High-Flying Blue Wahoos End Skid With 8-6 Win

August 19, 2023

The Blue Wahoos presented their “Salute To Service Night” and then celebrated an end of two-week doldrums.

After jumping to a 7-0 lead after five innings – the kind of fast start lacking in recent games – the Blue Wahoos got a strong effort by three relievers to hold for an 8-6 win Friday against the Montgomery Biscuits and halt a nine-game losing streak before it set a team record.

After recording the final out, reliever Jefry Yan celebrated and the many teammates remained on the field with families. It was the Blue Wahoos’ first win since August 6, when they beat Biloxi 11-6 to close out their prior homestand with four wins.

Since then, the Blue Wahoos matched the club’s longest losing streak that occurred 10 years ago.

But Friday was different. Friday started in a big way.

This game began with the first 1,000 fans receiving a one-of-a-kind Ted Williams bobblehead, honoring his military legacy that included becoming a U.S. Marine Corps pilot during World War II and training at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Williams, the last player in Major League Baseball history to bat over .400 when he hit .406 in 1941, returned to Pensacola for a second service tour, helping train and engage in U.S. combat missions during the Korean War.

In celebrating Williams’ service, the Blue Wahoos honored NAS Pensacola by wearing special jerseys with the base patch and military “call signs” – a version of nicknames – on the back of jerseys.

High-ranking leaders of the base, including Commanding Officer Capt. Terrence Shashaty, threw out ceremonial first pitches to honor all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The game itself quickly got a near-capacity crowd excited when Norel González hit a two-run triple in the third inning that preceded a bigger rally.

A five-run fifth inning, where 10 Blue Wahoos batters took swings, became decisive.

Victor Mesa Jr. had the biggest hit in the onslaught with his 3-run homer over the center field wall. Mesa finished with three hits to match his RBI.

Two batters later González, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, hit his second triple off the centerfield wall. Jacob Berry followed by scoring González on a single, then stole second and scored on a throwing error after a pitch and catcher Kenny Piper’s errant throw. Berry, the Miami Marlins top draft pick in 2022 from LSU, went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Through the first five innings, Blue Wahoos starter Patrick Monteverde resembled the guy who dominated the Southern League in the first half of the season. He allowed just three hits and no runs. He was making his 17th Double-A start after returning a week ago from two starts in Triple-A Jacksonville.

But in the sixth inning, the game changed. The Biscuits got their first run on a leadoff double by Dru Baker, who then scored on a one-out wild pitch. A walk, then a fielding error by Jacob Berry ensued. With two outs, Monteverde plunked the next batter to load the bases.

At that point, having thrown 100 pitches, Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel had a mound meeting with Monteverde. He opted to leave him to face left hander Evan Edwards in a lefty-lefty matchup. On a 1-0 pitch, Edwards barreled a fastball out of the ballpark for a grand slam that suddenly cut the lead to 7-5.

All four of those runs were unearned due to the error. Monteverde’s previous four starts against the Biscuits resulted in just one earned run allowed in 26 innings.

Monteverde got the win, upping his record to 9-3, while relievers Chandler Jozwiak, Luarbert Arias and Yan followed with three stellar innings with two hits and one run.

The fifth game of the series is Saturday.

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Comments

One Response to “High-Flying Blue Wahoos End Skid With 8-6 Win”

  1. GabeW on September 7th, 2023 10:01 am

    That night I got to meet Bubba Watson during this game and got a ball signed by him.

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