Daniel Palka continues to hit the long ball as he slammed his 20th homer for the Lookouts.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Pensacola, Fl.. Chattanooga tagged the Blue Wahoos relievers to go on to win, 7-3, in front of 4,884 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Ryan Eades improved to 5-3 with six strong innings. He gave up just one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out six. Jake Reed worked the next two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and two hit batters.
He did strike out four. Mason Melotakis struck out two in a perfect ninth inning.
In the fourth inning, Chattanooga slugger Daniel Palka slammed his Southern League-leading 20th homer for a 1-0 Chattanooga lead. Then, Lookouts shortstop Leo Reginatto hit a deep fly ball to center to score left fielder Travis Harrison to put the Lookouts up, 2-0.
Palka ended an incredible June with 13 homers and 30 RBI in the month.
Pensacola center fielder Jeff Gelalich tripled in the right field corner with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning that scored shortstop Calten Daal that pulled the Blue Wahoos within, 2-1.
The game got away from Pensacola in the seventh inning when they brought in Caleb Cotham in the seventh inning-a Cincinnati Reds' reliever who is doing a Major League rehab for right shoulder inflammation. Kelly said they were going to give him 15-20 pitches.
He threw 18 pitches to four batters and failed to get an out, giving up three runs, two earned to the Lookouts who went ahead, 5-1.
The play that hurt Cotham the most was a routine chopper by Chattanooga center fielder Shannon Wilkerson that Daal fielded at short and then lobbed over the first baseman's head, allowing Stuart Turner to score the first run on the inning to put the Lookouts ahead, 3-1.
Third baseman Engelb Vielma then scored for a 4-1 lead when Chattanooga second baseman Ryan Walker singled to right field. The final run scored when Chattanooga slugger Palka hit a chopper up the middle that Daal reached but he didn't have a play, allowing Wilkerson to score and giving Chattanooga a 5-1 lead.
Wilkerson, who replaced Granite in center field in the fourth inning, then blasted a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth that put Chattanooga up, 7-1. Also scoring was Turner, who reached first on Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks' high throw to first.
Box
Pensacola hosts the third game of a five-game series at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Chattanooga.
Making his second startfor the Lookouts is LHP Stephen Gonaslves (1-0, 3.60), who is going against Blue Wahoos RHP Jackson Stephens (5-6, 3.19).