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Wahoos Beat Barons
May 25, 2014
Red’s minor league hitting coordinator Ryan Jackson came to work with the Pensacola Wahoos during the series with the Birmingham Barons.
Pensacola leads the Southern League with .257 batting average but Jackson thought its lineup could use a little tune up.
One person who benefited was third baseman Juan Silverio who smacked two home runs, including a game-winning one in the eighth inning, that helped the Blue Wahoos rally from a five-run deficit to win, 7-6, over Birmingham in front of a third straight sellout crowd Saturday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The Wahoos seven runs on seven hits Saturday followed a 10-run, 10-hit victory the night before.
“I feel like they’re headed in the right direction,” Jackson said after throwing some batting practice before the game. “They just have to make sure they get quality at bats. That’s what I look for.”
Silverio said through a translator, Wahoos reliever Fabian Williamson, that Jackson had him doing some extra hitting off a tee.
“Things have been feeling better the past few days and batting practice today was pretty good,” said Silverio, who knocked a few over the left field wall just like he did in the game. “I went out there with a good approach.”
Trailing 6-1, Silverio, who was hitless in his previous eight at bats, started the rally with a solo shot in the fifth inning. The blast came after Wahoos manager Delino DeShields got thrown out of the game for arguing an out call at first base on Juan Duran’s grounder to third.
Two batters later, Rey Navarro added a nearly identical two-run homer over the left field wall to cut the Barons’ lead to, 6-4. Navarro came into the game hitting .342 in his last 10 games and has two doubles, a triple and homer against the Barons this series.
In the sixth inning, Pensacola then sent eight hitters to the plate and added two more runs to tie the game at 6.
The raucous Blue Wahoos fans then received some extra excitement after the inning when team owner Quint Studer danced with the grounds crew in the infield to “Sweet Home Chicago” by the Blues Brothers. Studer’s big move was a jumping 360-degree spin in the air that delighted the packed stadium.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Silverio clubbed another home run to left field to put Pensacola ahead for the first time, 7-6, which ended up the winning margin.
“Juan has a lot of talent and he works hard,” DeShields said of Silverio, who before coming to the Reds organization was the ninth best prospect in the White Sox organization in 2012. “I don’t think he realizes how much talent he has some times. He can be special.”
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