If there’s one element in which the Chattanooga Lookouts have excelled amid a dismal record, it’s hitting home runs.
They did again Tuesday night, putting a damaging dent into the Blue Wahoos' hopes for another first half divisional win.
A pair of two-run homers in consecutive innings were decisive in Chattanooga’s 4-2 victory, beginning the final week of the first half schedule.
A crowd of 4,034 on a Doggone Tuesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, watched the Blue Wahoos (35-28) get few scoring chances against the Lookouts (18-47), who by far have the worst record in the Southern League.
The Blue Wahoos' loss, coupled by the Montgomery Biscuits' 6-5 win Tuesday against the Birmingham Barons, dropped the Blue Wahoos 1.5 games behind in the South Division race with just five games left. The Barons hit into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in their game.
This all followed, of course, the Blue Wahoos winning four of six games last week in Birmingham to get into contention for a third consecutive first half divisional win and automatic playoff berth.
Tuesday’s game started well for Pensacola. Joe Mack homered just inside the right field foul pole for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The lead was flipped by one swing in the fourth inning. Lookouts third base Nick Northcut, a Cincinnati native playing for the Reds’ Double-A affiliate, hit a two-run homer on a two-out pitch by Blue Wahoos starter Evan Fitterer.
A repeat scenario happened in the sixth inning when Quincy McAfee had a two-run homer, ending Fitterer’s night. The Lookouts tagged him for seven hits in the game.
It gave the Lookouts a total of 51 homers – second-most in the league behind the Tennessee Smokies.
The Blue Wahoos missed chances with two runners on base in the fifth and sixth inning, then had Paul McIntosh thrown out on a double-steal attempt in the eighth. A wild pitch led to a run, but the Lookouts' Braxton Roxby earned his first save with a clean ninth inning.
The series continues Wednesday with the Blue Wahoos helping stage a special Juneteenth celebration outside the stadium, beginning at 5 p.m., with the first 1,000 people to visit an information tent receiving a free ticket, a concession voucher and a hat to attend the game in a Unity Night sponsored by Escambia County commissioner Lumon May, the City of Pensacola and several non-profit agencies.
The game will start at 6:05 p.m. and will be followed by the largest fireworks show of the season.