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Wahoos Win Second Half Opener
June 24, 2016
Three Reds youngsters made their Double-A debuts for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Thursday night at Smokies Stadium. Reds No. 10 prospect Tyler Mahle made his debut by starting tonight’s game against the Tennessee Smokies.
The hard-throwing right hander made batters look silly, striking out eight Smokies hitters in the 6-4 Pensacola victory. Mahle (5.0, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, HR) picked up his ninth win of the season.
His former Daytona Beach teammate Taylor Sparks (2-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI) also debuted at the Double-A level Thursday. On the first pitch of his debut, Sparks launched a two-run homer in the second inning with one on and nobody out to give the Wahoos a 4-1 lead. He joins former Wahoo and current Pensacola resident Travis Mattair on the list of Wahoos to hit homers on the first pitch of his first Double-A at-bat.
Zach Vincej, who has been on fire the month of June hitting .357, gave the Blue Wahoos an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with a homerun to left center, his first of the year.
In the sixth, Sparks came to the plate again. With one on and two down, the third baseman drilled his second homerun of the game, extending Pensacola’s lead to 6-3. Other Wahoos to homer in their first Double-A game include Donald Lutz (2012) and Alex Blandino (2015).
The Blue Wahoos only managed five hits in the ballgame tonight. Like we’ve seen all season: they found a way to win. It’s the “Wahoo Way,” as manager Pat Kelly’s players like to call it.
With nobody on and two away in the bottom of the seventh, Smokies centerfielder Jake Hanneman hit his second homer of the game off Jake Ehret, the third Wahoo to make his AA debut tonight. That cut the deficit to 6-4, and it was as close as Tennessee would get. Ehret (2 IP, 2 H, R, 3 SO) buckled down and finished off the inning.
Southern League All-Star Alejandro Chacin came in to close the deal in the ninth, picking up his 12th save of the season.
With the win tonight, Pensacola rides a four game win streak, tied for the longest of the season.
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