Wahoos Top Biloxi 3-0

July 22, 2016

Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Rookie Davis blanked the Biloxi Shuckers for the second time in his last three starts since lasting just two innings against the Mobile BayBears.

Davis pitched just one batter over the minimum in five scoreless innings helping Pensacola to a 3-0 victory Thursday over the Biloxi Shuckers in front of 4,448 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Two of his last three starts have come at home against Biloxi, who Davis has shutout over 12 innings. In his last three starts, Davis has pitched 18 innings, allowing two earned runs and one walk, and striking out 18.

“Anytime you pitch at home it’s awesome,” Davis said. “I’m trusting myself and trusting my stuff and pitching as well as I can.”

Both Davis and Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said that he has finally 100 percent healthy. Davis improved to a team-leading 8-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.68.

“It’s been a long year of tedious injuries, nagging injuries,” said Davis, who’s been bothered by hip and groin injuries and missed three starts. “It’s been frustrating for me.”

Davis was taken out after five innings when he took a hard hit grounder by Biloxi right fielder Tyrone Taylor off his thumb on his glove hand in the fourth inning.

“I think he’s finally healthy,” Kelly said about Davis. “His velocity is up and we’re seeing him use his legs a lot more.”

Davis can thank first baseman Eric Jagielo for facing just 16 batters, despite giving up four hits. Jagielo caught two line drives and stepped on first for a double play twice. Biloxi’s Taylor singled in the first inning but then got caught stealing.

In his start Thursday, Davis threw five innings allowed four hits, no walks and struck out four.

Davis wasn’t the only one to turn in a good pitching performance. Making his Pensacola debut was reliever Abel De Los Santos, who the Cincinnati Reds claimed off of waivers from the Washington Nationals.

He entered the game in the eighth inning and ended up pitching two scoreless innings, gave up one walk and struck out one.

Biloxi, who is hitting a Southern League worst .233 on the season, is now 13 for 63 (.206) in the first two games against the Blue Wahoos. The Shuckers entered the series hitting .209 against Pensacola pitchers, who have a Southern League-leading 3.24 ERA. Tonight marked the eighth shutout for the season.

Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral and Alex Blandino led off with walks to start the game. Amaral scored when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde hit a ground ball to left field and Blandino came in on second baseman Brandon Dixon’s sacrifice fly near the warning track in center to go ahead, 2-0. Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej then hit a slow dribbler to third base for a single that drove in Elizalde to go up, 3-0.

Biloxi starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann, who struck out 12 Pensacola hitters in 4.2 innings in his last start against them, combined with relievers Mitch Lambson and Tristan Archer to retire 13 Blue Wahoos in a row before Archer walked Pensacola catcher Chad Wallach in the seventh inning.

The Shuckers’ Jungman, who started the year with the Milwaukee Brewers, worked five innings, giving up three hits, three walks and three earned runs, while striking out three.

The Blue Wahoos improved to 14-13 in the second half and are one game back in third place in the Southern League South Division. The first half South Division champions are 55-42 overall.

Kelly said the team is starting to play well together again.

“We had such a tough grind over the last two weeks of the first half,” Kelly said. “Mentally it was a little tough. Plus, we played a couple of good clubs to start the second half.”

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