Blue Wahoos Hold On For 3-2 Win Over BayBears
June 5, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos closer Jimmy Herget turned in his longest outing this season, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings for his Southern League-leading 15th save.
Herget protected a one-run lead as the Blue Wahoos held on for a, 3-2, victory Sunday over the Mobile BayBears in Hank Aaron Stadium.
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he Blue Wahoos improved to 32-24 and with the Biloxi Shuckers loss Sunday took a two-game lead in the race for the Southern League South Division. The club is now 9-12 in one-run games this year.
Herget allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three. He now has 15 saves in 17 attempts and has struck out 41 batters in 28.1 innings. He is 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA.
Pensacola ace Tyler Mahle pitched 6.1 scoreless innings before Mobile tagged him for two runs in the seventh. Mahle got the first out of the seventh inning and then gave up singles to Mobile second baseman David Fletcher and center field Forrest Allday who both scored when BayBears first baseman Zach Houchins hit his 12th double of the season to make it a, 3-2, game.
Pensacola reliever Geoff Broussard came in and hit Wade Wass, a former Catholic High School player, with a pitch to put runners on first and second. He was then replaced by Herget, who got third baseman Andrew Daniel to fly out to left field to move Houchins and Wass to second and third. Herget intentionally walked left fielder Tim Arakawa to load the bases. But Herget got the final out of the seventh inning when he got shortstop Alberto Triunfel to hit into a force out to end the scoring threat.
Mahle improved to 7-2 on the season and dropped his ERA to 1.66. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out three batters and now has 75 on the season, which ties him for second in the Southern League.
Pensacola went ahead, 1-0, when second baseman Alex Blandino smacked his 14th double of the season to center field to score first baseman Angelo Gumbs, who reached on an error.
In the sixth inning, Aristides Aquino smashed his eighth homer of the season to put Pensacola ahead, 2-0. Blandino made it, 3-0, then hit his 15th double of the season to right field with two outs to score Gumbs, who walked.
Aquino has reached base in 20 straight games or since May 14. During the streak, the 22-year-old, who MLB Pipeline.com ranks as the sixth best prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, has four home runs, 16 RBIs and is 24-73 or hitting .328.
Wahoos Win Series Over The Jumbo Shrimp
June 4, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos exploded against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for six runs in the sixth inning on six singles and two errors to cruise to its fifth consecutive series victory Saturday.
The game was tied, 4-4, when Pensacola sent 10 players to the plate and put on a hitting demonstration for the sellout crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Blue Wahoos ended up winning 11-6 Friday and captured the series, 3-2, denying Jacksonville a chance to win its first series in Pensacola’s ballpark since June 2015.
Jacksonville committed seven errors, which was two short of the record of nine errors made by the Biloxi Shuckers on April 10 this season against the Montgomery Biscuits.
“We were hoping to take advantage of (the errors),” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “You don’t want to look up there and see seven errors and only have four runs.”
The sixth inning started for Pensacola with a lead-off single by left fielder Tyler Goeddel. Center fielder Gabriel Guerrero then hit a rocket to Jacksonville second baseman KC Serna who dropped the ball. Third baseman Josh VanMeter then hit a towering fly ball behind third base that Jumbo Shrimp shortstop Alex Yarbrough missed for the second error of the inning.
With the bases loaded and no outs, right fielder Aristides Aquino hit a one hopper that glanced off the first baseman’s glove and then bounced off VanMeter, allowing both Goeddel and Guerrero to score to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 6-4. First baseman Eric Jagielo ripped a single to right field to score VanMeter to make it, 7-4. Another single on a liner by second baseman Angelo Gumbs drove in Aquino for an 8-4 lead.
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan hit a bullet into right field where Jacksonville’s John Norwood gunned down Jagielo at the plate for the second out of the inning. Blue Wahoos reliever Robert Stock then hit a bouncer up the middle that scored catcher Adrian Nieto and Trahan with the final two runs of the inning scoring for a 10-4 lead.
