Blue Wahoos Get Series Opening Victory Over Biloxi
June 30, 2021
Along with command of his arsenal of pitches, the Blue Wahoos’ Max Meyer has shown another important quality in his rookie professional season.
He’s twice followed a rough outing with a brilliant one.
Meyer matched his season-high length, working six shutout innings and getting enough run support for the the Blue Wahoos to hold off the Biloxi Shuckers in the ninth inning for a 5-3 win Tuesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Credit his brother’s weekend wedding, too. It followed Meyer’s disappointment in allowing four runs a week ago at Birmingham, leading to the Barons’ comeback win that night.
“I took a couple days off from throwing and I feel like I was just getting loose back out there again,” said Meyer, smiling, afterward, as he continued his progression as one of the Miami Marlins’ top prospects.
“As the game went on, I felt I got a little sharper,” Meyer said. “I think my (velocity) went up a little bit and knocked all that rust of off.”
In two starts against Birmingham, Meyer has giving up a combined nine runs and 13 hits. Against everyone else in the league, he’s given up one run. That’s one run in seven games.
“Being able to bounce back after giving up runs that I obviously hate to do…. just kinda dial it in more and be a little more focused,” said Meyer, explaining his approach. “Birmingham has got me twice now and the next start I usually lock it in a little bit better. I guess it is fun to do.”
It was fun to watch among a crowd of 4,409 as the quick-working Meyer breezed through six innings, allowing four hits, just one walk with six strikeouts. He twice gave up leadoff singles in the third and fifth and responded with quality pitches.
The win began a six-game, Fourth of July week homestand for the Blue Wahoos (29-20) in a festive way. The Shuckers (15-33) have now lost eight straight games.
The Blue Wahoos are sending another heralded prospect, Edward Cabrera, on the mound Wednesday for the first of four post-game fireworks nights, followed by Jake Eder on Thursday. It’s a trio that is among the top of minor league baseball with earned run averages and overall performance.
“It’s really fun to watch these guys (Cabrera, Eder),” said Meyer, the No. 3 overall selection by the Marlins a year ago out of the University of Minnesota.
“Us three kinda rolling out back to back to back,” he said. “We kind a feed off each other and we all have pretty good stuff so you are able to see how to throw to the teams we are facing. And really, good guys, too.”
As they’ve done all season, the Blue Wahoos’ offense made the most of each hit. Five hits, five runs.
Demetrius Sims started with a solo home run in the second into the right field berm. In the fifth, after Peyton Burdick and J.J. Bleday walked, Jerar Encarnacion just missed a three-run homer to straightaway center.
But catcher Nick Fortes hit a one-out single to score both runners.
In the ninth inning, Burdick followed a bases-loaded, none out situation by delivering a two-run double to continue his Double-A South lead in RBI.
Blue Wahoos closer Colton Hock gained his 11th save by making one big pitch – striking out Alexander Palms with the bases loaded in the eighth on a perfect curveball.
But Hock then struggled in the ninth, giving up a single, double, another batter reaching on an error, then a two-run double before ending the game on two flyouts.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Stewart Struggles, Blue Wahoos Thumped In Series Finale Against Barons
June 28, 2021
The Blue Wahoos road trip in Birmingham ended with a thud, after a 10-3 loss Sunday against the Barons in the series finale at Regions Field.
Just as they did in Pensacola in mid-May, the Barons won four of the six games. Birmingham is the only team in the Double-A South to have series’ wins against the Blue Wahoos.
The Blue Wahoos (28-20) returned home Sunday night and will regroup for a big holiday week homestand that begins Tuesday against the Biloxi Shuckers at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Blue Wahoos pitcher Will Stewart, making his second start in the series, had his roughest outing of the season. He was rocked for seven runs on four hits in 2.2 innings and walked six batters among the 19 hitters he faced.
It was stark contrast to his stellar performance Tuesday night in the series opener, where he worked into the sixth inning and gave up just two runs, one walk, to pick up the win in Pensacola’s eventual 4-3 victory.
Birmingham (27-20) jumped on Stewart with four runs in the first inning, after Stewart walked the bases loaded. Carlos Perez followed with a two-run single. First baseman J.D. Osborne committed a throwing error after a ground out, allowing another run to score and Jameson Fisher’s one-out single produced the fourth run.
