Pensacola Blue Wahoos second baseman Alex Blandino came through with arguably the biggest hit of the season when his double knocked in two runs and lifted his club to an improbable second half Southern League South Division title.
Pensacola swept all five games from the Birmingham Barons with a 3-1 victory Monday at Regions Field to end the second half 40-30, which was one more win than the Mississippi Braves (39-30). The Blue Wahoos finished with its best overall record at 81-59 since its inaugural season in 2012, while Mississippi finished the season 73-65.
Entering the last two games of the regular season, Pensacola trailed Mississippi by 1.5 games. Mississippi lost 7-0 to the Biloxi Shuckers on Sunday and fell again, 4-1, Monday. Meanwhile, Pensacola won both games, 5-4, and, 3-1. It was Pensacola’s first sweep of a five-game series since July 9-13, 2015 against the Montgomery Biscuits.
In addition, Pensacola also became the first Southern League team to win three straight division titles since the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The Blue Wahoos captured the second half last season and the first half and second half this season. The Jacksonville Suns and Tennessee Smokies both did the same thing in 2009-2010.
It was all made possible when Blandino smacked a double to center field in the seventh inning to drive in the first runs of the game. The No. 14 Cincinnati Reds prospect’s extra-base hit scored third baseman Taylor Sparks and center fielder Jeff Gelalich and put the Blue Wahoos up, 2-0.
Pensacola padded its lead when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde knocked in his seventh RBI of the series with Birmingham when he smacked a two-out single in the ninth inning to drive in Gelalich for a 3-0 lead.
The Barons did score one run in the bottom of the ninth when DH Eudy Pina belted a one-out, solo homer to left field — his fourth of the season — off of Pensacola reliever Abel De Los Santos. He worked the final 1.1 innings and allowed one run, two hits, one walk and struck out one to earn his third save of the season.
Before scoring in the seventh, Pensacola had only two runners reach second base. In the fifth inning, Blue Wahoos catcher Chad Wallach doubled but was stranded there. In the sixth inning, Pensacola left fielder Phillip Ervin was hit by a pitch and then stole his career-high 36th base of the season to reach second.
Birmingham pitcher Thaddius Lowry threw seven innings in his fourth start for the Barons after being called up from the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. He allowed two earned runs on five hits, one walk and struck out two before giving way to Birmingham reliever Connor Walsh.
Meanwhile, Pensacola right-handed starter Nick Travieso pitched a season-high 7.2 innings and was replaced by De Los Santos after Travieso, the Reds No. 15 prospect, allowed Birmingham center fielder Hunter Jones to single and walked second baseman Joey DeMichele. De Los Santos got the next batter to ground out to him.
Travieso gave up five hits, walked one and struck out six. He improved to 5-7 with a 3.84 ERA. Coming into the game, the 22-year-old, who was placed twice on the 7-day disabled list this season, had one quality start in five appearances in August.
The Blue Wahoos go into the Southern League South Division playoffs against Mississippi with a five game win streak and have won 10 of its last 11 games. They host the Braves at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the best of five series. By capturing both halves, Pensacola will host, if needed, the fifth game of the series on Sunday, September 11.
In the North Division, the Jackson Generals and Montgomery Biscuits square off with the first two games at The Ballpark at Jackson at 6:05 pm Wednesday and Thursday.
Pensacola is heading to the Southern League playoffs and will be home Sept. 7 and 8! Blue Wahoos 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.