It's Deja Blue All Over Again as Bulls Eliminate Bats

Durham, NC. - Durham did it again. For the third straight season, and for the fifth time since 1998, the Durham Bulls have ended Louisville's season. This time in a 4-2 defeat, in a decisive game five, that saw former Louisville Bat, Bobby Livingston, earn the win for the Bulls.

The Bulls got on the board first courtesy of a fielding error by left fielder, Todd Frazier, in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Fernando Perez singled on a ground ball to left field, but the ball scooted underneath Frazier's glove, allowing both Durham runners to score, putting them ahead 2-0.

Louisville evened the game at two in the top half of the fifth, courtesy of a clutch two-out, two-run double by Kris Negron.

The tie game would not last as the Bulls jumped back right back on top in the bottom half. J.J. Furmaniak, who batted .412 during the series, quickly greeted reliever Micah Owings with a solo home run to centerfield, giving the Bulls the 3-2 lead. Furmaniak was just the second batter that Owings faced.

The Durham bullpen controlled the game the rest of the way, much like they did the entire series. An infield single by Wladimir Balentien in the top of the sixth would be the Bats' last hit as they failed to muster a rally.

A two-out double by Angel Chavez in the bottom of the eighth provided insurance for the Bulls, making the score 4-2.

Both teams managed just five hits in the game, but three of the five Durham hits went for extra bases. The Negron double would be the Bats lone extra-base hit.

Jeremy Horst, who made just two starts in the regular season for the Bats, got the nod and allowed just two unearned runs in four innings of work. Owings, who replaced Horst, took the loss for Louisville. He allowed two hits, one of which was the Furmaniak home run, in two innings of work.

Livingston, who didn't record a decision in the regular season for the Bulls, picked up the win. He allowed just four hits, two earned runs and struck out four in five innings.

Joe Bateman and Winston Abreu combined to shutout the Bats the remainder of the way, allowing only the infield single by Balentien. Abreu picked up the save.

The 2010 season comes to a close for Louisville after winning their third straight IL West Division Title. The Bats trailed the Clippers by 11.5 games at the All-Star break but stormed out of the gates following the break, winning 24 of 27 games to make a race out of it. They then overtook Columbus on the final day of the season after they downed the Indians and the Clippers fell in Toledo.

Durham now moves on to face the Columbus Clippers in the Governors' Cup Championship. The first game will take place Tuesday night in Columbus.