The Barons’ Micker Aldofo then did damage in the second and third innings. He hit a two-out, RBI double in the second. He followed in the third inning with a grand slam off reliever Tyler Mitzel to give Birmingham a 9-2 lead.
The Blue Wahoos had cut the deficit in the top of the third with Jhon Nunez’ two-run homer, following a leadoff single by Nick Lovullo.
The Blue Wahoos got their other run in the seventh on Lovullo’s single. He had two of the Blue Wahoos’ four hits in the game and raised his average to .319.
Wahoos Offense Stalls, Birmingham Wins 5-3
June 27, 2021
Pensacola never seemed to get their offense going as the Barons clipped the Wahoos 5-3, Saturday night at Regions Field.
Birmingham starter Kade McClure hurled five shutout innings in his ninth start of the season. He held the Wahoos to just two hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Jeff Lindgren (L, 2-4), despite giving up an early run in the second inning, pitched well enough for the Wahoos to be in the game for most of the night.
Entering the top of the sixth down by two, the Wahoos rallied for a pair of runs against Felix Paulino (W, 1-1). After Riley Mahan walked to start the inning, Peyton Burdick and JJ Bleday roped back-to-back singles to bring home one. Then, Encarnacion tied the game with an RBI single to make it 2-2. With the new found offense, it appeared as though Lindgren had the opportunity to try and turn in a quality start.
However, his night came to end in the in the bottom of the sixth when Micker Adolfo led off with a single before a walk to Craig Dedelow. With two on and nobody out the Wahoos brought in Zack Leban who was tagged for three consecutive singles before retiring the side. After the seventh, the Barons led 5-2, and would win despite allowing a RBI double to J.D. Osborne in the top of the ninth.
The series wraps up Sunday afternoon when Will Stewart (3-3, 4.17) and Konnor Pilkington (1-3, 3.11) face off for the second time since Tuesday.
Blue Wahoos Beat The B’ham Barons
June 26, 2021
Peyton Burdick homered twice on Friday and Jake Eder (W, 3-2) turned in his third quality start as the Wahoos defeated the Barons 6-1 at Regions Field.
The Wahoos got off to a roaring start against Jason Bilous (L, 0-1) in the top of the first. Demetrius Sims led off the game with a double to left before Burdick uncorked a no-doubter to left to put the Wahoos up 2-0, two batters in. It looked like the Wahoos might add more as the next two batters for Pensacola reached safely against Bilous.
However, the Barons starter recovered after a mound visit from pitching coach Rich Dotson, and he retired the side to limit the first inning damage to just two runs.
Two runs would’ve been plenty for Eder, who dazzled from the very beginning. The left hander had at least one strikeout in every inning except for the fourth, and retired the side in order in three separate innings.
Where Eder ran into trouble was in the bottom of the fifth. After a one-out double from Mitch Roman, Joel Booker roped an RBI single to cut the Wahoos lead at the time down to 3-1. After the base hit, Eder elevated his performance by striking out Romy Gonzalez and Zack Granite. In his outing, Eder held the Barons top three hitters (Gonzalez, Granite, and Micker Adolfo) hitless (0-for-9) with eight strikeouts.
With the Wahoos leading 3-1, Pensacola doubled their lead with homers in the seventh. Burdick led off the inning with a solo shot to left off Jake Elliot, making him the second Wahoos homer, JJ Bleday walked before Encarnacion homered off Elliot, which gave the Wahoos a 6-1 lead.
Zach Wolf and Alberto Guerrero made sure there would not be a third walk-off win in a row for the Barons. Wolf turned in two scoreless inning in which he walked two and struck out one. Guerrero allowed a couple of hits to start the bottom of the ninth; however, he struck out two before inducing a roundball fielder’s choice to end the game.
With the win, the Wahoos remain tied with the Mississippi Braves for the best record in the Double-A South.
Game five of the series continues tomorrow night in Birmingham. RHP Jeff Lindgren (2-3, 4.32) will make his ninth appearance of the year r for the Wahoos and he will be opposed by RHP Kade McClure (1-3, 5.10).
Barons Get Walk-Off Win Over The Wahoos For The Second Night
June 25, 2021
Craig Dedelow hit a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap off a three-run rally as the Birmingham Barons walked off the Wahoos 3-2 for their second walk off win in a row.
