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Blue Wahoos Win Tenth Straight Home Game
July 23, 2015
When Bryson Smith comes to the plate, opposing pitchers don’t exactly quake in their shoes that the center fielder will take them deep.
After all Smith’s career high is six in a season in 2012 when he split the season between Double-A Pensacola and High-A Bakersfield.
But Smith turned on a first pitch and took Biloxi pitcher Johnny Hellweg over the left field wall in the first inning and Pensacola went on to win its third straight game, 6-4, in front of 4,506 Wednesday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola has won 8 of its last 11 games and 10 straight games at home since losing its home opener in the second half on July 1 to Jacksonville, 6-2.
Smith is now hitting .333 (6-18) with one homer and two RBIs in five games with Pensacola. His homer gave Pensacola 16 dingers in the past 12 games. Pensacola is in eighth place in the Southern League in home runs with 46 total.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said having the 26-year-old Bryson on the team, who played for the Blue Wahoos every season since 2012, has been calming to the club house.
“Boy, it’s nice to have him,” Kelly said. “The way he runs the bases. Just the way he plays the game. I really like what I see.”
Pensacola hitting coach Alex Pelaez said none of the Pensacola batters are trying to hit the ball out of the ball park.
“They’re not trying to,” Pelaez said. “They’re just putting good swings on it and it’s jumping out.”
The Blue Wahoos are tied for first place with the Mississippi Braves in the second half at 16-10 (41-53) in the Southern League South Division. It’s the first time since July 22, 2012, that Pensacola has been six games over .500. The Blue Wahoos have never been seven games over .500 in a season since its inaugural year in 2012.
Meanwhile, Biloxi, the first half winner in the South, fell to 11-14 (54-39).
Kelly said the team is taking winning in stride.
“I thought we’ve had great chemistry even from day one,” Kelly said. “To me, they’re the same. They’re not too up and the not to down even when we’re winning games. We were undermanned in the first half. Now we feel like we can compete.”
Relievers Jimmy Moran and Kyle McMyne, who earned his seventh save, blanked Biloxi over the last four innings, giving up two hits striking out two and benefitting from two double plays.
With relievers Patrick Schuster, Zack Weiss and Miguel Celestino not available, Kelly said their relief work was critical.
The second game of the five-game series is scheduled at 6:35 p.m. Thursday with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers. RHP Daniel Wright (6-7, 4.57) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by Shuckers RHP Brooks Hall (7-5, 4.72).
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