Pensacola is 31-24 and in first place in the Southern League South Division with just three series left before the end of the first half. The Blue Wahoos are trying to become the first Southern League team to win four straight halves since the Tennessee Smokies did it from 2009-2011.
Blue Wahoos reliever Alex Powers came through for Pensacola Friday. He finished the game with three scoreless innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out five.
Powers entered the game in the seventh inning after Stock loaded the bases and walked in a run. Powers struck out the side with the bases full.
“Powers gave us three huge innings right there,” Kelly said. “He had those three big Ks with the bases loaded. That was huge.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel Guerrero led the Pensacola offense Friday and throughout the five-game series against Jacksonville. He was 6-17 (.353) and drove in six runs, increasing his RBI total to 15 for the season. He has 21 multi-hit games in the 52 games he has played this season.
Plus, he has enjoyed playing center field more lately. He made a sliding catch in the fifth inning to rob Jacksonville left fielder Alex Glenn of a hit.
“I’ve had a good season, so far,” Guerrero said. “I’m seeing the ball and not trying to do to much.”
Pensacola also benefited from two great defensive plays by Angelo Gumbs at second base, especially in the eight inning when he fielded the ball on the shortstop side of second base, spun and threw out the runner.
Jacksonville is 4-16 in Blue Wahoos Stadium the last two years.
Jacksonville’s Perez tied the game, 4-4, when he lined a triple into the right center field gap to lead off the fourth. Jacksonville’s Yarbrough hit a chopper to Pensacola’s Jagielo at first base who threw home to get Perez but the center fielder scored when he slid wide behind home plate and tapped the plate with his left hand.
Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino had put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 4-3, in the third inning when he scored on catcher Adrian Nieto’s ground ball to Jacksonville first baseman Taylor Ard. Ard threw to Jumbo Shrimp shortstop Yarbrough to get Pensacola Jagielo out at second. But Yarbrough’s throw to first base glanced off the glove of Jacksonville starting pitcher Chris Mazza, allowing Nieto to reach third base where he was stranded.
The Blue Wahoos lead the game, 3-0, after the first two innings but Jacksonville right fielder John Norwood hit a three-run homer to left to tie the game, 3-3. Norwood has nine homers this season, which is fourth in the Southern League.
Jumbo Shrimp Tie Up Series With The Wahoos
June 3, 2017
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have gotten some revenge for getting swept by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the teams’ first meeting this season and going 4-15 in Blue Wahoos Stadium the last two years.
Jacksonville received home runs from catcher Austin Nola and third baseman Brian Anderson to beat Pensacola, 7-2, Friday in front of 4,778 Pensacola fans. Jacksonville evened the series, 2-2, heading into Saturday’s final game between the teams.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly watched helplessly as his team, which scored 19 runs in the first three games, was blanked for the first six innings by Jacksonville starter Mike Kickham and managed just two runs Friday.
“It’s one of those days,” Kelly said. “We hit into three double plays and fell behind. It was very tough to make up the deficit.”
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Deck McGuire entered the game having won four straight starts. But the Jacksonville Shrimp knocked him around, earning five runs on six hits to jump out to a, 5-0, lead after the first five innings. McGuire also allowed two walks and struck out seven in his five innings of work Friday.
McGuire, a former first-round draft pick, got off to a stellar start striking out the first three Jumbo Shrimp batters he faced in the first inning. The loss dropped his record to 5-3 on the season and increase his ERA to 3.25.
“He was just a little off,” Kelly said. “I thought they truly hit some good pitches.”
Jacksonville right fielder John Norwood, who doubled to start the inning, scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by first baseman Taylor Ard to put the Jumbo Shrimp up, 1-0. With two outs, Jacksonville center fielder Yefri Perez smacked a triple into the right center gap to score left fielder Cal Towey for a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Nola clobbered a solo home run, his second of the season, to left field, putting the Jumbo Shrimp up, 3-0.