Pensacola led 2-0 headed into the ninth with closer Colton Hock (L, 1-1) on the mound. The league’s leader in saves struggled with his command in the inning as he walked the bases loaded with nobody out. Zack Granite laced a two-run single to tie the game and advanced to second on the throw to the plate, setting up runners at second and third with still nobody out.
After intentionally walking Micker Adolfo, and a pop out from Carlos Perez, Dedelow hit a sac fly to center to give the Barons the win.
For Hock, it was only his second blown save in 11 attempts.
The loss takes the shine away from a masterful outing from Edward Cabrera, another one of the Marlins top pitching prospects. The right hander hurled six shutout innings and struck out nine without allowing a walk. The Barons mustered a total of three hits against Cabrera.
Offensively, Bubba Hollins carried the load for the Wahoos as the New Yorker 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. He hit a solo shot off John Parke in the fifth to put the Wahoos up 1-0. Then in the eighth, he laced an RBI double into the left field corner to score Devin Hairston and give Pensacola what looked like a save 2-0 lead.
The series continues on Friday with Jake Eder (2-2, 1.08) taking the mound for the Wahoos. He will be opposed by Jason Bilous (0-0, 4.12).
Walk-off Homer Deflates Blue Wahoos, Birmingham Barons Win 7-6
June 24, 2021
After picking up three walk-off wins last week, Pensacola falls 7-6 to Birmingham in walk-off fashion on Wednesday night.
With the game tied a 6-6, Micker Adolfo launched a 0-2 fastball into the right field bullpen to give the Barons a 7-6 win at Regions Field on Wednesday.
Alberto Guerrero (L, 1-1) was brought into the ninth inning after the Wahoos tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. After inducing a flout from Zack Granite, Guerrero tried to throw an 0-2 heater above the zone that unfortunately found the heart of the plate before Adolfo turned it into a game winning homer. Adolfo is now tied for the league-lead in homers with 11 this season.
For the Wahoos it was a game that slipped away earlier than the ninth. Pensacola led 5-0 after two innings having scored thrice in the first and twice more in the second. After Jerar Encarnacion was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the first, Lazaro Alonso line a two-run single to make it 3-0.
In the second inning, the Wahoos had runners at second and third with two outs before JJ Bleday lined a two run single to left center to make it 5-0.
In the early going, that offense seemed to be plenty for Max Meyer, who cruised through three innings to begin the game. However, the righty ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Barons strung together four, two-out hits before the inning ended. After Jameson Fisher hit a two-run triple to get the Barons on the board, Laz Rivers hit a two-run homer to make it 5-4.
The Wahoos saw their lead disappear in the bottom of the seventh after a defensive miscue. With the bases loaded and one out, Zack Leban forced Carlos Perez to hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play ball. However, after the flip to second was successful for the forecourt, Riley Mahan’s throw to first sailed over the head of Alonso, which brought home two runs.
Pensacola would tied the game in the bottom of the eight after stringing together three consecutive singles of their own, capped off by Devin Hairston’s RBI single to center.
Blake Battenfield did not factor in the decision for the Barons, despite having one of his shortest outings of the season. Prior to the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Perez (W, 2-0) retired the Wahoos in order to setup the Barons in the bottom of the ninth.
The series between Birmingham and Pensacola continues on Thursday. The Blue Wahoos will send RHP Edward Cabrera (0-0, 2.08) to the mound for his second start with the Wahoos while the Barons will send LHP John Parke (1-2, 4.20) to oppose him.
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Register Now For Tate Softball’s Summer Camp
June 23, 2021
The Tate Lady Aggies will host their annual softball camp the evening of July 1
The camp is for anyone age six to eighth grade. Pre-register at this link or register at the field on the day of the camp. The cost is $50 which includes a camp t-shirt (sizes are limited).
Burdick Homers, Wahoos Win Again
June 23, 2021
Peyton Burdick clubbed his team-leading 10th home run of the season and Will Stewart W, 3-3) nearly turned in a quality start as the Wahoos took the series opener, 4-3 on Tuesday at Regions Field.
The fireworks began in the second inning for Pensacola, where after a leadoff walk to Riley Mahan, Burdick belted a two-out, two-run home run off Konnor Pilkington (L, 1-3) to put the Wahoos ahead.
However, the Barons had a swift response for the Wahoos. Joel Booker took Stewart deep in the bottom half of the inning to put the Barons within a run.
In the fourth, the Wahoos used small ball to get that run right back. After a walk and hit-by-pitch, the Wahoos used a pair of groundouts to score, which made it a 3-1 game.
