Pensacola Captures Series Against Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - For 7.2 innings, Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Barrett Astin gave up just two hits to the Chattanooga Lookouts - a team third in the Southern League in team hitting at .261.
Astin also struck out a season-high nine Lookouts as Pensacola pulled out an 8-1 win and captured the first series this season against Chattanooga, 3-2, Saturday at AT&T Field.
In the third inning, Pensacola would get all the runs they needed when first baseman Marquez Smith lined a double to score left fielder Jesse Winker and go up, 1-0. Right fielder Juan Duran then singled in Smith for a 2-0 lead.
Smith and Duran were the stars of Pensacola's 15-hit attack on Saturday. Smith was 2-4 with two doubles, scoring three runs and driving in two more. He now has a team-leading 17 doubles on the year with a team-leading 37 RBIs and is batting .275.
Duran was 3-5 with four RBIs, including two RBIs. He has 22 RBIs and is batting .308 in 29 games for Pensacola.
Pensacola third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean got on base four times, going 2-3, with two walks, one run scored and also drove in his 37th run of the year. Meanwhile, DH Sean Buckley also reached base four times on three hits and a walk in five total at bats.
The team hit a season-high eight doubles in the game, the most since hitting seven against April 20th at Birmingham. Bryson Smith, Jesse Winker, Kyle Skipworth and Buckley each added a double a piece to the evening.
Astin cruised into the eighth and got the first two batters out before walking the next two batters and giving up a run scoring single to shortstop Jorge Palanco. In seven starts since June 29 with the Blue Wahoos, Astin is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA. He has struck out 37 batters in 44 innings with the Double-A team.
The Blue Wahoos travel to take on the Jacksonville Suns beginning Sunday. Come experience the family-fun entertainment, which includes fireworks Saturday night! You can follow the team at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.
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