Durham Bulls win Triple A national championship

For the second time in eight years, the Durham Bulls are Triple A national champs, having defeated Memphis 5-3 in Tuesday's title game in Scranton, Penn.

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To say the Bulls have been a successful AAA outfit is a massive understatement. Since 1998, it's been a cavalcade of banners: 13 South Division crowns, five International League Governors' Cup championships and as of Tuesday night - a second dose of overall Triple A supremacy.

Kean Wong was the hero - his fourth-inning grand slam catapulting the Bulls from 3-1 down to the Memphis Redbirds into a 5-3 lead. That was ultimately the final score.

Six Bulls pitchers combined to hold Memphis to just six hits and the three runs. Three of the hits and two of the runs came in the first two innings as starter Ryan Yarbrough struggled. From there, it was shutdown pitching as ace Brent Honeywell came out of the pen to claim the win.

Jared Sandberg had spoken before the game of honoring the legacy of the great Bulls managers of the past, Charlie Montoyo and Bill Evers. This win certainly doesn't hurt.

The title caps a jarring turnaround from last year's disappointing 64-80 campaign. The Bulls won 22 more games in the regular season this time round, and most importantly, swept to four wins in five games in their championship postseason run.