Palacios Nearly Perfect As Blue Wahoos Win Fifth Straight
July 28, 2023
Luis Palacios flirted with a no-hitter and fanned a career-high 11 batters as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Mississippi Braves 4-1 on Thursday night for their fifth win in a row.
Palacios (W, 7-3) didn’t allow a hit until Cody Milligan circled the bases on a triple and a throwing error with two outs in the sixth. The lefty retired 17 in a row, and delivered 7.0 innings without allowing an earned run for the second time in as many starts.
The Blue Wahoos took an early 1-0 lead in the second when Griffin Conine laced an RBI single to center field against Braves starter Alan Rangel (L, 1-11). They added insurance in the sixth on a Cody Morissette RBI double, followed by a two-run homer from Conine against reliever Domingo Gonzalez.
The 5.2 hitless innings from Palacios marked the longest no-hit bid for a Pensacola starter this season. He was relieved by Brady Puckett for a perfect eighth, and Josan Méndez (S, 1) for a scoreless ninth.
Dalvy Rosario was 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and three stolen bases, the most for a Pensacola player in a single game this season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Friday.
by Erik Bremer
Wahoos Rally Late, Prevail 4-3 Over Braves
July 27, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos eked out another one-run win over the Mississippi Braves on Wednesday night, pushing across the winning run in the ninth inning on a Dalvy Rosario sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory.
The Blue Wahoos have now taken four in a row, and the first two games of their weeklong series against the Braves.
Eury Pérez, back in the minors and on a game mound for the first time in 20 days, showed the same stuff that made him the talk of baseball through his first 11 MLB starts. The righty, on a strict pitch count, fanned five batters over 2.1 innings while allowing two runs, one earned.
The Blue Wahoos strung together three hits in the first inning, scoring the game’s first run on a Jacob Berry RBI single. Playing in his second Double-A game, Berry added another RBI single in the sixth in a 2-for-4 night.
After Mississippi scored two runs in the second on RBI singles from Jesse Franklin V and Landon Stephens, the Blue Wahoos got 3.2 scoreless innings of relief from Chandler Jozwiak and Matt Pushard to keep the game in check. An RBI groundout from Victor Mesa Jr. in the sixth was followed by Berry’s second RBI knock of the night to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 3-2.
Zach McCambley (W, 3-0) allowed an unearned run in the seventh on a Cody Milligan double and Griffin Conine fielding error, but bounced back to put up a zero in the eighth. In the ninth, Pensacola loaded the bases against Kyle Wilcox (L, 1-3) before Rosario lifted a fly to left that scored Cody Morissette with the go-ahead run.
Jefry Yan (S, 10), pitching on back-to-back nights, worked a spotless ninth to earn his league-leading 10th save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Thursday.
Chosen 10U Wins Montgomery Tournament
July 26, 2023
The Chosen 10U softball team played up and took first place in a weekend tournament in Montgomery.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the team was forced to play as a 12U tournament team and still finished first place in that bracket. The Chosen 10U team plays out of Century and includes athletes from Northwest Escambia, Century, Jay and Pace.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Top The M-Braves 3-2
July 26, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos did the little things right on Tuesday night, scratching out just enough offense to beat the Mississippi Braves 3-2 in their series opener at Trustmark Park.
Of the five runs scored in the game, only one came in on a run-scoring hit. After a José Devers RBI single in the third, Pensacola’s pivotal runs came in the middle innings on RBI groundouts from Will Banfield and Griffin Conine.
Evan Fitterer was sharp through three innings in his start for the Blue Wahoos, but ran into trouble in the fourth and departed with the bases loaded in a 1-1 tie. Austin Roberts (W, 3-1) needed only one pitch to strand all three runners, and ultimately retired all 10 batters he faced in his first appearance back from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Banfield put Pensacola ahead in the fifth with an RBI groundout, and Conine provided insurance in the sixth with an RBI groundout of his own. Domingo Robles (L, 5-7) was the tough-luck loser, turning in a quality start for the Braves on a night when Mississippi managed only two hits.
Eli Villalobos gave a run back in the eighth thanks to a pair of walks and a groundout, but Jefry Yan (S, 9) struck out the side in order in the ninth to lock down the win.
In his Double-A debut, 2022 first round pick Jacob Berry was 1-for-3 with a single, walk and stolen base.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Wednesday.
by Erik Bremer
8U Panhandle Dream Takes Second In USSSA Road To Beach Tourney
July 25, 2023
The 8U Panhandle Dream took second place in the USSSA Road to the Beach Championship in Fort Walton Beach as a Class C travel team. They finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state in the USSSA power rankings. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Johnston and Johnson Lead Pensacola To 7-2 Victory Over Trash Pandas
July 24, 2023
The score was tied, the bases were loaded and up stepped Troy Johnston in the eighth inning Sunday with Blue Wahoos Stadium abuzz with anticipation.
