Louisville Bats set for playoff grudge match against Durham Bulls

 

For the second straight season, the Louisville Bats and Durham Bulls will lock up in the opening round of the triple-A International League playoffs. Louisville is hoping the script goes a little better this time, as Durham won the last year's best-of-five series three games to one. Game one goes down Wednesday night at 7:05PM in Durham, which apparently is part of an area in North Carolina called 'the triangle'.  The Bulls, who were made famous by Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, and that floozy Susan Sarandon in 1988, are the top farm club of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Quick Takes

• Louisville's 85 wins barely bested Durham (84) for most victories in the league, but the Bulls held a 5-3 edge in the season series. Three of the eight games between the teams required extra innings to settle. It's been nearly two months since the teams met, however, and Louisville has continued to pick up steam. Since the calendar hit August 1st, Louisville has went 24-11.
• Another interesting subplot for the series will be that the Bats have some pretty lethal recent additions that should help their lineup. IF Yonder Alonso, who was the Reds' first round pick in the '08 draft, was just promoted with the double-A season ending, and will be making his triple-A debut when he sees the field for the first time with Louisville. Alonso started the season in A ball down in Sarasota, and has hit .289 with 52 RBIs between the two levels. According to reds.com, outfielder Jay Bruce, who was on injury rehab with the Bats during their final regular season series, will be staying on with the team during the first round. Bruce has went 5-18 (.286) at the dish since coming to the Bats.
• If you nerd out and look at the stats, you see Durham led the league in homers and runs scored. The Bats' pitching staff has kept them on top, as their 3.47 ERA was runner-up to Scranton/W-B, who is also in the playoffs, trying to defend their championship crown. Louisville also set a franchise record this year with 15 shutout victories, which was tied for the league lead.

Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins played for the Durham
Bulls in 'Bull Durham' from 1988.

Pitching matchups (updated through Monday night)

  Wednesday's opener should be a dandy with the Bats' Travis Wood (4-2, 3.14) going against Durham's Jeremy Hellickson (6-1, 2.51). Wood, a lefty, was leading the league at double-A in ERA and strikeouts before getting a shot for Louisville. Wood has also been rock solid in his eight starts with the Bats. In nine starts with the Bulls, Hellickson has 70 punch outs in just 57 innings. 

Lefty Ben Jukich (9-6, 4.10) will throw for the Bats in game two, but Durham is keeping their starter shrouded in Bill Belicheck-like secrecy. Jukich has been with the Bats all season, and his picked up his game since becoming a full-time starter. The 26-year-old dominated during July, earning Cincinnati's Pitcher of the Month award after posting a 1.62 ERA.

When the series shifts back to Louisville on Friday, Sam LeCure (10-8, 4.46) will take the hill for the Bats. LeCure, a 25-year-old who came to the Reds from the University of Texas, has been a fixture for the team this year, making 25 starts. Southpaw Jason Cromer will go for Durham, and he has been downright stingy, with a 2.25 ERA in 19 starts.