The Durham Bulls completed a three-game romp through the Governor's Cup Finals last night, besting the Buffalo Bisons 2-0 to capture their first championship in over 30 years.
The game remained knotted at zero until the bottom of the sixth inning, when catcher Paul Hoover belted a fastball to the warning track in right-center field, knocking in Emil Brown for what would be the winning run. The Bulls added an insurance run in the seventh off a Ryan Freel single.
Hoover attributed the team's success to the same attention to fundamentals that had served them well since April.
"It was a great series for our pitchers," Hoover said, while fending off various players' attempts to cover him with beer and whipped cream, as chants of "M-V-P" echoed through the clubhouse. "We had timely hitting, we played good defense. It was the same thing as the whole season."
The victory capped an undefeated postseason in which the Bulls swept both the Bisons and the Toledo Mud Hens. The championship was the first for the organization since 1969.
Thursday's victory appeared in doubt in the top of the seventh inning. With runners on second and third, Buffalo third-baseman Earl Snyder hit a screamer down the left field line. By the time the ball was called foul, the two runners had already crossed the plate. Were the shot fair, the Bisons would have seized a temporary 2-1 lead.
Evers discussed the situation with a sense of relief.
"In that situation you just stand up and hope it hooks enough," he said. "You pray hard--and quick--and hope it will work out."
Earlier that inning, Durham starting pitcher Gerardo Garcia had a no-hitter broken up on left-fielder Chad Allen's leadoff single. Garcia hurled 6 2/3 innings, allowing only that one hit on his way to becoming the season's last winning pitcher.
"He wanted to be the guy," Evers said. "He wanted to be the guy standing on the mound getting the victory in game three of a championship."
Hoover was also impressed with Garcia's play.
"He threw the ball outstanding... I knew in his eyes that he wanted it real bad," Hoover said.
When discussing his own efforts, Hoover remained humble despite widespread agreement that he was the series' unofficial MVP. The backstop had also gone 3-for-3 and made several key defensive plays in the clinching game against Toledo.
"I got hot at the right time I guess," he said.
In the end, as the Bulls popped open champagne bottles, swapped congratulations and awaited the all-important news of who would soon be joining the major leagues, no one was happier with the Bulls' achievements than their manager.
"Coming out of spring training I didn't believe we'd be in this situation," Evers said. "This is a lot of hard work. This is what it's all about. It's a dream come true."
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