The only remaining offense the Barons had left came from Micker Adolofo. He hit a pair of solo homers deep to center, that each time cut the Wahoo lead down to one. In the sixth he led off the inning with a solo blast off Stewart, and in the eighth he took Dylan Bice deep to cut down Pensacola’s lead to 4-3.
However in the bottom of the ninth, Colton Hock worked around a two-out single and struck out Zack Granite to end the ball game. Hock finished with a pair of strikeouts and now has a league-leading 10 saves this season.
The series continues Wednesday night when Max Meyer (3-1, 1.42) gets the start for the Wahoos while he will be opposed by Blake Battenfield (5-1, 3.76), who has already beaten the Wahoos twice this season.
by Chris Garagiola, Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Walk-Off Montgomery For The Third Time This Week
June 21, 2021
The Blue Wahoos have become the drama kings.
All in a great way.
They finished a memorable week in franchise history with a third walk-off win in six days Sunday, this one from Canadian-born catcher J.D. Osborne, who delivered a line-drive rope down the left field line to produce a 10th-inning, 4-3 victory against the Montgomery Biscuits.
In a week that included rain delays, schedule changes, a swipe from Tropical Storm Claudette, the Blue Wahoos won five of six games against the Biscuits and made Father’s Day Weekend special at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
In winning Sunday before a crowd of 4,123, the Blue Wahoos (26-16) won three games in less than 24 hours. Sunday’s game was delayed a half-hour by weather.
“I’ve never seen that honestly,” said Osborne, referring to the weekend weather, including Saturday’s storm and Sunday’s pair of rain showers. “I have lived in Florida for seven years now and I have never seen a torrential downpour like that, and they we go back out there and there’s blue skies.
“It’s hard to stay in it right away when all that’s happening, but then you find that focal point that brings you back to the game.
“We did that all weekend,” Osborne said. “We just grinded. We had really good at-bats there, threw the ball well and good series, there. It just the chemistry and group of guys here.”
So here was Sunday’s scenario.
After winning a pair of seven-inning games, including a walk-off win, in a double-header Saturday that followed arrival of a tropical storm, the Blue Wahoos had just one hit through six innings. They trailed 3-1 in the seventh.
The lone hit was Riley Mahan’s second-inning homer. They again struggled against Montgomery left-hander Faustino Carrera, who kept the Blue Wahoos off-balance with his cutter and control, despite lower-than-normal velocity.
But with Carrera out and the Biscuits bullpen in, things changed in the seventh inning. They were in striking range thanks to another strong performance from their bullpen. Zach Wolf had pitched two scoreless innings following Jeff Lindgren’s five inning start.
“It’s almost like a movie, you can’t really write this stuff,” Mahan said. “But I think it speaks volumes to not only our starting pitching, but also our bullpen, just keeping us in games and not letting them get too far out of hand.
“Even in games when we’re not swinging it too great, we’re kind of battling and it pays off later in the game.”
Peyton Burdick, who blasted a two-run, game-winning walkoff in Saturday’s first game of the doubleheader, led off with a 482-foot poke to left-center trimming the deficit. In the ninth, Burdick led off again and took a pitch on his shouder.
He went to third on Jerar Encarnacion’s double. With one out and the bases loaded, Mahan produced a fly ball to left deep enough to score Burdick with the tying run.
In the top of the 10th, with a runner placed on second to start the inning in pro baseball’s extra-inning format, Blue Wahoos reliever Roberto Guerrero worked his second clean inning. He stranded the Biscuits runner at third with one out with a strikeout against top-of-the-order hitter Garrett Whitley, the got Xavier Edwards to pop out to shortstop Devin Hairston.
Osborne, who was a talented teenage hockey player in Canada, waisted no time when getting his shot.
He jumped on a 1-2 pitch and rifled it down the line for the game winner.
“I was just trying to find any way to contribute to the team,” said Osborne, who joined the Blue Wahoos in a promotion June 6 from the Beloit (Wisc.) Snappers, the Miami Marlins High-A affiliate. “I saw a fastball there. I knew they didn’t have anything crazy to beat me, so just stay within myself and put the bat on the ball and it worked out in my favor. And the rest is history, we walked it off.
The win gave the Blue Wahoos a phenomenal 12-4 record in one-run games and was their seventh come-from-behind-win in late innings.
