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Durham Bulls win Triple-A national championship with 5-4 win over Memphis in 11 innings

Sep 23, 2009

Pinch runner Rashad Eldridge raced home on a wild pitch by Oneli Perez in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Durham Bulls beat the Memphis Redbirds 5-4 Tuesday night in the Triple-A championship game.

The first pitch Perez threw after entering the game skittered past catcher Brandon Yarbrough to the backstop to allow Eldridge to score the winning run for the Tampa Bay Rays' affiliate. The Bulls mobbed Eldridge in the batter's box after he scored and gathered along the third-base line to celebrate their title.

"I think it means a lot to everybody, knowing that we're best Triple-A team not only in the International League but in the Pacific Coast League, too," said Durham starter Jeremy Hellickson, who was voted the game's MVP. "We just came out, played hard and came out with another close win."

Michel Hernandez led off the inning with a double to the gap in left-center field and was replaced by Eldridge, who then moved to third on a wild pitch by Royce Ring. Ring then intentionally walked Ray Olmedo, and Redbirds manager Chris Maloney brought center-fielder Shane Robinson in as a fifth infielder before Perez's wild pitch.

The Bulls made it to the championship game with a 12-inning win against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to sweep the Governor's Cup series, so another extra-inning affair was nothing new.

"What's beautiful about it is that everybody contributed," Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo said. "That's what I like about it. Everybody pitched, everybody got to play. That's what I like about it, that everybody was part of it. Everybody celebrating in there had something to do for us getting here."

The victory was the first for the International League representative since the Triple-A championship was re-created in 2006 as a single-game playoff.

Memphis, the St. Louis Cardinals' farm club, trailed 4-0 early but started its rally immediately after Hellickson left the game.

Jason Cromer didn't retire any of the four batters he faced in the sixth inning, allowing a leadoff home run by Jon Jay and a two-run shot by Allen Craig before being replaced. The Redbirds then tied it at 4 on David Freese's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

Memphis then had a chance to win it with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th, but Julio DePaula got Shane Robinson to ground back to the mound for an inning-ending double play.

The Bulls were playing without closer Wilson Abreu, who was hospitalized with an aneurysm in his arm after the Governor's Cup series and was back at home Tuesday night.

"He's one of the reasons why we're here and I just want to make sure he gets his due. He's a perfect example of the kids that I have here," Montoyo said.

Ray Olmedo doubled and scored twice, and Desmond Jennings had three hits to lead the Memphis offense. The two had back-to-back doubles to score the game's first run in the third inning, and Sean Rodriguez - who was sent to the Tampa Bay organization in the Scott Kazmir trade with the Los Angeles Angels - homered to spark a three-run fourth inning.

Olmedo scored the important fourth run as Walters covered first on Jennings' infield single and turned his back to the infield.

Montoyo, who was coaching third base, said he urged Olmedo on: "I said, `He's not paying attention. Go, go, go, go!"