Anderson also clubbed a two-run home run in the seventh inning off of Pensacola reliever Brennan Bernardino to left field for a 7-0 Jacksonville lead. Anderson, who MLB Pipeline.com ranks as the Miami Marlins third best prospect, was 3-5 and added a triple and single for four RBIs in Friday’s game.
Pensacola second baseman Angelo Gumbs reached base seven straight at-bats over the last two games, before grounding out into a double play in the ninth inning. He was 2-4 with a triple but reached on a fielder’s choice and scored one of the Blue Wahoos’ two runs.
Pensacola is 30-24 but remain in first place in the Southern League South Division where they’ve been in all but six days this season.
Wahoos Devour Jumbo Shrimp 5-2
June 2, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Luis Castillo’s second win of the season against his former team came nine starts, and 49 days since his first one in his second start of the season on April 13.
Castillo, the Miami Marlins Pitcher of the Year last season for Jacksonville, led the Blue Wahoos as he tied his career-high strikeouts with 10 in the, 5-2, victory Thursday over the Jumbo Shrimp in front of 3,998 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
After giving up a solo home run and two singles in the first inning, Castillo hit a batter, walked one and allowed a double over the next four innings. The right-hander, who MLB Pipeline.com ranks as the Cincinnati Reds No. 7 prospect, also tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts in five innings of work, striking out the side in the fourth inning.
After five no-decisions and three losses, Castillo improved to 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA on the season. He said pitching against his former team and in front of seven executives from the Cincinnati Reds organization, including GM Dick Williams, put a little extra juice in his fastball that consistently hits the high 90-mph range.
“It is definitely more significant to play my former team,” the Dominican Republic prospect said through interpreter catcher Adrian Nieto. “I know how hard they work and it makes me bring my A game.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said there was talk over the winter about putting Castillo in the bullpen. But coaches have been working with him to improve his slider.
“He has been working so hard on his slider,” Kelly said. “As a three-pitch pitcher, he has a chance to be a starter. Starters are more valuable than relievers.”
He said despite Castillo being 6-2, 195 pounds, he is solid, which allows him to have a plus-fastball.
“In the fifth inning, he was throwing his best fastball,” Kelly said. “He’s a skinny little guy at 195 pounds but he’s a lot stronger than people think.”
Castillo said he hopes Thursday’s performance sparks more wins for him.
“It feels great to turn things around,” he said. “I’m hoping to continue to win a couple of ball games and pitch a couple of good outings in a row.”
Jacksonville second baseman KC Serna smoked his second homer in two games in the first inning to put the Jumbo Shrimp ahead, 1-0. He now has three homers in 31 games.
Pensacola tied it up, 1-1, in the bottom of the first on back-to-back doubles by left fielder Tyler Goeddel and Gabriel Guerrero.
Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson smacked a one hop double off the left field wall to drive in second baseman Angelo Gumbs, putting Pensacola in front, 2-1, in the second inning. With two outs and runners on second and third base, Guerrero hit a bases-clearing single to left field that drove in shortstop Blake Trahan and Hudson to put Pensacola on top, 4-1.
Guerrero was 2-4 — his 20th multi-hit game of the year — and drove in three of the Blue Wahoos five runs Thursday.
“He has a nice two-strike approach,” Kelly said. “In the past, he was more of a free swinger. He’s trying to put the ball in play. He’s not worried about power. He’s not trying to hit home runs.”
The Jumbo Shrimp, who came back from five runs down and again from four runs down the previous game to win, added a run in the sixth inning on Pensacola reliever Alex Powers when right fielder John Norwood crushed a triple that rolled to the fence in the right center gap and scored when left fielder Cal Towey hit a shot to center to cut Pensacola’s lead to, 4-2.
