Gutierrez, Wahoos Take Series Opener, 6-1

July 12, 2018 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release

PEARL, Miss. - Vladimir Gutierrez got some late run support in back of another excellent start in the Blue Wahoos series-opening win, 6-1, over the Mississippi Braves Thursday night at Trustmark Park.

Gutierrez allowed just one unearned run over seven strong innings to earn his fifth win in his last six starts. He walked three M-Braves and they scattered five hits against him, but he pitched out of trouble most of the night with the help of a season-best nine strikeouts. The lone run he allowed scored on an error in the second inning, it was an answer to the unearned run the Blue Wahoos scored in the top of the inning.

With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Aristides Aquino threw out Tyler Marlette trying to score from second base on a two-out single. That seemed to wake up the Wahoos. In the top of the seventh, Taylor Sparks belted a three-run home run to put Pensacola in front 4-1. The next inning, Gavin LaValley launched a two-run home run to make it a 6-1 ballgame.

Sparks paced the offense with Pensacola's only multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Luis Gonzalez quietly had a nice night at the plate. He reached base in all four plate appearances with three walks and a single.

Pensacola will look to make it two straight Friday night behind Reds #4 prospect Tony Santillan (1-0, 1.50) who makes his second double-A start facing Braves #12 prospect Bryse Wilson (2-5, 4.18). First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. from Trustmark Park.

Southern League Stories from July 12, 2018

• Gutierrez, Wahoos Take Series Opener, 6-1 - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
• Generals Stun Mobile with Late Five-Run Rally - Jackson Generals
• Walker Goes Deep as Lookouts Top Biscuits - Chattanooga Lookouts
• BayBears Stunned by Generals in Series Opener - Mobile BayBears
• Mississippi Falls to Pensacola 6-1 in Series Opener - Mississippi Braves
• Barons Top Smokies, 8-5 - Birmingham Barons
• Biscuits Come up Short in Chattanooga, 7-6 - Montgomery Biscuits
• Dunand's Walk-Off Walk Lifts Shrimp over Shuckers, 4-3 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• Shuckers Walked off in Jacksonville - Biloxi Shuckers
• Smokies Drop Series Opener to Barons - Knoxville Smokies
• Rengifo and Walsh Promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake - Mobile BayBears
• Giardina, Johnstone Join M-Braves, Pike to Florida - Mississippi Braves
• It's a Hat Trick: Ray Goes Yard Three Times in Win - Biloxi Shuckers
• M-Braves Clinch Second-Straight Series After a 9-2 Win over Barons on Wednesday - Mississippi Braves
• Barons Fall, 9-2 in Series Finale - Birmingham Barons

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