell is currently 5-7 with a 3.39 ERA for the Rays in 115 starts.
While the rotation struggled, the bullpen flourished, with Dylan Floro and Peter Markel both posting low ERAs for the team. Floro’s performance earned him a cup of coffee with the Rays, where he has appeared in 12 games this season.
At the plate, first baseman Casey Gillaspie and outfielder Mikie Mahtook led the charge for the Bulls. Gillaspie batted .307 in 47 games with the team after being called up from the Rays Double-AA affiliate Montgomery Biscuits. Mahtook batted .305 in limited action for the Bulls, as he took was called up to the big leagues, where he’s played in 43 games.
The rest of the Durham order was a disappointment, with veterans, Jaff Decker, Richie Shaffer and Nick Franklin all struggling. Decker hit just .255, a number that spells trouble for the minor league journeyman. At 26, he is running out of opportunities to make a MLB Roster.
With the Bulls season over and the major league rosters expanded, the Rays selected the contract of LHP Justin Marks, RHP Steve Geltz, Shaffer and Mahtook to join the big league roster for the end of the 2016 season.
