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Blue Wahoos Foiled By Strong Pitching In Series Opener Against Barons
May 8, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
No team so far has been able to fully crack Birmingham Barons pitcher Drew Thorpe.
The Blue Wahoos were unable to do so, either.
Thorpe, rated the No. 3 prospect in the Chicago White Sox minor league system and ranked among the game’s top overall prospects, showed his command and calm Tuesday in his sixth start as the visiting Barons produced a 2-0 victory against the Blue Wahoos in a series-opening clash of the league’s two division leaders.
Thorpe (5-1) lowered his earned run average to 1.01 after allowing just two hits, two walks and striking out five in 5.2 innings. He was the New York Yankees’ second-round pick in 2022 after an All-American season at Cal-Poly where he set a school record with 149 strikeouts in a season.
He’s played a big role in the Barons’ (20-7) dominating first month of the schedule, which is by far the best record in the Southern League. The Blue Wahoos (15-13) entered with four wins in six road games last week against the Mississippi Braves.
A crowd of 3,682 at Blue Wahoos Stadium – the largest Tuesday crowd so far this season – again included a wide array of various dog breeds on Doggone Tuesday where people are allowed to bring their pups to the park.
The fans saw strong pitching and defense on both sides.
Neither team had a hit or a baserunner through three innings. Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez again excelled in his fifth start.
The only two pitches he didn’t locate exactly as desired left the ballpark.
After retiring the first two batters in the fourth inning, Barons catcher Edgar Quero blasted a fastball from Bermúdez over the left-center wall for the game’s first run.
In the fifth, the Barons’ Tim Elko led off with a moon shot over the left field wall on a well-timed connection on a changeup pitch.
That was the offense in the game. The Blue Wahoos bullpen had three relievers combine to pitch four scoreless innings the rest of the way.
Blue Wahoos newcomer Nathan Martorella, who joined the team Tuesday, had Pensacola’s first hit in the fourth inning with a two out double down the right field line. Martorella was part of a four-player trade of San Diego Padres prospects for Miami Marlins star Luis Arráez, a former Blue Wahoos player in 2019, who has won batting titles in the American and National League the past two seasons.
Martorella also had a hard out in the ninth inning, leading off with a ball driven deep to center that was caught.
The Blue Wahoos had their best scoring chance thwarted when Jacob Berry was thrown on in the sixth inning trying to score after tagging up from third on Cody Morissette’s fly ball to centerfielder Jacob Burke. But Burke’s one-bounce strike to the plate was a perfect throw to get Berry.
The Blue Wahoos had two baserunners for the only time in the sixth inning after singles by Jakob Marsee, who also was part of the Arráez trade, and Paul McIntosh. Martorella struck out on a high fastball from reliever Eric Adler to end the inning.
The second game of the series on Wednesday will feature an 11:05 a.m. start for the second Education Day of the season. The gates will open at 10 a.m. The broadcast will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Blue Wahoos.com/radio or the MILB app.
GAME NOTABLE
— This series-opening game Tuesday is one of 18 meetings – the most since the Blue Wahoos joined the Southern League – with the Barons. The Blue Wahoos will twice play in Birmingham this season.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Wednesday, 11 a.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
PROMOTION: Education Day. The second of this season’s mid-day, matinee games will feature more than 2,000 area school children from schools in four different counties. Tickets are available for the general public as well.
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