Blue Wahoos Creep Closer to Postseason Despite Setback
August 30, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release
The Blue Wahoos lost their game Thursday at Montgomery, but reached the doorstep of securing a post-season berth in next week's Southern League playoffs.
While hurting their own chances in a 5-2 loss against the Biscuits at Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium, the Blue Wahoos were helped by the Biloxi Shuckers' 5-3 extra-inning win in Birmingham, along with the Jackson Generals holding on (5-4) to beat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
The Blue Wahoos can secure a playoff spot on Friday for the fifth consecutive season.
Either another Biloxi win or Jacksonville loss clinches the second half division for the Shuckers, thus giving Pensacola the wild card entry and Biloxi's playoff opponent.
The Shuckers won the first half division race. The Blue Wahoos (74-61 overall) have clinched the second-best, season overall record in the South Division, which is the top criteria for determining a second playoff team when having a same division winner in both halves.
The Blue Wahoos' loss, however, also ended any flicker of hope for overtaking both Biloxi and Jacksonville in the division race. As wild card team, the Blue Wahoos will get one home game in a best-of-five series.
Prior to Thursday's games -- the final season series' for all teams -- the Biscuits announced a doubleheader Friday against the Blue Wahoos, in order to attend funeral services on Saturday in Virginia for the wife and 14-month-old son of pitcher Blake Bivens.
In a horrific crime, Bivens' 25-year-old wife, Emily, who was his high school sweetheart, along with his infant son and his mother-in-law, were all shot and killed Tuesday in a triple homicide.
Emily's 19-year-old brother, Matthew, was arrested in Pittsylvania County, Virginia and charged with three counts of first degree murder. The family dog was also shot and killed, according to police.
Blake Bivins, 24, a fourth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, is a graduate of George Washington High School in Danville, Va, located 13 miles from Keeling, Va. where the murders occurred in the family's home.
Playing Thursday's game with heavy hearts, the Biscuits received an inspired performance from four pitchers, who held the Blue Wahoos in check.
The Blue Wahoos hurt their chances with four errors in the game. Their pitchers issued six walks.
The Blue Wahoos had 10 hits in the game, including a 3-for-5 night by right fielder Trevor Larnach could not get a clutch hit or a big inning.
The first inning became an omen for the night.
Alex Kirilloff led off the game with a double. Royce Lewis reached on a throwing error. Trevor Larnach, but
singled to left field, but Kirilloff had to hold at third base.
With the bases loaded, none out, Ryan Jeffers popped out to second baseman Vidal Brujan. Travis Blankenhorn then hit into a double play to end the inning and prime opportunity.
In the second inning, the Blue Wahoos generated a run after two outs and no one on base. Caleb Hamilton reached on a fielding error. Ryan Costello singled. Alex Kirilloff singled to right field, scoring Hamilton.
The Biscuits followed in the bottom half of the second with their own two out rally. Jim Haley's single was followed by Miles Mastrobuoni's RBI double, tying the game.
Larnach homered to start the third inning, his seventh since joining the Blue Wahoos. That 2-1 lead held up behind Duran's strong pitching until the sixth inning.
Blue Wahoos reliever Marcos Diplan gave up a leadoff double to Brett Sullivan. Pinch-runner Johnny Davis stole third, then scored on catcher Caleb Hamilton's errant throw.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Blue Wahoos had their first two batters, Mark Contreras and Hamilton, reach base on a single and walk. But Costello popped out, Kirilloff hit into a force out, then Royce Lewis flew out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Biscuits rallied against reliever Andrew Vasquez. Vidal Brujan led off with a walk, then went to third on Vasquez' wild pickoff throw. David Rodriguez walked to put runners on the corners. A fielder's choice scored Brujan. Josh Lowe's double scored two more runs.
With their win, the Biscuits (86-48) have now won six of the seven games this season against the Blue Wahoos. Biloxi has a three-game lead on Jacksonville with four games to play, five-game lead on the Blue Wahoos. plus has the edge in a tiebreaker.
The Jumbo Shrimp would have to win all four remaining games, while hoping that Biloxi loses all four, to overtake the Shuckers for first place.
After not playing on Saturday, the Blue Wahoos and Biscuits are still scheduled to play their final two games of the series on Sunday and Monday.
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Southern League Stories from August 30, 2019
- Smokies Come Back to Stun BayBears, 5-4 - Knoxville Smokies
- Doubleheader Split Enough for Blue Wahoos to Clinch - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Stellar Pitching Aids Barons Swift Comeback - Birmingham Barons
- Lookouts' Ninth Inning Rally Dooms M-Braves - Mississippi Braves
- Homers by Grotjohn, Duzenack Lead Generals to 7-2 Win - Jackson Generals
- Biscuits Split Doubleheader with Wahoos - Montgomery Biscuits
- Shrimp Fall to Generals 7-2 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Smokies and U.S. Cellular to Host Little League Takeover - Knoxville Smokies
- Generals Gameday: College Night - August 30 vs. Jacksonville - Jackson Generals
- Kick off Your Weekend with a Biscuits Doubleheader - Montgomery Biscuits
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: Game Notes, August 30 at Jackson - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- A Win Is a Win - Chattanooga Lookouts
- 11th-Inning Rally Lifts Shuckers Beyond Barons - Biloxi Shuckers
- Blue Wahoos Creep Closer to Postseason Despite Setback - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
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