SL1 Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pensacola Wins 6-3 over Birmingham

Published on May 2, 2016 under Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


BIRMINGHAM, Ala., - Phillip Ervin won the Southern League player of the week earlier in the day and then took the field and played like he plans to capture the honor again this week.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos right fielder scored the tying run in the third inning and then drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning as the Blue Wahoos took the final game, 6-3, of the five-game series with the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field.

Birmingham, which won the series, dropped to 10-15 on the year. Pensacola improved to 14-11 this season and remained in second place behind the Biloxi Shuckers, who they play at home Wednesday.

Ervin entered this past week batting .179. However, he broke out with a .467 average, 10 runs, five extra-base hits, including three home runs and two doubles, five RBIs and four stolen bases. He also had three walks for a .579 on-base percentage. He led all of Minor League Baseball with a 1.200 slugging percentage and 1.779 OPS over the past week.

The 23-year-old outfielder now also has a six-game hitting streak after hitting a sharp single to center in the fifth inning Monday that scored left fielder Tony Renda and put Pensacola on top, 3-2. Batting .243, Ervin went 1-3, with a run scored, an RBI and reached base on two walks Monday.

Ervin showed off his speed when he tied the score, 2-2, in the third inning by racing from second base to home plate on a two-out single by Brandon Dixon to left field.

Pensacola southpaw Amir Garrett, also shined Monday. The 23-year-old gave up two runs in the first inning, then settled down, retiring nine in a row, and 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.

Garrett, the Cincinnati Reds No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, worked five innings and gave up two runs, one earned on three hits and two walks, while striking out seven.

After getting his first win in his last start, Garrett is now 2-2 with a 1.52 ERA.

Pensacola reliever Carlos Gonzalez came in to pitch a scoreless ninth inning, making his ninth appearance this season and saving his second game of the year. He walked one and struck out two and now has 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings with a 0.73 earned-run average.

The Blue Wahoos racked up 12 hits total. Leading the way was center fielder Beau Amaral who went 3-4 with a double, run scored and RBI-his team-leading 12th of the season. DH Donald Lutz also was 2-4 with an RBI; first baseman Brandon Dixon had two hits in five at bats with an RBI; and shortstop Calten Daal raised his average to .409 in seven games and 22 at bats after going 2-4 with a run scored.

Birmingham did make it a, 4-3, game in the bottom of the seventh when DH Adam Engel walked, stole his 12th base of the year, and then scored on shortstop Eddy Alvarez's single to right field.

But catcher Chad Wallach put Pensacola back up by two, 5-3, when he scored from third base on a wild pitch in the eighth inning. Wallach walked twice in the game and leads Pensacola with 13 total this season. Amaral followed him with a two-out infield single to shortstop that scored the Blue Wahoos Daal for the final Pensacola run, 6-3, of the game.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos return to Blue Wahoos Stadium on May 4th to face off against the Biloxi Shuckers. Blue Wahoos season tickets, mini plan packages and single game tickets are available for purchase at Hill-Kelly Dodge Pick-Up Window and by calling (850) 934-8444. Follow the team at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.

Check out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Southern League Stories from May 2, 2016


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