The Durham Bulls ended the 2018 on a high note over Labor Day weekend, winning the final game of the season, officially snagging the South Division International League title, and honoring four players with annual Goodmon Awards. Check out the big news:
Bulls Take Down Tides in Season Finale
Durham finishes regular season in advance of playoffs
Kean Wong went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in Durham’s season-finale victory Monday afternoon (BrianFlemingPhotography.com)
An RBI single in the sixth inning by Roberto Pena broke a 2-2 tie to lift the Durham Bulls past the Norfolk Tides 3-2 in the regular season finale on Monday at the DBAP.
The Tides (69-71) opened the scoring in the third inning with two runs on a home run by Anthony Santander giving the visitors a 2-0 lead through three.
Durham cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth on a home run by Jason Coats and tied the game in the fifth on an RBI double by Kean Wong, scoring Jake Cronenworth who doubled with one out in the frame.
The Bulls (79-60) grabbed the lead in the sixth inning on a single to left field by Roberto Pena scoring Nate Lowe, who singled to right to open the inning, to give the home side a 3-2 advantage.
Cronenworth doubled twice, Wong recorded his first multi-hit game since August 8, and Coats hit his 15thhome run of the year.
Zach Lee (W, 4-5) earned his fourth victory of the season and first win since July 26 after scattering nine hits and allowing two runs with one strikeout.
Relievers Ian Gibaut, Kyle Bird, and Hoby Milner (S, 2) combined to hold the Tides scoreless over 3.0 innings with four strikeouts. The bullpen held the Tides lineup to 1-for-9, stranded seven runners on base and held the visitors to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position to secure a Bull City victory.
The South Division Champion Bulls open a best-of-five Governors’ Cup First Round series against the Western Division Champion Toledo Mud Hens on Wednesday, September 5 at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, OH.
Wong, Poche Highlight Goodmon Award Winners
Snyder, Kolarek round out annual team awards
Prior to the Durham Bulls’ final home game of the regular season on Monday, September 3, 2018, the team recognized the winners of the 2018 Goodmon Awards. The 25th annual Goodmon Awards, named for Capitol Broadcasting CEO Jim Goodmon, acknowledge Bulls players for their contributions to the success of the team on and off the field.
Infielder/outfielder Kean Wong has been selected as the team’s Most Valuable Player, ranking 10th in the IL with a .283 batting average. The 23-year-old leads the team in hits (123) and on-base percentage (.346), and was named a 2018 International League Postseason All-Star earlier in the week.
Left-handed reliever Colin Poche is the team’s Pitcher of the Year, holding a mark of 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 27 outings. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in May, the Texas native has struck out 75 batters in just 48 innings, while surrendering only 27 hits. With the Bulls, the 24-year-old has struck out over 41 percent of the batters he’s faced.
Infielder Brandon Snyder has been selected for the Goodmon Award for Team Spirit. The 31-year-old, in his first season with Durham, ranks seventh in the league with a .460 slugging percentage, and leads the team in home runs (16) and RBI (57). The Team Spirit award is presented annually to the player who most consistently exhibits a good attitude on and off the field.
Now with the Tampa Bay Rays, Adam Kolarek has been selected as the recipient of the Community Service award. The left-handed reliever took an active role in the Bulls’ involvement with the Miracle League of the Triangle while in Durham.
Thanks to DBBC’s Matt Sutor for these capcom stories & graphic and to BrianFlemingPhotography.com for the photo of Kean Wong.
