Contreras' Bomb Ends Heartbreak
July 23, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release
Mark Contreras of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos gets a Gatorade shower following his game-winning home run
(Pensacola Blue Wahoos)
Mark Contreras had reached first base when he saw the ball disappear over the right-centerfield fence, heard the crowd erupt and his Blue Wahoos teammates react.
Nothing like a ninth-inning, walkoff, home run to rekindle joy.
"That was awesome," said Contreras, following an icy, water bath in celebration of the Blue Wahoos 5-3 win Monday night against the Mobile BayBears. "Seeing my teammates waiting for me at home plate was just an awesome feeling."
His two-run homer, following a one-out walk by Caleb Hamilton, enabled the Blue Wahoos to bust their season-worst, six-game losing streak in the most dramatic way at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
After the BayBears tied the game with runs in the eighth and ninth inning, Hamilton authored a finish the Blue Wahoos had not produced this season. They have won games with walk-off hits, but never on a home run, which meant even more given the team's recent slide.
"That's the best part of being at home," said Contreras, the Blue Wahoos' centerfielder, who went 2-for-4 Monday and scored two runs. "You get the bottom of the ninth to come back. And just do what we can do to win the game."
Monday, all five Blue Wahoos runs were produced via home runs. Catcher Brian Navarreto hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Lewin Davis followed in the sixth with a memorable, moon shot over right field. The ball likely wound up landing in Pensacola Bay.
But the BayBears battled into a tie against the Blue Wahoos bullpen, setting the stage for Contreras.
"Hamilton did his job (in ninth inning) and got on base. With two strikes (on him), I'm trying to shorten up my swing and drive something I can handle. I'm trying not to get too big in the situation. I saw a fastball, tracked it, tried to be short and quick and got it better than what I expected.
"End of game, so that was fun."
The game began the final homestand the Blue Wahoos (50-50 overall, 12-18 in second half) will play against the BayBears (40-58, 13-17), who become the Rocket City Trash Pandas next season and will move into their new home in Madison, Ala., located near Huntsville.
Four home games remain in the series, along with an opportunity for the Blue Wahoos to alter their course. They entered Monday having lost 13 of their past 15 games, falling under .500 overall for the first time this season. They had not scored five runs in a game since their last win on July 13.
"We have lost some close games and we're playing hard," Contreras said. "It's just like (manager Ramon Borrego) keeps saying every day, '(Opponents) still have to play us we still have to play them.' That was an awesome feeling to do that and start a winning streak again."
Equally impressive, Contreras signed autographs for fans and little kids who waited along the dugout tunnel entrance. One tiny boy, attired in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, told Contreras, "I play baseball, too." as Contreras encouraged him to keep playing and enjoy baseball.
Those are the kind of priceless moments created by the team and winning a game in that fashion.
"It felt good to get that spring to start the series... and now we need to go and win the series," Contreras said.
The Blue Wahoos carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning behind the strong performance of pitcher Griffin Jax. He was on the verge of his longest, possibly best outing of the season when trouble ensued.
Jax gave up a lead off single in the eighth inning to Mobile's Zane Gurtwitz. He then plunked Connor Justus and walked Jahmal Jones to load the bases with none out.
Borrego summoned reliever Alex Phillips, who rejoined the Blue Wahoos from Fort Myers for the first time since mid-May. Phillips got Brandon Marsh to ground into a double play, after a marvelous stop by second baseman Ivan De Jesus to begin the twin-kill.
A run scored on the play, then Phillips then struck out Jack Kruger to end the inning in a pivotal sequence.
In the ninth, Phillips gave up a one-out single and walk to put runners on first and second. Borrego summoned Tom Hackimer, who gave up a soft, bloop single, then got Gurtwitz to fly out to Contreras for a game-tying, RBI sacrifice fly. But he ended the inning by getting Jones to ground out.
"He held them to 3-3 and gave us opportunity to get to the bottom of the ninth and win the game," Contreras said.
Earlier in the game, Diaz had won the night with his one-out homer in the sixth inning that soared just inside the foul pole and well over the Winn-Dixie party decks and back of the stadium.
It was his fifth homer since joining the Blue Wahoos, but none of the previous four were like this one.
"I was in the dugout. As soon as he hit it I said, 'That has to be in the water.' He hit that ball a long way," Contreras said.
The game's ending created a strange scenario where Hackimer was saddled with a blown save in the top of the ninth, then a win after the Contreras homer. Jax matched his season-long with seven innings pitched, four hits, two walks, eight strikeouts.
Mobile starter Zack Kelly worked only 5.1 innings but struck out nine Blue Wahoos batters in his outing. Navaretto joined Contreras, Diaz and Alex Kirilloff with getting two hits.
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