Blue Wahoos Open Season With Doubleheader Sweep Over Mobile

April 6, 2019

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos unveiled their touted pitching tandem Friday night against the Mobile BayBears and witnessed a pair of gems.

In a memorable season-opening double-header sweep, Jorge Alcala tossed five shutout innings, helping lead the Blue Wahoos to a 7-0 victory in the first game. Brusdar Graterol, the Twins top pitching prospect, took the mound in game two and yielded only a run while pitching into the fifth inning in Pensacola’s 4-3 extra innings win at Hank Aaron Stadium.

“It was a good start. Those guys gave a good effort, especially on the pitching side,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego, who was making his Double-A debut as Pensacola begins its new era as a Minnesota Twins affiliate.”The pitching was unbelievable.”

The Blue Wahoos knocked six hits and worked four walks in game one on their way to seven runs. Alcala, who struck out six in 5.0 shutout innings and allowed just three hits, was helped by some terrific defense. Jimmy Kerrigan made a highlight reel catch in the fourth inning, tracking a ball onto the centerfield warning track and holding on as he crashed into the wall. The next inning, Jaylin Davis made a diving catch in right to prevent a Mobile rally.

After his web gem, Kerrigan hit a two-run homer in his next at-bat. Offensively, Luis Arraezreached base three times, twice with base knocks and once on a walk.

The second game was far different than the opener. After going up 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI snigle by Taylor Grzelakowski, the Blue Wahoos didn’t score again until the fifth when Jordan Goresingled home Kerrigan. After Mobile answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth, the score held at 2-1 until the seventh.

In his Double-A debut, the 20-year-old Graterol allowed just three hits over 4.2 innings. He allowed one run and walked two while striking out six and flashing 100 miles per hour on the radar gun multiple times.

Graterol left with the 2-1 lead and Andro Cutura held the BayBears at check out of the bullpen for 1.1 innings, allowing no hits while striking out one. The lead didn’t hold, though, as the BayBears broke through with one swing in the home half of the seventh on a solo homer by Brendan Sanger off Cody Stashak.

Because it was a doubleheader, both games were seven-inning games. However, with the score tied 2-2 following the homer, the Wahoos headed to extra innings for the first time in 2019.

They quickly loaded the bases in the eighth. With the pace-of-play runner starting at second, Luis Arraez knocked a single, his fourth of the day, and Brian Schales walked. A ground out by Grzelakowski brought home Gore to put the Wahoos up 3-2, giving the Wahoos first baseman four RBIs on the night.

The Wahoos pushed home what ended up being a crucial insurance run, using a fielder’s choice ground out by Jaylin Davis to move Schales to third and a wild pitch to bring him home.

Mobile threatened to extend the game in the bottom of the eighth. A single by Jahmai Jonesleading off the inning scored the pace-of-play runner and cut Pensacola’s lead to 4-3. After Stashak struck out Jack Kruger, Borrego summoned reliever Dusten Knight from the bullpen to try and lock down the save. He delivered, getting a ground out and a strikeout to end the game and complete the doubleheader sweep by the Wahoos, capping off the evening by doing a backflip on the field.

“I saw what we expected,” Borrego said. “Those guys were aggressive. Those two guys were excited to start the season and they gave it their best,” Borrego said.

It was the first time Borrego had managed a team in the U.S. outside of Florida. Prior to joining the Blue Wahoos, all of his managerial stints were in Fort Myers with the Gulf Coast League Low-A team, and the High-A Fort Myers Miracle, who he led to the 2018 Florida State League title.

“I am really excited,” he said. “And hopefully my coaches and players, too. They are excited. We had some really bad weather but finally we got good weather. We have a really good team. Every game we are going to battle.”

The Wahoos (2-0) will continue the five-game home road series against Mobile Saturday night. The Wahoos and BayBears will play a total of 25 times in 2019. During the 2018 season, the Blue Wahoos hit .243 against the BayBears and were outscored 113-91.

Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports