Bulls, Tides will play best-of-3 to determine International League Championship

The Bulls ended the regular season with an 88-62 record, the second-best overall clip in the International League behind only the Norfolk Tides.

Those two teams will meet beginning Tuesday in a best-of-three series to determine the league championship, with the winner to play for the Triple-A title on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Bulls are the reigning Triple-A champions, having won in 2021 and 2022.

The Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are winners of the first half of the International League season and the hosts of the International League Championship series.

This is the first time in history the two teams will face each other in the playoffs. It’s the first time Norfolk has qualified for the playoffs since 2015.

First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday. Game one of the series will feature a pitching matchup between Norfolk’s LHP Bruce Zimmermann (4-7, 4.42) and Durham’s RHP Cooper Criswell (4-4, 3.93).

Durham has recorded 80 or more victories in four of their last six seasons, and over the last three years has accumulated a 260-169 regular season record, averaging 86 victories per season.