Hudson Smacks First Double-A Homer As Wahoos Beat TN

July 2, 2016

Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson prides himself in his defense but Friday he came through at the plate, knocking his first Double-A home run over the left field wall at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

He launched a two-out, three-run blast in the fifth inning and Pensacola held on to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts, 10-8, Friday in front of 4,688 fans at home.

After taking a 10-3 lead, Hudson watched normally reliable Pensacola reliever Carlos Gonzalez let Chattanooga back in the game in the eighth inning. Gonzalez allowed the Lookouts to scored five runs to pull within, 10-8. Gonzalez gave up a two-run homer to left fielder Travis Harrison and got only one out before being lifted for Blue Wahoos closer Alejandro Chacin.

Chacin walked two batters putting the crowd on the edge of its seat after getting the first two outs of the ninth inning. But Chacin earned his Southern League leading 15th save.

Hudson said it felt good to “get the monkey off my back” yanking an inside fastball out of the park.

“I take pride in (my defense) more than anything. Defense come first,” Hudson said. “Offense comes after that and anything I get is a bonus.”

Pensacola manager Pat Kelly was thankful for Hudson’s home run that sparked the Blue Wahoos offense. Pensacola racked up 12 hits with everyone in the lineup earning a base hit.

“Hudson had a big three-run homer right there,” Kelly said. “Joe has got power we just hadn’t seen it this year.”

Hudson has mostly gotten attention for his defense in his career and this season, throwing out the most runners trying to steal second base in the Southern League. He caught two of four base stealers Friday and has thrown 22 of 50 or 44 percent out in 38 games.

He entered the 2016 season rated the best defensive catcher by Baseball America in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Hudson’s defense has always stood out, becoming a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the most outstanding catcher in college baseball.

“(Hudson) has a terrific throwing arm and is very accurate,” Kelly said. “He’s great to have behind the plate.”

Kelly didn’t have happy feelings about Gonzalez allowing five runs to get back into the game.

“It was pretty good for about seven innings,” Kelly said jokingly. “But you could tell right away that he wasn’t trusting his fastball. Unfortunately, we had to go to Chacin for the final five outs.”

Against Chacin, Chattanooga had the winning run on first base when he walked Lookouts slugger Daniel Palka.

Hudson said he was fine with Palka, who leads the Southern League with 20 homers and 62 RBIs, getting a free pass.

“Chacin and I have played together every year so far in pro ball,” Hudson said. “He’s the most reliable guy I’ve ever caught. He might be small but he’s not afraid of anyone. He’s made the big pitches all year and if I could have anybody I want in the game, I want Chacin right there.”

The Blue Wahoos sent all nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on five hits in the fourth inning to go ahead, 6-2. The key hit was Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson connecting on his first home run of the season over the left field wall. The two-out, three-run blast put Pensacola up, 5-2.

Pensacola had tied the game, 2-2, earlier in the fourth when left fielder Phillip Ervin smacked a low liner into left field, stole second base and scored when first baseman Ray Chang hit a high fly ball in shallow centerfield that landed in for a double when Chattanooga center fielder Niko Goodrum fell down.

The Blue Wahoos scored its sixth run of the game, 6-2, when center fielder Jeff Gelalich singled to right field to score DH Calten Daal, who got on base with his 15th infield single of the season.

Pensacola added two more runs in the fifth inning to take an, 8-2, lead when Ervin scored on Elizalde’s double to the right-center gap. Elizalde crossed the plate on the third straight hit to start the inning when third baseman Taylor Sparks singled to left field.

But Zach Vincej hit another important homer when he jacked a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it a 10-3 ball game.

Vincej went 2-3 with a home run and triple, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Vincej is hitting 24-73 or .311 in 23 games since the start of June.

Chattanooga had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when first baseman Daniel Palka walked with two outs and then scored on catcher Mitch Garver’s seventh home run of the season for the Lookouts.

It was the first time that Pensacola starting pitcher Jackson Stephens has given up a run in the first inning this season.

But after the shaky start, Stephens settled down and at one point retired 11 in a row. Stephens worked six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out four. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound righty evened his record at 6-6 and now has a 3.28 ERA.

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