Wahoos Gain Ground On First Place Biloxi

May 9, 2016

Kyle Parker found himself without a team when the Colorado Rockies released him on April 2. They didn’t want their first pick in the 2010 draft anymore.

But the Cincinnati Reds signed him April 25 and sent him to its Double-A affiliate the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

In his second start, Parker hit two two-out singles to drive in a run each time and help his new team beat Biloxi, 5-0, in front of 4,414 Sunday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Parker, a first round draft pick in 2010 who has 64 games of big league experience in the last two years, said he was taken off guard by getting released.

“It caught me by surprise,” said Parker, who played quarterback for Clemson. “I knew somebody would give me a chance. I still have confidence in my abilities.”

Parker. playing right field. got his first hit, first RBI, first extra-base hit and first run scored on Sunday. He went 3-4 against Biloxi, after starting off the season 0-4.

Manager Pat Kelly likes Parker’s flexibility to play in the outfield and at first base. He knew of Parker because his son played with him in football camps.

“What a great addition,” Kelly said of Parker. “He’s a great athlete. He gives us another right-handed hitter in the middle of the line up, so we don’t have to bat (Phillip) Ervin fourth, we can move him up.”

The Blue Wahoos gained three games on Biloxi by winning the five game series, 4-1. The two teams that are vying for first place in the Southern League South are now 5-5 against each other this season. Pensacola is 18-12, while Biloxi is 18-11.

“It’s May we’re not competing in a pennant race yet,” Kelly said. “We’re going out to win every series. We wanted to gain ground on them and we’ve done that.”

Pensacola also got another good outing from southpaw prospect Amir Garrett, who pitched his third scoreless game in six starts. Garrett didn’t have his best stuff but worked six scoreless innings, giving up four hits, five walks and striking out six. The 6-foot-5 lefty is now 3-2 with a 1.26 earned-run average.

He also got help from the Pensacola relievers Matt Magill and Alejandro Chacin, who blanked Biloxi over the final three innings to help the Blue Wahoos record its third shutout of the season. Chacin earned his team-leading fifth save and has yet to allow a run in 11 appearances and 13 innings pitched.

The Pensacola pitching staff leads the Southern League with a 2.69 ERA, which is more than a half run better than the Mississippi Braves at 3.21.

Parker drove in his first two-out run when he hit a soft blooper to right field on a hit-and-run play that scored Pensacola left fielder Phillip Ervin in the first inning for a 1-0 Pensacola lead. Parker got his second two-out RBI when he hit a hard liner to left field that scored Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral that put Pensacola up, 4-0.

In the third inning, Pensacola second baseman Brandon Dixon clobbered a two-out, two-run homer to left that made it into the Pensacola Bay. His blast brought home Ervin and gave the Blue Wahoos a, 3-0 lead.

It was the Blue Wahoos sixth homer in its last eight games. Pensacola has smashed 13 homers since April 21.

Ervin, who scored two runs Sunday and singled in four at bats is now second in the Southern League in runs scored with 22, which is two behind the leader. Ervin has crossed the plate 13 times in his last 10 games.

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