Blue Wahoos Tied For First After Loss To Montgomery

June 15, 2016

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are in the race for the first half Southern League South Division crown headed into its last series that starts Wednesday against the rival Mobile BayBears.

It’s only the second time the ball club has been in first place headed into the last series of the half since its inception five years ago. The other was the second half of last year.

Pensacola, which is six-for-six in series wins at home, is now 37-27 and tied for first with the Biloxi Shuckers. They beat the Birmingham Barons and end their season with a five-game series on the road against the Jacksonville Suns.

“I like our position,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly in his second year heading the club. “It’s a lot better than seven other teams in the league right now. It’s much more exciting to be playing for something in the last series.”

The Montgomery Biscuits escaped with a win in the final game of the series, 7-1, Tuesday in front of 3,532 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Pensacola and Biloxi have shared first place all season this year. In 2015, the second half was decided in the next to last game of the season when Pensacola beat Mobile to win the division and play Biloxi in the South Division playoffs, which the Shuckers ended up winning.

“Mobile will be a tough series,” Kelly said. “They have good pitching and a very good bullpen. We have to win as many as we can in those six games.”

Pensacola and Mobile are playing six games to make up a rain out in the last game of the series at Hank Aaron Stadium.

On Tuesday night, Montgomery put the game away in the seventh inning by sending 10 hitters to the plate and scoring five runs on five hits.  Biscuits Tommy Coyle scored the first run when he doubled, reached third on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Jake DePew and then scored on a squeeze play by Biscuits shortstop Juniel Querecuto to make the score 3-0.

The big hit came from Montgomery third baseman Patrick Leonard who smacked a one-out line drive to right center with the bases loaded, scoring all three runners on to put the Biscuits ahead, 6-0. Leonard scored the final run of the inning when second baseman Kean Wong singled to center to extend Montgomery’s lead, 7-0.

The big inning in the seventh might have been prevented, if reliever El’Hajj Muhammad cleanly fielded a bunt down the third base line by Montgomery catcher Jake DePew and then thrown Querecuto out at first, instead of throwing home late trying to get Coyle.

Pensacola right-hander Nick Travieso and pitching coach Danny Darwin have been working on his delivery. It seemed to pay off as he threw six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out five. In his past three starts, Travieso had given up 12 runs, 10 earned in 12.2 innings.

“It was nice to see him get back on track,” Kelly said.

Travieso did labor in the fourth inning giving up two runs to Montgomery on one hit, one hit batter, two walks and two wild pitches. He hit the Biscuits’ Leonard with a 90 mph fastball to lead off the fourth. Leonard then took second on a wild pitch. Travieso then walked Montgomery DH Mike Marjama and both he and Leonard advanced on another wild pitch. Montgomery center fielder Tommy Coyle, batting .126, reached his bat out and sent the ball into right field that scored Leonard and Marjama to put the Biscuits on top, 2-0.

Meanwhile, Biscuits right-hander Taylor Guerrieri, the Tampa Bay No. 6 prospect, threw five scoreless innings to improve to 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA. He allowed just three hits, one walk and struck out four Pensacola batters.

Kelly said Guerrieri threw a cutter that broke six-to-eight inches, keeping the Pensacola batters off balance.

“He was very effective,” Kelly said.

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