Wahoos Fall To Mobile

August 25, 2016

After earning two runs in the first inning to go ahead, 2-1, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos lineup simply failed to generate any more scoring opportunities against the Mobile BayBears’ four pitchers Wednesday.

Pensacola got only two more runners on base after the fourth inning.

Mobile, which lost the first two games of the series to Pensacola, pulled out a 3-2 victory in the eighth inning at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The BayBears have not had the best luck in one-run games this season and are now 25-27 in them.

Mobile’s win makes for an exciting three-way race for the second half crown. Mississippi (33-24), which has lost six of its last seven games, is 3.5 games up on Pensacola (30-28) and is four games up on Mobile (29-28).

Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly feels good about his team with 12 games left to play in the Southern League season, despite Wednesday’s loss. Pensacola, which won the first half title with a franchise record 41 wins, are 11-4 in their last 15 games.

“We’re back on track, which is good to see,” Kelly said. “I was a little concerned for a while and wondered if we were getting too complacent. Yeah, they wanted to win but it doesn’t really count. Now, the guys see it does count and they’re doing a great job.”

Mobile’s pitchers, Taylor Clarke, Austin Wright, Miller Diaz and Matt Stites blanked the Blue Wahoos for eight innings. Combined they gave up two runs, one earned on seven hits, walked none and struck out 10.  Diaz earned his first win for Mobile and is 1-0, while Stites earned his 14th save on the year.

“They pitched really well,” Kelly said. “They’re a tough, tough club.”

The BayBears’ second baseman Jamie Westbrook scored the winning run in the eighth. Mobile third baseman Dawel Lugo blasted a ground ball down the third base line that Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks backhanded and tagged out Mobile first baseman Kevin Cron for the second out of the inning. However, Westbrook scored.

Mobile pinch hitter Gabriel Guerrero tied the game up, 2-2, in the seventh inning when his single to left field scored Lugo.

Pensacola had gone ahead, 2-1, in the first inning when second baseman Brandon Dixon doubled off the base of the left field wall to drive in left fielder Phillip Ervin with the first run. It was Dixon’s seventh RBI in 10 games and he now has 59 RBIs on the year that is first on the team and ninth in the Southern League.

The second Blue Wahoos run scored when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde scored on a wild pitch. Elizalde extended his hitting streak to 10 games Wednesday. His longest streak is 14 games at High-A Daytona Tortugas last season.

Pensacola looked like they could have piled on more runs in the first inning but third baseman Alex Blandino made an ill-advised steal attempt of third base and was thrown out. He had singled to start the game and moved to second on left fielder Phillip Ervin’s single. But with left-handed hitter Elizalde at the plate and no outs, Blandino took off.

“We had errors of aggressiveness,” Kelly said. “You want your guys to be aggressive. But it came back to bite us tonight (Wednesday).”

Barrett Astin showed he can still start when needed. After blanking Mississippi in six innings and striking out a season-high eight five days ago, the 24-year-old righty threw a season-high 6.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits, walking one and striking out five. Astin didn’t get the decision Wednesday but his ERA as a starter is 2.75.

Of his 10 starts this season, he has allowed two runs or less in nine of them, including two throwing two six-inning shutouts in his last four starts.

“Swing guys in the big leagues right now are very important,” Kelly said. “He’s got a lot of value because he can do both.”

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