They now have the best record in the Double-A South with a big road series beginning Tuesday against the Birmingham Barons, who took four of six games in Pensacola in the only series the Blue Wahoos lost this year.
Blue Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader Against Montgomery
June 20, 2021
The day began with some of the worst imaginable tropical weather hitting Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It ended 12 hours or so later Saturday night with the Blue Wahoos producing a pair of memorable wins.
Peyton Burdick created first-game euphoria with his two-run, walk-off homer for a 4-2 win against the Montgomery Biscuits, following a strong start by Miami Marlins touted pitching prospect Edward Cabrera.
Jake Eder followed with six-inning shutout and Josh Roberson earned his first save for the Blue Wahoos in a 2-0 win to complete a doubleheader sweep before the fireworks show. Both games were 7-innings, following Friday’s rainout.
The win clinched another series for the Blue Wahoos (26-16), who now have the best record in the Double-A South and have lost just one series this season.
“It’s good to see how we got the goose eggs on the board, playing some defense and pitching, timely hits and game over,” said Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel. “We finished up a long day and glad we finished up on top.”
On Juneteenth, now a national holiday, the Blue Wahoos paid homage to the Pensacola Seagulls, a member of the Negro Southern League, which had its final official season 70 years ago in 1951.
The Blue Wahoos players wore the Seagulls uniforms for the second game of the doubleheader. The jerseys were then auctioned for the Southern Youth Sports Association during the game.
All of this, of course, happened after Tropical Storm Claudette caused morning wrath and early afternoon uncertainty. And then, like magic, the nasty weather parted into a colorful sunset.
“Once we started coming in about 10:30 (morning), we realized how bad this thing and we sent out a text (to players) that said don’t come in till about 2 o’clock,” Randel said. “Everything moved out, the field held up, the field looked immaculate after all that rain and we had to strap it on real quick and get going.”
Incredibly, after the storm made landfall early Saturday less than 200 miles west, thus creating a series of rain squalls, high winds and tornado warnings, the sky then broke into late afternoon sunshine in late afternoon and it became a beautiful night at the ballpark.
“We woke up and it was like a hurricane outside. The tarp crew did a great job. Our field is great, it drains great.. When we got that little window (of dry weather), there was no doubt we were going to play.”
Burdick ended the first game in dramatic fashion with his blast on an 0-2 slider over the left field fence The ball traveled 419 feet and so high that the Biscuits left fielder Garrett Whitley never looked up to see it. He just broke into a slow trot off the field.
“We had opportunities before that and I had opportunities myself to tack on a couple extra runs,” Burdick said. “And I hit on top of it and ran into double play (in fifth inning) and kinda screwed us out of a couple runs.”
The Blue Wahoos had the bases-loaded in the sixth inning of the game with none out and came up empty as well when Riley Mahan hit into a double play.
But in the seventh with two out and catcher Jhon Nunes on third base, following his leadoff double and throwing error on a pickoff attempt, Burdick produced the team’s fourth walkoff win.
“We just have a bunch of competitors up there. We all go out there and try not to make the last out,” Burdick said. “It’s been up and down the lineup abd people have been putting together good at bats, so we are never out of it.”
Two years ago, on July 31, 2019, Edward Cabrera was pitching for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – then the Marlins Double-A affiliate, when he earned a win against the Blue Wahoos.
Saturday, he made his first start for the Blue Wahoos on an expected road to the big leagues. He was projected to be part of the Marlins’ starting rotation this year before an injury in February.
His first pitch Saturday clocked at 100 mph and he finished four innings and a 65-pitch limit with seven strikeouts, one walk and one earned run allowed. Colton Hock got the win in the seventh with a scoreless inning.
“He’s with us building up his pitch count… he threw the ball well, coming in hot,” Randel said. “But I think the story was his changeup. It got him right back in count
In the second game, Bubba Hollins produced a two-run single in the second inning and that held up. Eder worked six innings, allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts. He got out of a two-on, none out jam in the fourth inning, then retired the last batter in the sixth on a base-loaded situation.
In that inning, JJ Bleday made a spectacular diving catch in right field to rob Biscuits’ shortstop Jake Palomaki of a hit.
“(Eder) really had to battle,” Randel said. “His fastball command wasn’t there again. He just grinded out there. We gave him another inning.
“One of those things where he had to just grind it out and figure it out. But it was a good day for him.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.