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Pensacola Tops Chattanooga
August 19, 2015
Pensacola right fielder Juan Duran knocked in three of the club’s six runs in the first two innings as the Blue Wahoos pulled out a series opening victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Duran tripled in two runs and hit a sacrifice fly to knock in another run as Pensacola cruised to an 8-4 win in front of 3,909 Tuesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Since finishing rehab in Arizona, Duran has played 42 games and has four home runs, 34 RBIs and is hitting .270 for the Blue Wahoos in July and August. He went 1-4 and scored a run against Chattanooga. His 22 extra base hits are second in the Southern League in the second half of this season.
Pensacola improved to 29-22 in the South Division in the second half of the Southern League season and catapulted into a first place tie with the Mobile BayBears, who lost to the Jacksonville Suns. The latest the Blue Wahoos had been in first place before now was July 22, 2012 — the team’s inaugural season.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said he looks forward to Duran coming to the plate.
“Juan has been terrific,” he said. “He’s really good with runners in scoring position, especially with two outs. Having his presence in the lineup really helps.”
Chattanooga was playing in front of its parent club Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan on Thursday. Ryan coincidentally is from the same hometown as Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer in Janesville, Wisc.
Ryan watched as Pensacola wasted no time chasing Chattanooga starter Greg Peavy in the second inning, after going up, 6-0. Duran drove in three of those runs on a line drive triple that rolled to the wall in the right-center gap, scoring center fielder Bryson Smith and shortstop Alex Blandino in the first inning. His deep sacrifice fly to center field scored left fielder Beau Amaral in the second inning.
Amaral added two more runs when he blasted a home run, his fourth of the year, to left field in the sixth inning that also brought in second baseman Zach Vincej to put the Blue Wahoos up, 8-3.
Pensacola has had a home run outburst in the second half. It has gone from last place in home runs in the Southern League with 25 in the first half to fourth place with 44 home runs in the second half for 69 on the season.
Amaral’s sister, Jessica, who played softball at UCLA, was in Pensacola for the first time and got to watch her big brother hit his fourth home run of the season.
“I need her to come to more games,” Amaral said jokingly. “It was cool for her to come out here.”
Starting right-hander Daniel Wright checked Chattanooga the first two innings, retiring the side both times and striking out four. He retired the side five of the seven innings he worked. In all, he lasted 6.1 innings before walking two in the seventh.
Wright had one bad inning when the Lookouts added three in the third inning on a solo home run by shortstop Niko Goodrum and then center fielder Shannon Wilkerson and third baseman Steve Wickens both scored when Duran fumbled a bloop single by right fielder Max Kepler, earning an error on the play. The Lookouts pulled within, 6-3.
Blue Wahoos closer Zack Weiss entered the game in the eighth inning and earned his Southern League-leading 21st save on the season. Weiss is one save from the Pensacola franchise record of 22 saves set by Shane Dyer last season.
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