NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pensacola Loses, 8-2, against Frontrunner Biloxi

April 27, 2015 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Action
Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Action
(Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Credit: Barrett McClean/Pensacola Blue Wahoos)

PENSACOLA, Fla., - The Pensacola Blue Wahoos may be 5-12 and in last place in the Southern League South Division early in the season but the players definitely do not feel like they are in the dog house yet.

Biloxi Shuckers righty Tyler Wagner hit a two-run home run to right field off of Blue Wahoos right fielder Jesse Winker's glove in the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead and improved his record to 4-0 to become the Southern League's first four-game winner. Biloxi (12-6) ended up winning its sixth game in eight contests against Pensacola, 8-2, in front of 3,439 fans during the overcast game.

Pensacola Manager Pat Kelly said he will remind his players that the season is 140 games long.

"It's a long season and you can't judge it by the first three weeks," Kelly said. "Tonight we had a chance. It was 4-2 before we got blown out at the end of the game."

Biloxi, which sits in first place in the South Division, scored four runs in the fourth and four more runs in the top of the ninth inning with four singles, walk and error.

Wagner, who is the Brewers' No. 9 prospect according to Baseball America, lofted a deep fly ball that Winker almost caught after playing in on the pitcher. Wagner gave up two earned runs in five innings and struck out five for the win.

The Biloxi pitching staff-loaded with top Milwaukee prospects-entered the game with the fifth best earned run average in all of Minor League Baseball at 2.30.

Wagner had sat down seven Wahoos in a row before walking Winker and Sean Buckley with two outs in the third inning. Waldrop then laced a single to right to score Winker and Seth Mejias-Brean bounced a double over the right field wall to score Buckley for a 2-0 lead.

Blue Wahoos reliever Jacob Johnson said the club house remains positive, despite eight one-run losses, so far, this season. He pitched two innings of scoreless relief.

"I have complete confidence in this team that it's going to click," Johnson said. "All of our guys are too good."

GAME NOTES

The fifth game of the six-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday. RHP Josh Smith (1-0, 4.50) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers LHP Hobbs Johnson (1-0, 0.79).

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a Blue Wahoos Fat Tuesday ticket. The team's Winn-Dixie Party Deck will be sold to individuals as an all-you-can-eat ticket. Papa John's, Moe's Southwest Grill, Hemingway's Island Grill, Beef 'O' Brady's and Cactus Cantina will provide food items, while the Blue Wahoos will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and popcorn.

The game is broadcast live on the Blue Wahoos flagship station NewsRadio1620 (WNRP-AM). Listen for free at bluewahoos.com and by using the TuneIn Radio app on your mobile, desktop or home devices. Stream Wahoos games on MiLB.TV, a subscription-based service provided by Minor League Baseball.

BIG FISH Right fielder Jesse Winker was 1-2 with three walks and a run scored...Left fielder Sean Buckley was 1-3 with one walk and one run scored...First baseman Kyle as 1-4 and drove in his team-leading seventh RBI of the season...Third baseman Seth Mejias-Breen was 2-4 with a double and RBI.

WATERFRONT RELIEF The Pensacola Blue Wahoos bullpen provided a different kind of relief Monday. Pitchers Jacob Johnson, Kyle McMyne and Kevin Shackleford helped serve sandwiches and an assortment of cookies to a full house at the Waterfront Rescue Mission, while the beloved Kazoo put smiles for the first time on many faces.

Also helping from the Wahoos organization were front office employees.

Johnson said as a Christian he was happy to help out this often underserved community. "We were spreading love to people who otherwise would not have it. They got to eat, which is something we get to do every day. For us, it's not a question."

CONTRERAS EARNS CALL UP The Cincinnati Reds sent Homer Bailey back to the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain and called up former Blue Wahoos reliever Carlos Contreras to its 25-man roster.

Bailey missed the first week and a half of the season following offseason surgery, and made a pair of starts since rejoining the rotation on April 18, posting a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 innings. Bailey was 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA last season.

Contreras made his major league debut with 17 relief appearances with the Reds last year. He was 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA and had 19 Ks in 19 innings pitched in three stints. He had started the 2014 season with Double-A Pensacola where he made three starts and six relief appearances with a 2-1 record and 2.70 ERA. Contreras started the 2015 season with Triple-A Louisville, where he was 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

LAMARRE LONG BALL After an injury riddled 2014 season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats in which he played in just 17 games, Ryan LaMarre announced he's back this season in a big way. The speedy outfielder led off the Bats game Sunday with a dinger on the second pitch he saw from the Columbus Clippers pitcher. It was LaMarre's first regular season home run in nearly a year for the Cincinnati Reds organization.

LaMarre's homer would be the only run the Bats scored. He joins Eugenio Suarez as the only other Louisville hitter to slug a leadoff homer this season.

LaMarre spent all of 2012 and 2013 playing for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in its first two seasons of existence. He played in 133 games in 2012 with five homers, 32 RBIs, .263 batting average, .356 on-base percentage and 30 steals. LaMarre followed that up in 2013 with 126 games, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs, .246 average, .326 OBP and 23 stolen bases.

The Blue Wahoos return to Pensacola April 25th-29th against the Biloxi Shuckers. Come experience the fun all-you-can-eat Fat Tuesday experience on the 28th! You can follow the team at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.

Check out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Statistics




Images from this story

Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Action
Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Action
(Barrett McClean/Pensacola Blue Wahoos)		   

• Discuss this story on the Southern League message board...

Southern League Stories from April 27, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central