In the very next inning, Jacksonville loaded the bases with two outs to chase Powers from the game. Pensacola reliever Geoff Broussard entered and earned two quick strikes on Norwood and then threw three balls for a full count. After two foul balls, Broussard struck Norwood out to end the scoring threat.
Kelly said Broussard was tired after throwing 1.1 innings of relief the game before.
“That’s the ballgame. There was no room for error,” Kelly said.
Herget, who also pitched Wednesday and gave up the game-winning homer, earned his Southern League-leading 14th save Thursday.
“It’s good for them,” Kelly said about pitching in consecutive games. “That’s what they are going to have to do in the big leagues.”
Pensacola did add an insurance run when first baseman Angelo Gumbs scored for the second time in the game on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth inning for a, 5-2, Blue Wahoos lead.
The Blue Wahoos lead the series, 2-1, over the Jumbo Shrimp. The club is 30-23 and in first place in the Southern League South Division where they’ve been in all but six days this season.
Pensacola reliever Domingo Tapia was called up Thursday to Triple-A Louisville Bats. In one start and 14 relief appearances, Tapia posted a 2-2 record with one save, 2.86 ERA and 36 Ks in 28.1 innings.
Jumbo Shrimp Beat The Pensacola Blue Wahoos
June 1, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitching staff gave up a season-high 11 walks Wednesday to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, not to mention 10 hits.
That allowed Jacksonville to snap its six-game losing streak to Pensacola this season, winning, 9-8, on a homer to lead off the ninth inning by shortstop Alex Yarbrough in front of 4,102 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The most walks the Blue Wahoos have given up is 13 in the 2014 season.
“The walks were killers,” Pensacola Manager Pat Kelly said. “Our bullpen has been so good but they were hurt by walks today.”
The Blue Wahoos dropped to 29-23 but remain in first place in the Southern League South Division. This season Pensacola has been out of first place just six days.
The game Thursday also featured the Double-A debut of 23-year-old right-hander Jose Lopez.
The second batter of the game, Jacksonville second baseman KC Serna, welcomed him to the Southern League by clobbering a home run to left field to put the Jumbo Shrimp ahead, 1-0. Lopez also walked one and allowed a single but closed the inning by striking out Jumbo Shrimp catcher Austin Nola. He threw 33 pitches in the first inning, 21 for strikes.
However, Pensacola came right back for Lopez with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, 2-1. Blue Wahoos left fielder Tyler Goeddel scored on right fielder Aristides Aquino’s single up the middle. Then center fielder Gabriel Guerrero crossed the plate on first baseman Eric Jagielo’s ground out to shortstop.
Lopez was called up from High-A Daytona Tortugas on May 30 to replace Pensacola starter Austin Ross, the Southern League ERA leader (1.21), who was promoted to Triple-A Louisville Bats.
Pensacola went ahead, 6-1, in the fourth inning that included a solo homer by Jagielo and two-run homer by catcher Adrian Nieto that rocketed into the Hill Kelly Dodge berm. Goeddel then doubled on a grounder that hugged the third base line to score Nieto.
But Jacksonville came right back in the fifth inning against Lopez, scoring three runs to pull the Jumbo Shrimp within, 6-4, when first baseman Cal Towey launched a high fly ball out of sight over the right field wall.
It was the second homer off Blue Wahoos’ Lopez who then walked the next batter and was relieved by Robert Stock. In his first game, Lopez ended up working 4.2 innings, and giving up four runs on four hits and six walks. He struck out five in his 101-pitch outing.
“He made some good pitches,” Kelly said. “He hurt himself with walks. Overall, I liked his stuff and liked his composure.”
After Jacksonville pulled within, 6-4, Pensacola scored two more runs in the sixth inning to go ahead, 8-4. Goeddel singled in Angelo Gumbs with two outs and then third baseman Josh VanMeter hit a sharp grounder to right field to score Goeddel.
