Blue Wahoos produce seven-run rally to force deciding Southern League Championship game

The Blue Wahoos again showed their cliff-edge grit, producing seven runs with two outs in the sixth inning to pull of a stunning 7-1 victory Tuesday night against the Tennessee Smokies and force a deciding game in the Southern League championship series at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tennessee.

The Blue Wahoos now have a prime opportunity for their first outright Southern League title in Wednesday’s deciding game of this best-of-three championship series. They got here by winning the final two games of their South Division series against the Montgomery Biscuits.

First pitch Wednesday night is at 6:15 p.m. (CDT) in Tennessee and the game is available to watch free on a live stream broadcast through MILB.TV.

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Starter Patrick Monteverde delivered five solid innings for the Blue Wahoos, allowing just one run and Cody Mincey – a starter all season – was equally brilliant in three innings of relief to keep the bullpen fresh for Wednesday’s title game.

The Smokies, the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate, carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning Tuesday on the strength of starting pitcher Riley Thompson, who fanned eight Blue Wahoos batters.

After managing just two hits and four baserunners against Thompson, the Blue Wahoos struck gold against the Smokies bullpen.

Catcher Will Banfield led off the sixth against reliever Dalton Stambaugh with a double. Noel Gonzalez popped out. A passed ball, however, on the at-bat moved Banfield to third.

After Conine grounded out, holding Banfield at third, the Smokies opted to bring in reliever Michael McAvene, who was making his Double-A level debut, after being with Chicago’s High-A affiliate South Bend Cubs all season.

McAvene never got an out.

Cobie Fletcher-Vance jumped on the first pitch and drilled it to left field for a game-tying single. And then, runs flowed.

Davis Bradshaw singled and Marcus Chiu reached on infield single to load the bases. Thomas Jones coaxed a bases-loaded walk to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead. Demetrius Sims followed with a hard-shot grounder deep at third, which caused Smokies third baseman Jake Slaughter to hurry his throw and it went low in the dirt past first baseman Bryce Ball, allowed two more runs to score for a 4-1 lead.

Sims, who was close to beating the play, no matter the throw, was credited with a hit and one RBI on the play.

Nasim Nunez reached a four-pitch walk from new reliever Hunter Briggs. Will Banfield smashed a two-run single. Gonzalez came back up and produced another RBI single to make it 7-1.

All told, eight straight Blue Wahoos batters reached with two outs in a 12-at bat inning.

From that point, Mincey entered in the bottom of the sixth finished the game with three superb innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.. A starter most of this season, Mincey’s effort allowed the Blue Wahoos to save their bullpen for Wednesday’s deciding game. Andrew McInvale finished the ninth inning with three consecutive outs after allowing a leadoff walk.

Five Blue Wahoos players produced two hits as part of an 11-hit offensive attack. Every player in the Blue Wahoos starting lineup reached base. Banfield went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Third baseman Cobie Fletcher-Vance went 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored. The same for second baseman Demetrius Sims.

The Blue Wahoos won a Southern League co-championship in 2017 by beating the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, then the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate. The Smokies will be seeking their first Southern League title since 1978.

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

WANT TO WATCH/LISTEN?

WHAT: Deciding game, Southern League Championship Series

WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Tennessee Smokies

WHEN: Wednesday, 6:15 p.m. (CDT)

WHERE: Smokies Stadium, Kodak, Tennessee

RADIO: ESPN-Pensacola (101.1 FM and 1330 AM with Blue Wahoos broadcaster Erik Bremer)

LIVE STREAM: www.milb.com/live-stream-games

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Blue Wahoos win Game 2, force deciding Southern League title game