Mena Deals in 3-2 Victory Over the Blue Wahoos

With the series tied at two-games-a-piece, the Birmingham Barons and Pensacola Blue Wahoo have had quite the roller coaster week. The back-and-forth has made it must watch Double-A ball. Game 5 was no different, as Birmingham defeated Pensacola by a score of 3-2.

The game started calmly with both sides not getting much of anything in the first two complete innings. Birmingham’s starter was 20 year-old right-hander Cristian Mena, who put together a stellar outing.

Mena finished his night with 6.0 IP, five strikeouts and only allowed two earned-runs. The two runs for Pensacola would come in the third and fourth inning, both coming off singles shots.

The Blue Wahoos were able to score on Mena, and get on the board first. However, with the energy coming from the bump, the two-run lead didn’t feel so big for the Barons.

Birmingham’s designated hitter Chris Shaw got things going for the Barons in the fifth. Shaw singled with a dribbler to right-field, which was the Barons first hit of the ballgame. Despite their first hit coming late, there was a sense of confidence coming from the away team dugout.

Birmingham was ready to capture the lead back from the Blue Wahoos, and they did just that.

With a walk from catcher Xavier Fernandez, and a perfect bunt by second-baseman Andy Atwood, the Barons found themselves with the bases loaded with no outs. Center-fielder Duke Ellis sent a ball into shallow left-field for the first out, and third-baseman Taylor Snyder hit a grounder into a force out at home for the second.

Birmingham, with a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and no out, saw their last chance in the fifth. Shortstop Moises Castillo did not shy away from the moment. On a 3-and-1 count, the Dominican Republic native sent a gaper into left-center-field for a three-run RBI double.

Castillo and the away team were pumped up as one swing of the bat sent them up by a run.

The Barons, now with the lead, did not let up. The youngster on the bump kept dealing as he would complete two more shutout innings, sending the rest of the game to the bullpen.

Only needing three more innings of production, Birmingham called upon southpaw Gil Luna and right-hander Caleb Freeman to get the job done.

Luna was called on first in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Arizona native shoved 1.2 innings, holding the save and only allowing one hit.

Freeman finished the eighth with a strikeout giving the Barons needed energy heading into the final inning of regulation. The 25 year-old captured his first save of the season in six batters, striking out two in the bottom of the ninth.

Freeman ended the ball game with 1.1 IP, striking out three and giving up one hit.

Birmingham has shown a lot of grit in this series with the Blue Wahoos. Despite the outcome in tomorrow’s finale in Pensacola, the Barons sit in a great position to take away a lot from this away stint.