Perez Has Toughest Outing As Biloxi Shuckers Take Series Finale 

BILOXI, Miss. -- The Blue Wahoos two-run lead Sunday was short-lived, after the Biloxi Shuckers answered in the fourth inning against pitching star Eury Perez and went on for a 7-3 victory to take the weekend series at MGM Park.

Perez, whose last time in a game was eight days ago, when he worked one inning in the Sirius XM Futures Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, made his first start for the Blue Wahoos in 17 days. Sunday’s game began 1-hour-14 minutes late due to a rain delay.

Perez was sharp early, but the second time through the Shuckers batting order Sunday, Perez gave up four hits, including three doubles to the Shuckers first five batters and yielded three runs in the fourth inning. The Shuckers produced two more hits and another run off Perez in the fifth inning.

It equated into Perez having his toughest outing this season.

He allowed a season-high eight hits in five innings. The four runs matched the most he allowed all season. He struck out seven batters and walked one. He also had a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt in the third inning, which did not lead to a run. Prior to this outing, Perez had not allowed more than four hits in any game since May 6 and his only previous loss occurred April 15 against Rocket City.

The Blue Wahoos did not have a base runner through the first three and two-thirds innings against Biloxi starter Carlos Luna. And then the next two batters circled the bases.

With two outs in the fourth inning, Griffin Conine blasted a Luna fastball into the right-center berm for his first homer since June 26. Paul McIntosh followed with a solo blast over the left field wall, giving the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead and the team’s second back-to-back home runs in two games.

But the game changed when Biloxi surged to a 4-2 lead, then got home runs from Brent Diaz – a solo shot off Anthony Maldonado in the sixth inning—and a 2-run blast from Cam Devaney off Cody Mincey in the seventh.

The Blue Wahoos were held to just five hits as the Shuckers took the series 2-1 and now have a 12-10 lead in the season series between the teams.

The Blue Wahoos returned home Sunday night and will prepare to face the Mississippi Braves, the Southern League’s top team in the second half, when beginning a six-game homestand against the M-Braves at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Tuesday night.

The first game of the series will begin at 6:35 p.m.. A live radio broadcast begins at 6:30 on ESPN Pensacola 1330 AM/99.1 FM and WYCT 98.7 HD4 (radio) and online video via MILB.tv (streaming).

For more information, and to purchase tickets for the series against the M-Braves, visit bluewahoos.com or call the box office at (850) 934-8444.