Jacksonville Evens Series 7-1 Over Wahoos

June 24, 2019

The Blue Wahoos past games this season against Jacksonville have been some of their most upbeat performances.

They’re hoping Sunday was the anomaly.

After starter Jorge Alcala was rocked for five runs in two innings, the Blue Wahoos were unable to generate any offense until the ninth inning in a 7-1 loss against the Jumbo Shrimp, which evened the teams’ series at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The Blue Wahoos (40-34, 2-2 in second half), who had won 10 of the previous 13 games against Jacksonville (31-43), will try and generate a different experience Monday night (6:05 p.m.) in the deciding, series finale to begin the second-half schedule.

The Blue Wahoos were outhit 12-3 Sunday and struck out 15 times.

Jacksonville righthander Cody Poteet (5-3) continued his own performance surge, allowing just one hit in seven complete innings Sunday, while striking out 11 Blue Wahoos batters.

Poteet, a fourth round pick in 2015 by the Miami Marlins, after a solid collegiate career at UCLA, picked up his third win in his last six starts. His only rough outing occurred June 3 against the Blue Wahoos in Pensacola, when he gave up four runs in a no-decision.

He left no doubt this time.

Poteet faced the minimum 12 batters in the first four innings. After the Blue Wahoos’ Aaron Whitefield, who joined the team Thursday in promotion from High-A Fort Myers, hit a two-out single in the third inning, Poteet picked him off first base to end the inning.

That became the only Blue Wahoos hit until the ninth inning. Their only baserunners in the next five innings occurred from two walks and a fielding error.

Meanwhile, Alcala (5-5) struggled from the outset and sustained his third consecutive loss. He entered the game in the second inning, after Minnesota Twins’ reliever Adalberto Mejia pitched a scoreless first inning in a rehab assignment start.

Alcala gave up a lead-off single to J.C. Milan, but seemed in good shape to get out of the second inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Following a passed ball that allowed Milan into scoring position, Alcala walked Anfernee Seymour then gave up an RBI single to Corey Bird. On a double-steal play that caught Alcala off-guard, Seymour beat the throw home for the second run.

In the third inning, Joe Dunand hit a one-out double. Milan followed with a two-run homer. Stone Garrett made it back-to-back bombs with his shot to right field and suddenly the Blue Wahoos trailed 5-0.

The Jumbo Shrimp added two more runs in the sixth inning off Alcala on Seymour’s double and Riley Mahan’s single. Hector Lujan, who joined the Blue Wahoos earlier this week from Fort Myers, pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, giving up four hits.

In the ninth inning, Blue Wahoos newcomer Lewin Diaz, who had multiple hits in each of his first three Double-A games, broke an 0-for-3 day with an RBI single. He scored Travis Blankenhorn, who led off the ninth with a single.

Following Monday’s game, the Blue Wahoos will travel back to Pensacola and prepare for a nine-game homestand, beginning Tuesday with a five-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

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