Wahoos Punish Biscuits, 5-1

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Biscuits (56-49) squandered a number of opportunities and left 12 men on base in a tough 5-1 loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (52-49) on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium. The Biscuits still remain in second place in the Double-A South with a 1.5-game lead over the Rocket City Trash Pandas with 14 games to play in the regular season.

Miller Hogan made his second Double-A start for the Biscuits, and the right-hander struck out a pair and hit JJ Bleday in a scoreless, hitless top of the first inning. Xavier Edwards led off the bottom of the first with single to center, and then the second baseman stole second against Wahoos starter Will Stewart, who went on to retire everyone else in the remainder of the inning.

Hogan allowed a lead-off triple to Riley Mahan to begin the second inning, but worked around the traffic and kept Mahan from scoring, striking out his third batter of the game in another scoreless frame. The Biscuits loaded the bases with three-straight singles off Stewart to begin the bottom of the third, but the southpaw was able to Houdini his way out of it, striking out Moises Gomez, and getting Jake Palomaki to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Hogan struck out the side in the top of the third, but also surrendered a double to Kameron Misner, and an RBI-double to Bleday, whose liner to right put Pensacola ahead 1-0. Stewart issued four walks in the bottom of the third inning, his final one with the bases loaded to Niko Hulsizer, who tied the game at one.

Hogan struck out a season-high eight over five innings, and while the Biscuits threatened with the bases loaded again in the bottom of the fifth, they could not cash in against reliever Dylan Bice. The Biscuits left 10 men on base through the first five innings on Friday.

Jordan Brink came on for Hogan and worked a one-two-three sixth, and a one-two-three seventh, striking out four. Joel Peguero (3-7) entered for Brink in the top of the eighth and allowed a lead-off double to Misner. Bleday eventually brought Misner home with a sac fly to hand Pensacola the lead back for good at 2-1.

The Wahoos added three more runs in the ninth against Ivan Pelaez with an RBI-single by J.D. Orr, an RBI-single by Bleday, and a wild pitch to make it 5-1.

The Biscuits will try to bounce back against the Wahoos on Saturday when Alex Valverde (2-3) clashes with Jeff Lindgren (4-8) on Take Me Out to the Ballgame Night with MAX Fireworks at 6:05 PM CT.

The series wraps up with Lil' Crumbs Kids Club presented by Go Fish Alabama & Bark in the Park on Sunday, September 5 at 3:33 PM CT.