Marlins’ Double-A Affiliate Clinches Place in Postseason

The Miami Marlins will have one more minor league affiliate competing in the postseason. 

Double-A Pensacola defeated the Columbus Clingstones 7-5 on Sunday to clinch the second-half Southern League South Division title.

The Blue Wahoos (76-55) clinched the division title after reaching 40 wins in the second half of the Double-A season. They join the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads as Marlins affiliates in the playoffs. 

The Clingstones took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI double by Owen Carey and a base hit by Adam Zebrowski. 

The Blue Wahoos got on the board in the third inning on a solo home run by Connor Caskenette, his 13th of the season and sixth in Double-A. Colby Shade hit a solo home run of his own in the eighth inning to cut the Columbus lead to 3-2. 

Not to be outdone, the Clingstones joined in on the homer party with a pair of dingers of their own. Alex Lodise and Zebroski homered to push Columbus’ lead to 5-2 going into the ninth inning. The Blue Wahoos rallied to win the game in the ninth inning the only way they know how, through the long ball. Christian Hernandez, Shade and Jay Beshears each hit bombs over the wall to secure their spot in the playoffs. All the more impressive is that it came with two outs. 

Mason Vinyard closed out the game with a hitless ninth inning for his second Double-A save. 

Blue Wahoos RHP Eliazar Dishmey gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts in four innings pitched. He was recently given the Marlins Next Wave Pitcher of the Month award for August after leading all Miami minor leaguers with a 2.28 xFIP and a 6.0 percent walk rate over four starts. He also struck out 31 batters against five walks last month. 

Ethan O’Donnell, who went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the ninth, was named Hitter of the Month in the Marlins Next Wave Awards after reaching base safely in all 20 games played in August, while posting a .966 OPS with three doubles and five home runs.

The Blue Wahoos followed up on a five-homer performance in a 10-2 win on Saturday. Marlins No. 27 prospect Max Williams and Ryan Ignoffo each hit two home runs while Payton Green hammered a solo shot.

The Blue Wahoos will host Biloxi in the final week of the Southern League regular season before the two teams face off in the playoffs.