He delivered, of course, just like he’s so often done these two seasons in Pensacola.
Johnston laced a pitch down the right field line for a two-run double, which followed his run-scoring double in the sixth inning, to again become the offensive star of the Blue Wahoos’ 7-2 victory against the Rocket City Trash Pandas, which put a bow on a memorable homestand at the bayfront ballpark.
“I didn’t think (the Trash Pandas) were going to give me much to hit,” said Johnston, who has surged his batting average to .296. “(They) actually gave me two pitches to hit. The first one (from reliever Kelvin Caceres) I fouled off… got a little big (with swing).
“Of course, me being me, I was trying to hit a home run. But the second one I really honed in, I was like, ‘Alright, I gotta get the bat on the ball,” and tried to make something happen. I squeaked it down the first base line and (became game-deciding) hit.”
The Blue Wahoos tacked on three more runs in the inning on RBI hits from José Devers and Cody Morissette, plus a pitcher’s balk in between that scored Johnston. The win was Pensacola’s fifth in the six-game series against Rocket City, the Los Angeles Angels affiliate, located in Madison, Alabama, near Huntsville.
It boosted the Blue Wahoos record to 53-36, by far the best in the Southern League, and 12-9 in the second half of the season.
Earlier Sunday, the game’s pivotal performance was delivered by Blue Wahoos right-hander M.D. Johnson. He rebounded from a rough outing in his previous start where he allowed 10 runs July 16 against Birmingham to now twirl his best game this season.
Johnson, 26, a Dallas, Texas native, made his 16th start a sweet one, allowing just two hits and no runs in six innings. He matched his season-high with nine strikeouts and walked just one batter.
Of his 85 pitches, 52 were strikes. After giving up a leadoff double, then hitting the next batter to start the game, Johnson struck out the next three batters in succession. He faced only two batters above the minimum the rest of the way and finished off his pitching gem by striking out four of the last six hitters he faced.
“He was our spark plug, ultimately,” Troy Johnston said. “M.D. kept us in the game all day long and really just pitched his butt off. I am really thankful I was on the other side of that, playing defense and not offense.”
When Johnson left, the Blue Wahoos led 2-0 after a sacrifice fly RBI from Morissette in the fifth inning and Johnston’s double in the sixth.
Rocket City tied the game off first reliever Josan Méndez in the seventh.
But in the eighth inning, Nasim Nuñez led off with a walk. Griffin Conine singled. Avisaíl García, the Miami Marlins outfielder on a rehab assignment, walked to load the bases. That set the stage for Johnston.
“Any way we can get a win, I’m excited, especially on a Sunday,” said Johnston, who went 12-for-26 in the series with 11 RBI.
The Blue Wahoos next begin a road series Tuesday against the Mississippi Braves in the final week of games before the Major League Baseball trade deadline on August 1. This is a point in the Minor League Baseball season where roster moves are made and the Blue Wahoos could have a different makeup in the next few days.
With his success, there’s always a possibility Johnston gets elevated.
“Ultimately, I am just like every other kid… like a 12-year-old who wants to be a big leaguer,” Johnston said. “So for me, this is a stepping stone and I hope I get the call sooner than later and I will try do my best in whatever place they put me in.”
The Blue Wahoos will have Monday off before leaving on Tuesday for Pearl, Mississippi and a six-game road series against the M-Braves, the Atlanta Braves affiliate. It will be their second trip this season to Trustmark Park. The M-Braves will return to Pensacola for a third time on September 12-17 for the final homestand of the season at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The first game of the upcoming series against the M-Braves will begin at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Mesa’s Walk-Off Grand Slam Caps Festive Wahoos Win
July 23, 2023
The fireworks show Saturday at Blue Wahoos Stadium played out in the most literal way.
After Rocket City rallied from an 8-4 deficit with one big hit in the ninth inning to tie the game, Blue Wahoos centerfielder Victor Mesa Jr launched a two-strike fastball like a roman candle, deep into the night sky for the first walk-off grand slam in franchise history that lifted Pensacola into a 12-8 victory.
One grand finale led into another on a night fittingly-themed “Christmas in July” with the Blue Wahoos wearing blue Christmas-style jerseys.
After Mesa Jr. touched the plate in a spray of water and bucket-dousing from teammates in celebration, the postgame pyro show immediately followed, sponsored by Pen Air Credit Union. That completed the night amid another sellout crowd (5,038) at the bayfront park.
So much happened in this wild game, which started an hour late due to weather issues.
The Blue Wahoos surged to an 8-0 lead in the third inning. They batted around and chased two Rocket City Trash Pandas pitchers with a six-run rally in that inning.
But they couldn’t finish the game smoothly.
