Smeltzer Brilliant in Wahoos Shutout Win
April 12, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release
Pensacola, FL - Devin Smeltzer's first start of the year in Mobile was going to be hard to top. After taking a perfect game into the 5th inning on the road and striking out 9 in Pensacola's 5-0 win over Mobile on April 6th, the bar was high for his first home start of 2019 on Friday evening.
Consider the bar raised.
Smeltzer shined in his Blue Wahoos Stadium debut, working into the ninth in shutout fashion. He exited with one out in the game's final inning to a rousing ovation from the Pensacola crowd, having thrown 8.1 scoreless innings without allowing a run on just three hits while striking out eight. Reliever Cody Stashak recorded the final two outs to earn his first save of the year and preserve Pensacola's 2-0 victory, their third straight over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
With tonight's win, Smeltzer now holds a ridiculous stat line on the season: two wins, 14.0 innings pitched, just five hits allowed, and 17 strikeouts.
The Blue Wahoos, who have scored first in all eight games this season, continued their trend of taking an early lead. Jordan Gore led off the home half of the first with a single, just as he did last night, and came around to score following a Luis Arraez single and an RBI groundout by Taylor Grzelakowski.
In the second, Jimmy Kerrigan was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on an infield single by Tanner English. The hit was English's first with Pensacola after being activated from the injured list earlier today. English also made a large impact in the field, making a pair of diving catches in center field.
With the 2-0, Smeltzer cruised, scattering three hits and needing just 85 pitches to work into the ninth. Stashak needed just seven pitches to record the games final out, sending the fans home happy in the fastest Wahoos game of the year: one hour and 57 minutes.
The win improves Pensacola's record to 6-2 on the season, best in the Southern League. Jacksonville falls to 3-5 with the loss. The two team's will continue their five-game set at Blue Wahoos Stadium tomorrow evening at 6:05 PM with RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 0.00 ERA) scheduled to take the mound for Pensacola.
Southern League Stories from April 12, 2019
- Big Bang Gets Jackson - Chattanooga Lookouts
- Total Team Effort: Smokies Slow-Burn Barons, 7-1 - Knoxville Smokies
- Isabel's Grand Slam Sinks Generals - Jackson Generals
- Smokies Down Barons Behind Big Inning - Birmingham Barons
- Smeltzer Brilliant in Wahoos Shutout Win - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Biscuits Pitchers Keep Shuckers Bats Quiet in 7-1 Defeat - Biloxi Shuckers
- Biscuits Push Past Shuckers, 7-1 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Shrimp Blanked by Wahoos 2-0 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- M-Braves and BayBears Postponed by Rain Friday - Mississippi Braves
- Egga-Wahooza to be Held Saturday, April 20 - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- 2019 All-Star Event Tickets on Sale April 17 - Biloxi Shuckers
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: Game Notes, April 12 at Pensacola - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Jumbo Shrimp Homestand Highlights April 15-19 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Farm to Table Dinner Coming to Blue Wahoos Stadium - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Barons Use Huge 8th to Secure First Home Win of Season - Birmingham Barons
- Mobile's Six-Run Fifth Inning Dooms Braves on Thursday - Mississippi Braves
- Second Six-Run Inning of Season Lifts BayBears over Braves - Mobile BayBears
- Five-Run Eighth Allows Barons to Even Series with Smokies - Knoxville Smokies
- Graterol, Kerrigan Lead Blue Wahoos Past Jumbo Shrimp - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
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