Wahoos Beat The Braves

August 26, 2015

Thanks to Tim Adleman and the Pensacola defense, the Blue Wahoos pulled back within half a game of the Southern League South Division lead behind the Mississippi Braves.

Needing just one run, Adleman threw six scoreless innings and Pensacola held on for a, 1-0, victory over front-runner Mississippi in front of 4,222 Tuesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

It was Adleman’s second, 1-0, victory over Mississippi with the last coming on June 27. In the second half of the season, Adleman is 7-2 with a 1.90 ERA after playing in the Southern League All-Star game. He improved to 9-8 with a Southern League-leading 2.12 ERA.

“I told you,” Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said. “We got him one and that was plenty. He wasn’t sharp today but he just battled and battled.”

Meanwhile, Pensacola closer Zack Weiss entered the game with one out in the eighth inning and earned a franchise record 23 saves, surpassing the 22 Shane Dyer saved last season.

“You give him the ball and you know the game is over,” Kelly said. “That’s a great feeling as a manager.”

Pensacola, playing in its first playoff race in franchise history, is now 32-26 and in sole possession of second place after dropping the first two games of the five-game series to Mississippi. The Braves are 32-25 in the second half. The Mobile BayBears lost to the Biloxi Shuckers and fell to 30-27 and third place.

The Blue Wahoos went ahead, 1-0, when first baseman Ray Chang scored with the bases loaded on a walk by shortstop Alex Blandino. The run stood up with great defense from the outfielders and crucial double plays. The squad has a league leading 153 double plays this season.

In the fifth inning, Mississippi pinch hitter Emerson Landoni hit a broken bat blooper that Pensacola center fielder Phillip Ervin charged and then threw the baseball on a rope to catcher Kyle Skipworth at home plate to nail the Braves’ Sean Godfrey trying to score.

In the eighth inning, Pensacola right fielder Juan Duran slid to catch a soft liner and it popped out of his glove. But he jumped up and threw Braves center fielder Matt Lipka out trying to reach second.

In the same inning, Weiss struck out Mississippi right fielder KD Kang and Skipworth caught second baseman Levi Hyams going to second. It was a boom, boom double play.

Both Adleman and Kevin Shackleford started double plays from the mound in the second and seventh innings, respectivelly.

For Kelly it was a routine day at the ball park.

“The key to our club is playing great defense,” Kelly said. “Our pitchers fielded their positions today. Whenever you can get two outs on one pitch, that’s huge.”

Weiss said he was happy to set the Pensacola record but even happier to pitch well in a game with playoff ramifications.

“It’s a pretty special experience,” the 23-year-old said. “When you’re competing for a playoff spot, every pitch is a big pitch in a series like this. The record is cool but tonight was pretty much a must win.”

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