From Last to First

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Pensacola Blue Wahoos turned their season from a 25-43 last place finish in the first half to a 38-32 champagne-drenched, playoff celebration in the second half - the first since the franchise began in 2012.

So how did the Blue Wahoos break on through to the other side?

Among the keys: The play of Blue Wahoos, such as Jesse Winker, Zack Weiss, Kyle Skipworth , Juan Duran and Tim Adleman.

The team hit the long ball again.

And Pensacola showed off the best double play combinations and best fielding in the Southern League.

The Blue Wahoos ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.

Pensacola earned the chance to play the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate the Biloxi Shuckers - the first half winner at 43-25, despite playing its first 54 games on the road as the city finished MGM Park that opened June 6.

The Shuckers, who finished the second half in fourth place at 35-34, host the first two games at 7:10 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Biloxi then travels to Pensacola for a 6:35 p.m. game Saturday and, if needed, will play at 4:05 p.m. Sunday and 6:35 p.m. Monday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

The Blue Wahoos playoff rotation is scheduled to be Daniel Wright (10-11, 4.53), Cody Reed (6-2, 2.17) and Tim Adleman (9-10, 2.64).

"It has been a tale of two halves. I know that's a cliché statement," Pensacola outfielder Jesse Winker said. "But that's why everyone gets to come back after the break."

HOT-HITTING WINKER At the All-Star break June 23, Jesse Winker had just three home runs, 17 RBIs and batted .248. That's not what onlookers expected from the Cincinnati Reds top prospect this season, who insisted he never lost confidence in himself at the plate.

But the 22-year-old outfielder did a little better - OK, a lot better - in the second half of the season. He smacked 10 homers (including five in a row from Aug. 11-15), drove in 38 runners and hit .316.

Winker, who won the Southern League August player of the month, leads the Blue Wahoos in almost every major statistical category, including home runs (13), runs-batted in (55) and batting average (.282). Plus, he currently has 400 career minor league hits. Winker reached base in 57 of 63 games in the second half and was among league leaders with a .426 on-base percentage.

WEISS FILLS CLOSER ROLE Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said after the first half ended that the Blue Wahoos really needed someone to finally step up and become the team's closer. That man turned out to be 23-year-old Zack Weiss, who started the season with the High-A Daytona Tortugas.

Weiss led the Southern League with 25 saves and set the Pensacola record, surpassing Shane Dyer who saved 22 games last season. For his second half efforts, Weiss earned Southern League postseason All-Star honors and reliever of the month for August.

The big right-hander, who throws in the mid-90s, saved 12 of his last 13 relief appearances and struck out the side five times during that span. Plus, he lowered his ERA from a high of 10.13 when he gave up four runs in 0.2 innings May 20 to the Mississippi Braves to 2.42 by the end of the season. He last gave up an earned run on a home run against the Jacksonville Suns on Aug. 5 but still earned the save.

SKIPWORTH'S LEADERSHIP Having Kyle Skipworth behind the plate also boosted the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the second half. The 25-year-old sprained his ankle when he stepped on a bat at a game in Mississippi and was out from May 31 to June 25. During that time, Pensacola won four of its 20 games leading up to the All-Star break.

When Skipworth returned to the lineup after the All-Star break, Pensacola started winning again, including a six-game win streak. Skipworth, who ended up second on the Blue Wahoos with 11 homers, hit five homers in a row from July 11-16.

His biggest contribution, though, was his defense. He threw out 20 runners trying to steal second base, catching 46.5 percent of runners on base.

DURAN'S BIG SWING Pensacola right fielder Juan Duran joined the team July 1 after going through rehabilitation for a wrist injury in Goodyear, Ariz.

All the 6-foot-7 Dominican did was clobber six home runs, knock in 43 RBIs, hit .256 and slug a team-leading .438 in 59 games. That included a walk-off single against Mobile on Sept. 4 that propelled Pensacola to a 5-4 victory.

Meanwhile, although he committed five errors and had six assists, his defense improved tremendously this season. In 2014, Duran committed 10 errors and six assists and each fly ball his way seemed to turn into a three-ring circus.

ADLEMAN BUCKLES DOWN Tim Adleman threw a career-high 150 innings and was nearly unbeatable down the stretch. By far the Blue Wahoos most consistent starter in 2015, the 27-year-old was 7-3 after the All-Star break after going 2-6 in the first half and making the Southern League All-Star team.

The 24th round draft pick out of Georgetown was cut in Spring Training by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 but didn't give up, playing in the Independent Leagues for two seasons.

In his 25 starts, Adleman has allowed no runs eight times and one-earned run eight times and has posted a 2.64 ERA in 2015, which is third best in the Southern League.

DEFENSE! How does a team have the worst batting average in the league at .242 and finish seven out of 10 in team earned-run average and still win the second half? That's easy - DEFENSE.

Pensacola has committed the fewest error in the Southern League with 81 and led the league in fielding percentage at .984.

Plus, the Blue Wahoos have turned a franchise record 166 double plays this season, which not only leads the Southern League but all of Major League and Minor League baseball. They've done it with middle infielders who have included Zach Vincej, Ryan Wright, Juan Perez (now with the Triple-A Louisville Bats), Alex Blandino and Ray Chang this season.

THE LONG BALL In the first half of the season, the Blue Wahoos managed just 25 home runs. But it came on in the second half to finish the year with 80 dingers - just one behind the Mobile BayBears for fourth in the Southern League.

The power surge - 55 second half homers - came primarily from Jesse Winker (10), Kyle Skipworth (9), Juan Duran (6) and Marquez Smith (5). Both Winker and Skipworth had home runs in five consecutive games in the second half this season.

In addition, the Blue Wahoos had a season-high four homers in its Aug. 22 game against the Chattanooga Lookouts that Pensacola won, 10-6.

--bluewahoos.com--