Wahoos Win Second Straight Over Birmingham Barons

August 9, 2015

Three Pensacola Blue Wahoos smacked home runs and the club won its second straight game over the Birmingham Barons Saturday.

Blue Wahoos center fielder Bryson Smith doubled with two outs in the eighth inning to score Pensacola speedster Beau Amaral from third with the winning run, 8-7, in front of its 20th sellout of the year at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

It was Pensacola’s seventh win in the last nine games and the Blue Wahoos remained a half-game back of Southern League South Division second half leader the Mobile BayBears at 25-17 (49-60). Mobile is 25-16 in the second half.

Pensacola came back to defeat the Barons after trailing, 5-1, in the third inning. Blue Wahoos shortstop Alex Blandino smashed a three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the third inning to bring Pensacola within one run, 5-4. Both catcher Yovan Gonzalez and Bryson Smith scored on Blandino’s second homer for the Blue Wahoos since joining the club Aug. 3.

Pensacola also got a monstrous solo blast from third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean in the second inning, which was his sixth of the year to have a team-leading 42 RBIs. Gonzalez, who now has a four-game hit streak, hit his third homer of the year when he smashed a two-run blast in the fourth inning.

The Blue Wahoos have led the Southern League since July 1 with 117 extra base hits.

Coming back from four runs down is something the Blue Wahoos have rarely done this season, said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. Kelly credits the addition of right fielder Juan Duran’s bat to the lineup July 1 after he completed injury rehab.

“He really lengthens our lineup,” Kelly said. “Everyone is in a position now where they are very comfortable.”

Kelly said he was most impressed with Blandino’s homer to left. “That was a big blow right there,” he said.

He also complimented Gonzalez, the backup catcher for the Wahoos, who was 1-2 with two walks Saturday and scored two runs.

“He’s swinging a great bat the last four or five games,” Kelly said. “He’s done it in limited play. He’s in a tough role. It’s nice to see that production.”

Gonzalez’s two-run homer in the fourth brought the Blue Wahoos within, 7-6. Buckley then scored on a Ryan Wright sacrifice fly to right to tie the game, 7-7, in the sixth inning.

Birmingham went up 7-4 when third baseman Nicky Delmonico, who had a home run and three RBIs, singled in shortstop Tim Anderson, who hit a leadoff double in the fourth inning. Delmonico then scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by designated hitter Danny Hayes.

Anderson, the Chicago White Sox top prospect, went 2-4 with a double, scored three times and stole three bases for a Southern League-leading 44 steals on the year.

“He is such a threat,” Kelly said. “Plus, he plays great at shortstop.”

Comments

Comments are closed.

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