Bermúdez Brilliant In 3-0 Shutout Win

September 17, 2023

His well-traveled professional career has taken Blue Wahoos pitcher Jonathan Bermúdez across the country with three different organizations, pitching in more than 100 games.

He provided great reason to always remember the one Saturday night.

The 27-year-old lefthander from Puerto Rico worked a career-long seven complete innings, allowing just three hits with nine strikeouts, helping lead Pensacola to a 3-0 win against the Mississippi Braves.

A sellout crowd on the final Saturday home game of the season watched Bermúdez out-dazzle M-Braves starter Hurston Waldrep, the former Florida Gators star, who was the first-round pick in July by the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 Draft.

Waldrep pitched four innings, the longest of his brief pro career, giving up four hits, a run and striking out five.

The crisply-played pitching showcase was completed in just 2 hours, 15 minutes.

In making his 18th start, Bermúdez faced just two batters above the minimum in seven innings. He did not allow a walk. Bermúdez was signed by the Miami Marlins on April 26 as a free agent, after being with the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros organizations – reaching the Triple-A level in each one.

Of the three singles he allowed, one was erased when the M-Braves’ Cody Milligan was thrown out on a perfect throw by Jake Thompson trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Relievers Chandler Jozwiak and Luarbert Arias followed behind Bermúdez to complete the shutout. The M-Braves had a single in the eighth off Jozwiak before Arias retired them in order in the ninth.

The Blue Wahoos chose to wear the Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok uniforms, which became instantly popular with the players when introduced before the season as part of the team’s participation the Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión program to honor the game’s Latin American history.

Pensacola got its first run in the third inning when Cobie Fletcher-Vance led off with a double, then scored on Victor Mesa Jr.’s single.

The score remained that way until the seventh inning, when Josh Zamora doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Norel González. Pensacola added its third run in the eighth inning when Paul McIntosh led off with a walk, then later scored on Bennett Hostetler’s RBI single.

The Blue Wahoos (78-57), extending their mark with the second-most wins in franchise history, will now end their regular-season schedule on Sunday, trying to even the series against the M-Braves. The Blue Wahoos’ team record for season wins was 81, set in 2016 as a Cincinnati Reds affiliate in a 140-game season.

Sunday’s finale will also be a special POW-MIA commemoration game to honor the 50-year anniversary of the return of U.S. POW service members and the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Attending Sunday’s game will be two area men who were former POWs at that time. They will be honored with ceremonial first pitches, then more recognition between innings of the game.

Sunday’s afternoon game will feature the second rehab start this week by the Miami Marlins’ Sixto Sánchez, who was once the No. 1 prospect in the organization before a series of injuries the last three years stalled his career. Sánchez will be on a limited pitch count and is expected to be followed by M.D. Johnson.

Pregame activities will begin at 3:45 p.m., including ceremonial first pitches and special guest introductions. The official first pitch of the game will be at 4:05 p.m.

The Blue Wahoos will have Monday off before traveling on Tuesday to face the Montgomery Biscuits for Game 1 of the Southern League Division Series. Game 2 of the best-of-three series will be in Pensacola on Thursday, September 21 at 6:05 p.m. at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

A deciding Game 3, if necessary, will be at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Friday, September 22.

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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