Bats lose barnburner to Durham in game three

September 11, 10:17 PMLouisville Bats ExaminerJason Stella

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Yonder Alonso, who was the Reds' first round pick in 2008,
went deep for the Bats in game three against Durham
(photo courtesy of straitpinkie.com)

After the first two games of the playoff series between the Louisville Bats and Durham Bulls resulted in a push, Louisville came back to Slugger Field for game three in hopes of jumping in the driver's seat. Instead, they now find themselves with their backs against the wall, as they dropped a tight 4-3 contest to the Bulls. Louisville now needs to win games four and five to survive and advance, with game four going down Saturday night at 6:05 on Slugger Field. Durham only struck in one inning, but it was a vicious bite. The south division champs got four runs in the fourth, then held on for the  win to go up two games to one in the series.

Bats' catcher Chris Denove broke the ice in the third when he went yard for the second time in three nights. Since joining the Bats in early August, Denove has given the team more pop than any catcher its had since Ryan Hanigan went to Cincinnati. The 26-year-old former UCLA Bruin closed the season with a .307 average in 25 games  with Louisville.

Sam LeCure, who had a seven-game winning streak earlier this season, had a solid performance except during that brutal fourth inning, when five consecutive Bulls reached base en route to plating four. LeCure went six innings total, allowing six hits and four earned runs, while walking three and fanning two.

Yonder Alonso, who made his triple-A debut in this playoff series, put some of his first-round power on display when he blasted an opposite-field solo shot in the sixth, making it a two-run game. The seventh overall selection in the 2008 draft also made a few nice defensive plays while manning first base.

Still down 4-2 entering the seventh, Louisville set the stage for a dramatic comeback, but could only muster one run. After getting two on with no outs, the Bats suffered two painful strikeouts before getting consecutive infield singles by Todd Frazier and Juan Francisco to pull within one, but then left the sacks packed.  

Despite Durham closer Winston Abreu throwing 96 mph gas, Louisville was able to get two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but Abreu fanned Chris Valaika to close out the Durham vicotry. Missed opportunities were the story for Louisville, as all nine spots in the Bats' lineup got a hit, but they left 12 men on base.

Lefty Tom Cochran (1-0, 3.07) will take the hill for Louisville in game four, trying to keep the team's season alive. The 26-year-old Cochran came up from double-A a few weeks ago after starting the season with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League, and has pitched pretty well in his three starts with the Bats. Durham is keeping their game four starter under lock and key, a la Eric Mangini and the Browns' starting QB situation.

For more info: recap of split in Durham, series preview, box score