However, Pensacola reliever Ariel Hernandez gave up two hits, two walks and four runs in 0.1 innings to allow Jacksonville to knot the game, 8-8, in the seventh. The big blows came on back-to-back triples by Yarbrough and Jeremias Pineda that each drove in a run for the Jumbo Shrimp. Hernandez entered the game leading the Southern League with seven holds in his 19 appearances.
Mahle Strikes Out Career-High Nine Hitters In Win
May 31, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Tyler Mahle didn’t know that the Cincinnati Reds top dog, Dick Williams, was in the stands watching his performance.
But he said it wouldn’t have mattered if he did know that the Reds president of baseball operations and general manager was there.
Mahle threw seven scoreless innings, gave up three hits and struck out a career-high nine batters as the Blue Wahoos beat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 6-0, in front of 3,571 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“I just felt good tonight,” he said. “I had control of all my pitches. My arm felt live.”
It’s the kind of outing that Pensacola manager Pat Kelly has come to expect from the 22-year-old, who Baseball America says is the Reds 12th best prospect in the organization.
“That’s normal for him this year,” Kelly said. “He has had 11 really good starts that we’ve seen so far.”
The Blue Wahoos lineup staked Mahle to a 6-0 lead, something he’s not used to. It allowed him to focus on pitching and earn his first victory since May 8 and first victory after losing two games. He improved to 6-2 on the year and lowered his earned-run average to 1.55.
For the Blue Wahoos it was the team’s sixth shutout win this season. The team improved to 29-22 overall to remain in first place in the Southern League South Division. Pensacola has either led the division or been tied for first in 51 of 57 days this season. With the second place Biloxi Shuckers losing, 7-3, Tuesday to the Mobile BayBears, Pensacola is now up three games in the standings.
“We need to obviously win every series,” said Mahle about the tight race for the first half crown.
Mahle, the Southern League Player of the Month in April, is doing his best by leading the Southern League in victories (6), and having the second-best strikeout total (72), ERA (1.55) and batting average by opponents (.182).
Pensacola is vying to become the first team since the Tennessee Smokies from 2009 to 2011 win four straight half-division titles.
Pensacola scored first when Jacksonville starter Omar Bencomo had an unusual case of lack of control. The Jumbo Shrimps right hander walked the bases loaded. He entered the game allowing just 1.27 walks per nine innings — third best in the Southern League. Pensacola first baseman Eric Jagielo hit a weak blooper to left field that scored left fielder Tyler Goeddel to put the Blue Wahoos on top, 1-0.
Mahle helped himself in the fourth inning when he hit a chopper to shortstop that scored second baseman Alex Blandino to put the Blue Wahoos up, 2-0. With two outs, center fielder Gabriel Guerrero poked a line drive single to right field that drove in both Mahle and Goeddel for a, 4-0, Pensacola lead.
Kelly praised Guerrero’s clutch two-out single.
“We get all those walks and we can’t take advantage of them,” Kelly said, pointing out that Pensacola batters walked seven times in the game. “You think, ‘Are we only going to get one run again?’ Guerrero punching the ball into the gap over there gave us two huge runs.”
Kelly also credited Guerrero’s defense in center field Tuesday. He caught five balls, chasing down three of them.
“Guerrero played terrific,” Kelly said. “To me if you can run, center field is a really good position to play. Gabby can run very well. He’s improving his angles.”
Pensacola tacked on another run in the fifth inning to go up, 5-0, when with two outs shortstop Blake Trahan doubled to drive in Blandino. The Blue Wahoos extended the lead, 6-0, when Jagielo hit a deep sacrifice fly ball to the warning track in right field to score third baseman Josh VanMeter, who doubled to the left center gap to lead-off the inning.
Both Guerrero, who was 1-4 with two RBIs, and Jagielo, who was 1-3 with two RBIs, led the Blue Wahoos at the plate.
The Cincinnati Reds promoted Double-A Blue Wahoos right-hander Austin Ross (5-0, 1.21 ERA) to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. High-A Daytona Tortugas right-hander Jose Lopez (2-4, 2.84) was promoted to replace Ross.
