Pensacola Outlasts Jacksonville To Win 4-3 In 15 Innings

July 3, 2014

It was the most innings – 15 – and the longest game – 4 hours and 29 minutes – for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos this season.

After all the other Double-A baseball games had finished across the nation Wednesday, the Wahoos finally put the Jacksonville Suns away when left fielder Jesse Winker smacked a walk-off single to left field that scored shortstop Brodie Greene from second for a 4-3 victory at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

The fans who remained in the stands jumped to their feet on Winker’s hit. Winker was immediately mobbed around second base by his ecstatic teammates, who were happy to win and snap a three game losing streak.

“I didn’t want it to go any further,” said Winker, who was called up from High-A Bakersfield during the Southern League All-Star break June 17 and got his first Wahoos home run the night before. “To get a walk-off anything feels great.”

Pensacola improved to 5-2 in extra inning games this year and it was the Wahoos third walk-off hit of the season. The longest game in Pensacola history was a 16-inning, 5-hour affair in a home game Aug. 10, 2013 against Jacksonville that the Wahoos lost, 8-6.

One of the other Wahoos stars of the game was relief pitcher Tim Adleman who threw four scoreless innings and struck out four batters to up his record to 2-3 on the season. It was Adelman’s longest outing of the season but with the heart of Jacksonville’s order coming up in the top of the 15th inning, he struck out the Suns’ best hitter J.T. Realmuto on a 92 mph fastball. An out later, he struck out Jacksonville’s Joe Benson, who had hit his sixth homer of the season earlier in the game, on a 91 mph fastball.

Adleman said he was in an aggressive mind set, knowing that manager Delino DeShields was going to leave the relief pitcher in as long as possible. He knows the bullpen has been a sore point this season but threw 10 scoreless innings tonight, giving up just five hits and striking out nine batters.

“We can’t control what has happened in the past,” said Adleman, as Winker gave him a shaving cream pie in the face. “We have to put our best on the line and give our team a chance to win.”

Adleman credited newly added catcher Lou Marson, who has played in the big leagues with the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies, for helping the bullpen stay focused Wednesday.

“He called a great game tonight,” he said. “He has a great resume and a lot of experience. Nothing against our other two catchers but I think he will help us turn the tide.”

Pensacola also got strong relief pitching from Fabian Williamson, who has not allowed a run in last 7 innings and has lowered his ERA to 2.05 ERA in his last 19 appearances since April.

“Our bullpen was really good tonight,” DeShields said after the game. “I hope it gives them a little optimism. We have a lot of baseball left and need them to come through.”

Pensacola tied the score at 3 in the sixth inning when Seth Mejias-Brean hit a chopper past a diving shortstop to score Ryan Wright. Wright had led off the inning with a double off the left field wall for his sixth double in his last 10 hits.

The Blue Wahoos then had chances to win in the seventh and eighth inning but failed both times, having a runner get thrown out at home and then leaving the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

The finale of the five-game series with Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate the Jacksonville Suns gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. RHP Ben Lively (0-1, 2.89) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Suns RHP Jose Urena (6-6, 4.33).

Comments

Comments are closed.

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