Pérez, Nuñez Lead Blue Wahoos To 6-0 Win

April 21, 2023

The new Mullets uniforms were unveiled Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

And the past form of ace pitcher Eury Pérez returned.

In a performance that reminded of so many last season, Perez allowed just two hits and completed five innings for his first win this season as Pensacola produced a 6-0 shutout against the Birmingham Barons on “Mullet Thursday,” before a sellout crowd of 5,038 at the ballpark.

Perez gained run support from the top of the batting order helping stake a 4-0 lead through four innings. The group was led by leadoff batter, shortstop Nasim Nuñez, who went 4-for-5 and No. 3 hitter, third baseman Joe Rizzo, who drove in three runs.

Perez, who turned 20 five days ago, and is the Miami Marlins top-rated prospect, stayed in command without his fastball ranging from 97-100 mph and mixed in his other three pitches well.

It was his longest and best outing since July 7, 2022 when he went six innings, allowed just two hits and one run in a game at the Mississippi Braves.

This night, Perez had five strikeouts and walked just one batter. He picked off a runner to end the fourth inning and worked out of a two-on, two-outs situation in the fifth inning.

Behind him, the Blue Wahoos bullpen of Patrick Murphy, Josan Méndez and Zack Leban combined on four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.

The team wore its newly designed lime and blue jerseys and hats with the Pensacola Mullets logo in a nod to the nickname that finished second in fan voting before the inaugural 2012 season.

At the plate, four Pensacola batters had multiple hits. In addition to Nuñez, who drove in a run and scored a run, Rizzo doubled home the game’s first run, then had a two-run, two-out single in the fourth inning.

Will Banfield delivered a towering home run in the seventh inning for the final run.

The Blue Wahoos (5-7) also shined defensively with José Devers making a pair of gems by throwing out a runner from deep in his second base position then making a sensational leaping catch later in the game.

The fourth game of the series is set for Friday with the Blue Wahoos’ Patrick Monteverde (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who has allowed just two hits and no runs in two prior starts, taking the mound against Birmingham’s Hunter Dollander (0-2, 14.29).

written by Bill Vilona, photos Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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