In addition, former Blue Wahoos starter Jackson Stephens got called up to the Cincinnati Reds. The 23-year-old (3-3, 5.79 ERA) will make his Major League debut, if he gets into a game.
Mississippi Braves Beat The Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3-2
May 29, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starter Keury Mella left the game after pitching 5.2 scoreless innings. But the usually reliable Pensacola bullpen gave up three runs to Mississippi Braves in the seventh inning.
The rare blown save opportunity Sunday at Trustmark Park, allowed Mississippi to steal a, 3-2, victory.
Mella bounced back after the Mobile BayBears chased him in his last outing by scoring eight runs in the first 3.2 innings. But against Mississippi he allowed five hits, one walk and struck out four.
The right-hander left the game with runners on first and third base in the sixth inning for Pensacola reliever Robert Stock, who got out of the jam by getting Braves right fielder Keith Curcio to ground out into a double play.
But in the seventh inning, the Mississippi Braves scored three runs on Stock when he loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Stock, making his second appearance for Pensacola, gave up the first run when pinch hitter Levi Hyams grounded out softly to second base but scored left fielder Jared James from third base.
Mississippi took the lead, 3-2, when Blue Wahoos reliever Ariel Hernandez replaced Stock and threw a wild pitch that allowed both catcher Kade Scivicque and shortstop Reed Harper to score, giving the Braves a, 3-2, victory. Hernandez also made an error on the scoring play when he missed a throw at home from Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto.
Stock, called up from High-A Daytona Tortugas this past week, dropped to 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA.
Pensacola did take the series, 3-2, but dropped to 9-10 in one-run games. It fell to 28-22 in the Southern League South Division. However, the Blue Wahoos remain in first place two games ahead of the Biloxi Shuckers.
The Blue Wahoos led Mississippi, 2-0, when Braves starter Michael Madder struggled in the second inning to throw strikes. Madder gave up one hit and his four walks in the game to the Blue Wahoos, which allowed both second baseman Angelo Gumbs and third baseman Alex Blandino to score.
Pensacola’s latest lineup earned three hits — two off Madder and one off of Braves reliever Jesse Biddle — and walked six times in Sunday’s game. Mississippi pitching dominated the Blue Wahoos, which had runners in scoring position in just the second and eighth innings.
Wahoos Top Mississippi Braves 4-2 To Take Series
May 28, 2017
Led by Alex Blandino’s bat and another quality start from Deck McGuire, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos topped the Mississippi Braves, 4-2, at Trustmark Park to clinch the series and extend its first place lead in the Southern League South Division by three games.
The Blue Wahoos got on the board first with a two-run inning in the second inning. Blandino hit a two-run home run to left field to bring home Aristides Aquino, who got on base with a double to right-center.
In the top of the sixth, Aquino got on base again, this time with a single to left-center. Blandino, once again, knocked in Aquino with his 12th double of the season. Blake Trahan drove home Blandino with a single to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-1 lead.
After a slow start in Mississippi going 1-for-8, Blandino has hit a home run in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015 when he was with the Daytona Tortugas. Blandino is now 3-for-6 the past two games in Pearl and finished Saturday’s game 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs with a walk.
After giving up only one run in his past three starts, McGuire held Mississippi’s lineup to four hits and two runs with a season-high nine strikeouts. McGuire gave up his third homer of the year, and last since April 20th, when Mississippi’s Kade Scivicque hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third.
McGuire has now won each of his last four decisions and has only allowed three runs in his last 25 innings pitched.
The Pensacola bullpen once again shut down the competition as Domingo Tapia threw two hitless innings with three strikeouts while Geoff Broussard picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect inning of work.
RHP Keury Mella (1-4, 5.06) takes the mound for Pensacola against LHP Michael Mader (3-2, 2.16) Sunday for the final game of the series.