Closer Jefry Yan, normally reliable for a save, walked the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth. He then gave up a run-scoring single. With two outs, on a 3-2 pitch, Yan threw a fastball across the plate that the Trash Pandas’ Sonny DiChiara hit off the wall in right-center – just missing a grand slam – to tie the game.
That sent Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel out to replace Yan with Brady Puckett, whose two-strike pitch to Tucker Flint was fielded on a good stop by Cobie Fletcher-Vance at third base and thrown across the diamond to end the inning.
More theatrics followed in the bottom of the ninth.
Avisaíl García led off with a pop double down the right field line. Troy Johnston, who has crunched Rocket City pitching all week, was intentionally walked. Will Banfield followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt that pitcher Kenyon Yovan threw wide enough at third to allow pinch runner Dalvy Rosario’s slide to be safe on the play and load the bases.
Mesa Jr. followed off several pitches in a battling at-bat. But he made perfect contact on the next one he saw that carried over the straightaway center wall for the electrifying walk-off slam.
The Blue Wahoos clinched the series with their fourth win of this homestand. It was also their 14th win in 15 games against Rocket City in Blue Wahoos Stadium. The consecutive streak ended with the Trash Pandas’ win Friday night.
Besides the 20 runs, this game featured a combined 25 hits. The Blue Wahoos took advantage of four Rocket City errors early in the game to build the lead.
Banfield and Johnston both had three hits apiece among five multi-hit batters for the Blue Wahoos.
Earlier in the game, Blue Wahoos starter Jake Eder produced a strong outing in his comeback from two injuries. Making his fifth start this season at the Double-A level, Eder continued progression by working five innings, giving up five hits with a season-best eight strikeouts and three walks.
He committed two pitch clock violations, one of which led to a run when Eder followed by yielding a balk that became a run with a two-out RBI single by Jose Gomez.
The event-filled homestand concludes Sunday afternoon with the Blue Wahoos trying for a fifth win against the Trash Pandas in the six-game series.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Rocket City Blasts Past The Blue Wahoos 10-5
July 22, 2023
Patrick Monteverde has normally set a tone for Blue Wahoos pitching with his presence on the mound.
This time, however, it signaled the start of a rough night in several ways.
Playing as the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok as part of a duel of teams transforming into their Copa de la Diversion identities, a quick first-inning deficit eventually ballooned with relief pitching woes in Rocket City’s 10-5 victory Friday before a near-capacity crowd (4,851) at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
After the Blue Wahoos won the first three games of this series, Rocket City wore its Lunaticos uniforms in the Southern League’s first matchup with both teams honoring the game’s Latin American heritage. The moniker change went well for the visitors.
Rocket City sprayed 14 hits against five different Pensacola pitchers, including big games from Tucker Flint, who went 4-for-6 with four two RBI and four runs scored, plus Jose Gomez, who was 3-for-5 with a single, double, triple and two RBI. The Trash Pandas also benefited from 10 walks allowed by Blue Wahoos pitchers.
In making his 15th start this season, Monteverde had a rare lapse of control and too many pitches that resulted in hard contact. He was unable to finish the fifth inning with his team trailing 6-2. He entered the game as the top pitcher in the Southern League and among the best across all minor league levels with an 8-1 record and 1.91 earned run average.
Friday, however, he gave up three first-inning hits and two runs. He finished allowing eight hits – matching a season high — three walks, three strikeouts. His only rougher night was May 28 when he pitched just three innings and gave up six runs on the road against the Mississippi Braves.
In all other games, Monteverde yielded just three-or-less runs, including nine starts in 2023 with only one or zero runs allowed.
Friday’s outing began in a rocky way. With one out, he yielded a double and single, then a sacrifice fly. Flint followed with a run-scoring triple. Before he was lifted in the fifth inning, Monteverde’s two walks in the fifth inning helped load the bases, leading into a three-run rally that included a steal of home on a double steal.
The Blue Wahoos had their biggest moment in the bottom of the inning. With two out, none on, Nasim Nuñez singled and scored on Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia’s moon-shot homer, which was his first hit since joining the Blue Wahoos on an injury rehab assignment.
Troy Johnston continued his torrid production by following with a double and scoring on Will Banfield’s single, cutting the deficit to 6-5 and momentarily changing the game’s momentum.
Johnston finished 3-for-5 to pace Pensacola hitters and raise his batting average to .288.
Rocket City answered against the Pok-Ta-Pok bullpen with three runs in the seventh and tacked on another in the eighth to blow open the game.
It spoiled a Giveaway Friday where the first 1,000 fans received a commemorative poster from game sponsor Pepsi, honoring the Blue Wahoos’ first-half win in the Southern League South Division and automatic berth into the playoffs.
