Wahoos Lose One-Run Game To Jackson

August 25, 2017

Down one run to the Jackson Generals, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos had runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings but failed to advance them home.

Pensacola starter Jose Reyes gave up just two hits to Jackson but both led to runs and the Generals defeated the Blue Wahoos, 2-1, in front of 4,010 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The final game of the series Friday decides which team wins it, and Pensacola is seeking its 400th win in the franchise’s six-year history. The Blue Wahoos have won eight of 11 homestands this season.

“We’ve played well the whole series but a couple of one-run losses have been the difference,” said Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly.

Pensacola fell to 20-27 in one-run games this season.

Jackson scored first in the second inning when right fielder Kelly Dugan belted a line drive solo home run to left center. His 13th homer of the season gave the Generals a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Jackson added another run to go ahead, 2-0, when shortstop Vladimir Frias walked, stole second base and scored on a ground ball up the middle by center fielder Victor Reyes.

Pensacola got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning when left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who won the All-Star Home Run Derby, smashed his seventh homer of the year to deep right center with two outs to trail Jackson, 2-1. All his homers have come in the second half.

Guerrero extended his franchise record for hits to 132 and is batting .284 on the year.

“That’s a long way in this ballpark,” Kelly said. “He’s hit the ball hard all year. I don’t think he’s changed his swing at all.”

In the eighth inning, Pensacola had runners on first and third with Jackson reliever Andury Acevedo walking two and throwing a wild pitch but he got Guerrero to ground out into a double play to end the scoring threat.

In the ninth, again the Blue Wahoos put runners on first and second with one out but Jackson reliever Joey Krehbiel struck out Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino and catcher Chad Tromp popped up to first base to end the inning and earn his third save.

“We had good chances with good RBI guys at the plate,” Kelly said. “They just made good pitches.”

Both starters bounced back from poor outings in their previous starts. The Mississippi Braves knocked Reyes out of the game after three innings when he gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks. Against Jackson, the Blue Wahoos righty worked six innings giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out five.

Reyes benefited from the Blue Wahoos defense turning two double plays that helped him face one over the minimum 12 batters in his last three innings.

Meanwhile, Alex Young lasted five innings, giving up seven runs, three earned on nine hits and two walks, while striking out six against the Biloxi Shuckers. However, the southpaw worked six innings Thursday against Pensacola and gave up one run on five hits and a walk and struck out six.

After giving up two singles in the first inning, Young with the help of a double play and a pick off got the next 15 Blue Wahoos batters out before Guerrero tagged him in the sixth.

The Blue Wahoos are in the hunt this season to win the Southern Division for a Southern League record fifth straight time at 28-31 and just 4.5 games behind the front-runner Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, who Pensacola plays to end the season.

Photos courtesy Barrett McClean Photography/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlage.

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