Rosario’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Blue Wahoos To Thrilling Victory

June 10, 2023

Dalvy Rosario arrived in Pensacola shortly before noon on Friday.

Nine hours later, he was celebrating as a team hero.

The 22-year-old outfielder, called up from the Beloit Sky Carp to fill a position need, electrified a capacity crowd in his debut Friday night with a dramatic, ninth-inning, two-run walk-off homer, lifting the Blue Wahoos to a 6-4 victory against the Montgomery Biscuits.

The win pushed the Blue Wahoos (34-21) into a seven-game lead over the Biscuits, six games ahead of the Biloxi Shuckers, who lost Friday, in the first half Southern League division race that has 14 games left to play.

Rosario, a Dominican Republic native, had not homered this season. But on a 3-1 count, he jumped on a slider from Biscuits reliever Graeme Stinson and sent a moon shot over the left field wall with the ball carrying 380 feet and exiting at 101 mph off his bat.

And it was also his first Double-A hit, although he just missed a homer to center field earlier in the night.

When the hit was launched, the roar began, the Blue Wahoos dugout erupted, and a celebratory ice bucket bath awaited from teammates at home plate in one of Pensacola’s signature wins this season.

It was the first time the Blue Wahoos had a walk-off homer since Peyton Burdick, now a Miami Marlins outfielder, produced the feat in the 2021 season. It was the Blue Wahoos’ second walk-off win this season. The first happened on a fielder’s choice and throwing error.

This one came on Giveaway Friday where fans received a Blue Wahoos 2022 championship t-shirt courtesy of game sponsor Total Fire Protection.

Rosario’s rocket was even more significant because it happened after the Biscuits’ Evan Edwards tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth with a monster shot off reliever Brady Puckett. The ball went over the video board traveling 461 feet towards the water.

Earlier Friday night, it was the Patrick Monteverde and José Devers show. Monteverde, the Blue Wahoos’ top pitcher, was in his usual form. The lefty allowed just two hits and one run, striking out nine batters in six innings.

Meanwhile, Devers hit a two-run homer in the third inning and followed with a solo blast in the fifth. He began the night with just two homers this season. Both of the ones Friday were no-doubter line drives into the right field berm.

Cobie Fletcher-Vance, making his return from Triple-A Jacksonville had a good night at the plate as well, including an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Monteverde threw 100 pitches in his outing. His final pitch was a ground out to second baseman Nasim Nuñez – the third putout for Nuñez in the inning – to complete the sixth.

After Monteverde exited, carrying the 4-1 lead, the Biscuits quickly trimmed it on their first two at-bats off reliever Will Stewart in the seventh inning.

Mason Auer led off with a fly ball that Norel González misplayed into a triple. Diego Infante followed by launching a blast into the right-center berm. Stewart then recovered to get a lineout and pair of strikeouts around a single to end the inning.

Jefry Yan replaced Stewart in the eighth inning and was solid, recording a pair of strikeouts in his return from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Puckett started the ninth with a long fly ball out and was in position to get the save when Edwards hit the bomb.

The Blue Wahoos will try to gain the series win on Saturday night. Jonathan Bermudez (0-2, 2.95 ERA) will be on the mound for the Blue Wahoos against the Biscuits’ Mason Montgomery (0-2, 4.75).

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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