The Blue Wahoos will try to clinch the series win on Saturday with heralded prospect, lefthander Jake Eder (1-1, 4.74 ERA), making his fifth start on his injury comeback quest against Rocket City’s Jack Kochanowicz (4-5, 5.72).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Johnston’s Late Heroics Lead Wahoos To Third Straight Win
July 21, 2023
Troy Johnston had scorched pitches in two previous at-bats, only to come up empty on great defensive plays.
But he didn’t get disappointed the third time he made great contact.
Johnston hit a towering, eighth-inning shot that struck the left-field wall for a go-ahead, run-scoring double, then Jefry Yan followed with another impressive close for his second win as Pensacola beat the Rocket City Trash Pandas 4-3 on Mullet Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
In transforming to their alternate identity as the Pensacola Mullets, the Blue Wahoos continued their amazing three-year success against the Trash Pandas. This was their 13th consecutive home win against Rocket City, the Los Angeles Angels affiliate, located in Madison, Alabama near Huntsville.
The Blue Wahoos won all six meetings in 2022 against the Southern League North Division team, after claiming the last four games at home in 2021. The teams meet just once at each ballpark this season.
Rocket City had just tied Thursday’s game on Jeremiah Jackson’s 3-run homer in the top of the eighth against Pensacola reliever Josan Méndez.
Prior to that inning, Mullets starter Jonathan Bermudez had produced his best start of the season. He worked six scoreless innings, allowing just five hits with just one walk and eight strikeouts. Included in his performance was pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning.
With two outs, he struck out Jackson on a high fastball, then thew a slider down low to strikeout Orlando Martinez to end the inning and his outing.
Pensacola catcher Bennett Hostetler helped provide run support with two solo homers in the third and fifth innings that were both moon shots toward the water beyond left field. After Hostetler hit his leadoff shot in the third, Dalvy Rosario went back-to-back with a blast over the left-center wall.
That 3-0 lead from four hits through seven innings had Pensacola in good shape.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cody Morissette led off with a walk. He then showed his baserunning skills by never hesitating and making a perfect slide to avoid a tag on Johnson’s double for the go-ahead run.
In the ninth, Yan walked the leadoff batter, then struck out the next three batters with a pair of fastballs and a curve to end the game. He has become the team’s go-to closer following Sean Reynolds’ call-up to Triple-A Jacksonville. Yan is 2-1 with a 1.97 ERA to go along with his eight saves.
The Blue Wahoos will try to clinch the series when the homestand continues on Friday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Palacios Twirls Gem In 4-2 Wahoos Win
July 20, 2023
Luis Palacios made his 10th start this season with the Blue Wahoos a near-perfect one.
He was then backed by Zach McCambley’s first save of his pro career.
The dynamic delivery on Wednesday equated into Pensacola’s 4-2 victory against the Rocket City Trash Pandas, pushing the Blue Wahoos to their 50th win in 85 games.
After the Blue Wahoos knocked out Trash Pandas starting pitcher John Swanda with a four-run first inning, Palacios painted the strike zone throughout his best performance. It made for a crisp, 2-hour, 15-minute game on “Winning Wednesday’ that included baseball bingo and was capped by a mid-week fireworks show provided by game sponsor Covenant Care.
Palacios, a 23-year-old lefty from Venezuela, allowed just four hits, matching the fewest he allowed this year. He struck out five without walking a batter, and improved to 6-3 in a smooth, seven-inning outing that matched his longest of the season.
It was the first time he threw up seven zeroes on the scoreboard. He continually stayed ahead of hitters and consistently threw strikes – 64 strikes in 85 pitches. It was the first time in his Double-A career he did not allow a walk.
McCambley, 24, a righthander, who has shifted to a reliever role that will further enhance his own future, worked a clean ninth inning. He ended the game on a called strikeout with a fastball on the outside part of the plate.
As things turned out, the game was decided in the first inning. Nasim Nuñez and Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia, continuing his injury rehab assignment, started the rally with walks. Nunez advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
With two outs, Will Banfield laced an RBI single to left, José Devers singled and Cody Morissette followed with a two-run double to complete the rally. Banfield and Norel González both went 2-for-3 as the Blue Wahoos pounded out eight total hits.
Rocket City, the Los Angeles Angels affiliate, got its runs on a pair of solo homers off Pensacola reliever Eli Villalobos in the eighth inning. After the second blast, pitching coach Dave Eiland met on the mound and Villalobos retired the next two batters to end the frame.
Following the game, specialty jerseys worn by the Blue Wahoos in pregame Wednesday and decorated in sponsor Covenant Care design, were delivered to auction-bidding fans by Blue Wahoos players in front of the home team dugout. The auction began in the sixth inning.
The series continues Thursday on Mullet Thursday as the Blue Wahoos become the Pensacola Mullets.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos