Wahoos Loads Bases In Ninth But Drop 3-2 To Mississippi

August 4, 2016

One thing about the Pensacola Blue Wahoos this season, you can never count them out until the very last out.

Mississippi reliever David Peterson loaded the bases by walking three Blue Wahoos with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning but allowed just one run to give the Braves a 3-2 victory Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The teams are tied, 2-2, headed into the final game of the five-game series Thursday.

In all, Mississippi’s four pitchers walked nine batters and lead all of Double-A with 437 walks but Pensacola, which added two hits, failed to capitalize.

“Without getting any hits it’s tough to take advantage of nine walks,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly, whose team has a franchise record 10 walk-offs this season.

Pensacola and Mississippi are 1, 2 with the best earned-run averages in the Southern League at 3.17 and 3.21, respectively.

The Mississippi Braves twice threatened to go ahead and both times Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Sal Romano thwarted them.

However, Mississippi’s best pinch hitter Levi Hyams delivered a two-out, two-run triple on a fly ball in the right center gap off of Pensacola reliever Carlos Gonzalez in the seventh inning to put the Braves up, 2-1. Hyams is 5-12 as a pinch hitter this year and 2-2 in this series.

Romano came out with a cramp in his right hamstring in the top of the seventh after allowing a single to Mississippi first baseman Carlos Franco and getting ahead on the count 0-2 against Braves right fielder Joey Meneses.

Franco’s run counted against Romano. It was the first earned run off of the big righty in his last four starts going back to July 17 against the Jacksonville Suns. Romano has allowed one unearned run in 22.2 innings.

The No. 17 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization turned in six innings, giving up one run on six hits, walking none and striking out six. He retook the Southern League lead in strike outs with 112 on the season. After starting the season 1-10, Romano has won three of his last five starts by pitching inside more effectively and relaxing before the game, Kelly said.

“I have a sour taste in my mouth that I didn’t get the win,” Romano said. “All of our starters are in a really good groove right now.”

Pensacola’s Romano was coming off his best game of the 2016 season when he threw 6.2 perfect innings the Montgomery Biscuits. He ended up throwing seven scoreless innings with one hit and seven strikeouts.

“It was nice. I got to dwell on it one day,” Romano said. “Then I had to pitch in the bullpen and get ready for this start. You can’t have that kind of outing every day.”

The Blue Wahoos scored its first run in second inning when Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej singled sharply back up the middle to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Pensacola first baseman Eric Jagielo got the other hit for Pensacola when he doubled in the sixth.

Vincej went to third when Mississippi pitcher Lucas Sims threw the ball past the first baseman on a pickoff attempt and it rolled into the bullpen. Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks then hit a fly ball to the warning track in right field to score Vincej easily.

Pensacola clung to that 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Mississippi threatened to score with base runners on second and third with one out. Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson reached third base on left fielder Dustin Peterson’s Southern League-leading 34th double.

But Pensacola first baseman Eric Jagielo leaped to his right to catch a rocket off of the bat of the Braves Franco. Pensacola’s Romano then struck out Joey Meneses looking and pumped his fist as he walked to the dugout.

Again in the fifth inning, Mississippi third baseman Johan Camargo doubled off the left center wall and reached third with two out. And again, Romano ended the inning by striking out Mississippi second baseman Ozzie Albies — who is ranked No. 18 in MLB.com’s Top 100 and who has reached base in 37 straight games.

Mississippi added another run when center fielder Connor Lien hit his third homer this series and fourth home run in seven games, drilling the ball just right of center field. Lien now has five homers on the year and 11 RBIs in 34 games.

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