Wahoos Lose To Biscuits

August 26, 2014

Kyle Waldrop became the first Pensacola Blue Wahoos player this season to earn the Southern League’s Player of the Week honors Monday.

As if that wasn’t enough, Waldrop lined a double to centerfield that scored Yorman Rodriguez and tied him for the franchise record of seven consecutive games with an RBI.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (56-78), though, failed to overtake the Montgomery Biscuits (64-70) and lost, 4-3, Monday in front of 3,074 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The last home game of the regular season starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Waldrop has been on a hitting tear and for the week ending Sunday, August 24 was recognized as the league’s top player by Minor League Baseball. During the week, the left-handed hitter batted .533 (16-for-33) with two home runs, three doubles and a triple and a slugging percentage of .900.

“I’ve always felt in the second half I’ve done well,” Waldrop said. “‘Finish strong is my motto. I’m more patient and looking for a certain pitch to put good swings on the ball.”

The 22-year-old Waldrop now has an eight-game hitting streak, including six multi-hit games. Over the past week, he has raised his average 37 points to .309. His average is tops on the team and his 33 RBI leads the team since the All-Star break.

“He’s a solid hitter,” said Walt Jocketty, the Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations and general manager, who was visiting Pensacola. “He’s proven he can come up here and make adjustments. If he does that, he will keep moving up.”

The left-handed hitting Waldrop was part of a group of seven High-A Bakersfield players who joined the Wahoos after the All-Star break. He was leading the California League with a .359 average.

Pensacola Manager Delino DeShields said Waldrop impressed him the most among the Bakersfield seven.

“Of all those guys, he was the most ready coming in and it shows,” DeShields said. “He was swinging the bat that way in Bakersfield and is making the adjustments faster than the others.”

Waldrop isn’t the only hot-hitting Blue Wahoos player. Yorman Rodriguez also is swinging a big stick, smacking a solo home run to right field Monday to go along with two doubles and a single in a 4-4 night and he scored all three Wahoos runs.

Rodriguez smacked home runs in three straight games against the Jacksonville Suns in the last series and now has nine homers on the year. In addition, the 22-year-old outfielder has an 11-game hitting streak, hitting .486 (18-37) with four home runs and 11 RBI.

The Venezuelan said through interpreter Yovan Gonzalez, the team’s catcher, that he has been taking extra hitting in the batting cages and working with hitting coach Alex Palaez.

“I’m throwing my hands hard through the ball and I’ve been successful doing that,” Rodriguez said. “I’m also being more patient, especially as the leadoff hitter.”

DeShields praised both Rodriguez and Waldrop for their hot hitting lately.

“They’re both playing at a high level right now,” he said.

The final home game of the 2014 season is against the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits and gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-6, 3.09) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Biscuits RHP Victor Mateo (12-9, 3.61).

by Tommy Thrall

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