Wahoos Get Past Mississippi
May 27, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder Tyler Goeddel scored on right fielder Aristides Aquino’s soft ground out to shortstop to help the Blue Wahoos regain the lead, 6-5, in the seventh inning.
After four lead changes in Friday’s game at Trustmark Park, it was a lead that Pensacola would not relinquish. Blue Wahoos relievers Robert Stock, Geoff Broussard and Jimmy Herget combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings, give up one hit and strike out two.
Pensacola evened its record to 9-9 in one-run games and improved to 27-21 and is in sole possession of first place in the Southern League South Division.
The seesaw game allowed Stock, who was called up from the High-A Daytona Tortugas, to get a win in his first appearance with the Blue Wahoos. He pitched 1.2 innings and struck out one. He retired all four batters he faced, which included a double-play to end the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, Herget earned his second save in a row for Pensacola and now has 13 on the season to lead the Southern League. The righty also struck out one and now has 36 Ks in 22 innings pitched this season.
Before Goeddel scored the winning run, Mississippi scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie Pensacola, 5-5. The Braves third baseman Travis Demeritte singled to center field to drive in center fielder Keith Curcio and right fielder Ronald Acuna.
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan had doubled in first baseman Eric Jagielo and second baseman Alex Blandino in the top of the sixth inning to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 5-3.
Gabriel Guerrero had knocked in the tying run, 3-3, for Pensacola in the fifth inning when the center fielder’s single to shortstop scored pinch hitter Leon Landry.
Blandino smashed his second homer of the season to left field in the second inning that put the Blue Wahoos up, 2-0. Blandino was 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored in the game.
Guerrero also got back on track at the plate going 4-5 with a triple, scoring once and driving in a run. It was his first four-hit game this season with Pensacola and his 19th multi-hit game of the year. The 23-year-old Guerrero was 3-27 before going 6-12 against Mississippi in the first three games of the series.
Wahoos Top Braves
May 26, 2017
In a game that featured arguably the Southern League’s two best pitchers, one swing of the bat by Josh VanMeter proved to be the difference.
Austin Ross and Kolby Allard own the two lowest ERAs in the Southern League and Thursday’s contest proved exactly why. Ross held the Braves to just three hits over his seven innings while his only walk occurred when he gave Keith Curcio a free pass to lead off the second inning.
After allowing a first-inning double to Travis Demeritte, Ross settled in and only allowed two hits the rest of the night. He wound finishing the game retiring 18 of the last 20 batters improving his perfect record to 5-0.
Kolby Allard, who is the third best prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization according to Baseball America, lasted only five innings and was touched up for six hits in his fifth start of the year at Trustmark Park.
After a one-two-three first inning, Allard allowed baserunners in each of his last four innings. In the fifth inning after Allard struck out Ross, Tyler Goeddel hit a ground-rule double before Alex Blandino popped out for the second out of the inning. That set the stage for Josh VanMeter to uncork his first homerun of the season and put the Wahoos up 2-0.
The Wahoos had a chance to put up even more offense in the inning after back-to-back hits from Aristides Aquino and Eric Jagielo before Allard intentionally walked Gabriel Guerrero to load the bases. However, Blake Trahan ended the inning when he grounded out to Joey Meneses to end the threat.
Pensacola’s bullpen turned in another exemplary performance with two more shutout innings in relief. Ariel Hernandez pitched a scoreless eighth inning to pick up his league-leading seventh hold of the season. Jimmy Herget came into the ninth and despite allowing a base hit to Meneses struck out the side to clinch his 12th save of the year.
The Wahoos bullpen has only allowed one earned run in their least 20.1 innings pitched (0.44 ERA).
With the victory, tonight in conjunction with the Shuckers loss to Jacksonville, Pensacola moves into sole possession of first place in the Southern League South Division with their 26-21 record. In the 2017 season the Wahoos have spent 44 of 49 days either tied or alone in first place.