Pensacola Blue Wahoos Win Second Straight Over Jacksonville 3-2

July 4, 2014

The packed Pensacola Bayfront Stadium came to see fireworks and, boy, did they.

Not only did they watch a spectacular 17-minute explosion of color in the night sky but they experienced former Gulf Breeze High School pitcher Ben Lively’s explosive fastball strike out seven Jacksonville Sun batters and an electrifying walk off home run deep to right field by Jesse Winker – his second walk off in a row.

What a difference on the mound it was for Lively in his second start at home in front of an announced 5,038 crowd that looked much larger with even every inch of the grass in the Hill Kelly Hill behind right centerfield taken.

The crowd was into every pitch and play made by the Blue Wahoos, who suited up in patriotic uniforms with stripes and stars, and their new red, white and blue hat with the Wahoos logo in a star.

Lively’s Double-A debut at home was his shortest outing of the year at 3.2 innings, with 52 of his 98 pitches thrown for strikes.

But it was all forgotten Thursday when the hometown prospect, recorded 7 Ks in six innings, allowing just two runs.

Lively’s total this season now stands at 115 Ks, which are second best in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Only Reds starter Johnny Cueto has more with 130. He is also second among all minor league pitchers, trailing only Aaron Blair, who has 117 playing at the A level.

“I was a lot more settled down,” said Lively, who entered the game with hitters batting .194 against him.

Wahoos manager Delino DeShields was pleased, too.

“He didn’t lose his composure,” he said. “His focus was a lot better tonight.”

Although he was happy with his pitching performance, Lively was even more excited about his double. It was his first professional hit and his first hit since he played at Gulf Breeze High School. He launched a line drive over the right fielder that scored Kyle Waldrop. Waldrop had led off the inning with a double off the base of the leftfield wall, sliding head first into second base.

“The hit pumped me up a little bit,” Lively said.

Lively, who already has a jersey out with the number 35 that he wore in his first start, then scored when Yorman Rodriguez followed him with a line drive down the left field line, tying it up at 2 apiece. It stayed that way until “Walk-Off” Winker came to the plate in the ninth inning.

Lively was icing his arm in the club house when he saw Winker lift the ball deep to right field. He quickly jumped up, threw on clothes and gave Winker the first of three shaving cream pies to the face, not to mention a cooler full of ice-cold Gatorade in front of the dugout. Winker, who has a seven-game hitting streak, enjoyed it, spreading his arms open and letting it shower him.

It ended a five-game homestand in which Winker was named to the Sirius XM All-Star Futures game played on Sunday, July 13, his first Double-A home run and then back-to-back walk offs. His one Wednesday night was on a single in the 15th inning.

“It’s very cool. One of the best baseball weeks I can remember,” said Winker, who still had shaving cream covering his head. “As soon as I hit it I thought, ‘Oh, that could go.”

Wahoos manager Delino DeShields was smiling after Thursday’s game. DeShields hasn’t been too happy with Pensacola’s record now at 6-9 in the second half, after a last place finish in the first half.

“That was fun tonight and it didn’t take 15 innings,” he said.

DeShields noted that Winker is 20 and the youngest player on the team.

“He’s a very confident young man,” DeShields said. “He’s growing up. He’s not a big leaguer yet but he will be one day. He’s always dangerous.”

DeShields also praised Drew Hayes, who pitched two scoreless innings of middle relief and struck out three.

“Our bullpen did a solid job tonight,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing these guys pitch.”

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliated of the Cincinnati Reds, travel to play Arizona Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate the Mobile BayBears in a five-game series that gets underway at 7:05 p.m. Friday. RHP Daniel Corcino (7-6, 4.50) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the BayBears RHP Justin Fitzgerald (7-1, 4.04).

by Tommy Thrall

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports