Chinea, Bleday Power Blue Wahoos To Win
July 3, 2021
The ball rocketed off his bat and for a brief moment Blue Wahoos catcher Chris Chinea thought of a rare career moment for any player.
He had already homered, doubled and singled Friday night in his first three plate appearances before a sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Amid a tie game in the eighth inning, as he factored into the Blue Wahoos’ winning rally for a 7-4 victory against the Biloxi Shuckers, Chinea sent a line drive into right field.
Could it be? Hitting the cycle for the win?
“Definitely enters the mind,” said Chinea, smiling afterward. “But I don’t have many triples in my career. I’m not the fastest guy.
“The ball has to hit off the wall in a funky way. But it definitely enters the mind when I hit it. I’m like. ‘Oh man get down the line, I’m going to shoot three (bases) no matter what.’ But it got the job done.”
For sure.
His one-out liner allowed Riley Mahan to tag up and move to third. The Blue Wahoos had runners on the corners when shortstop Galli Cribbs, laced a run-scoring single that turned into two runs when the ball was misplayed by the Shuckers rightfielder.
Peyton Burdick followed with a two-out, RBI single for a three-run lead.
Relief ace Colton Hock retired the three batters he faced in the ninth to record his 12th save. He now leads all minor league relievers for the most saves.
Just like that, the Blue Wahoos (31-21) had another late-inning win. This one followed a 52-minute rain delay to start the game.
It also happened one night after four Biloxi pitchers combined on a one-hitter in a 3-0 win to snap a nine-game losing streak. On Friday, the Blue Wahoos collected 12 hits.
It’s why Chinea reminded afterward that keeping the right perspective in baseball is so essential.
“It’s one of the days where it’s a good day and you gotta flush it (out of mind) at midnight, but I’m happy it happened,” Chinea said. “Now move on to the next page which is (Saturday).”
With the Blue Wahoos up 3-1 in the homestand, the series continues Saturday (6:05 p.m.) with a special Fourth of July weekend fireworks show to follow.
Once the game began Friday, the Blue Wahoos erased Biloxi’s 1-0 lead on Chinea’s two-run homer in the second inning.
“I was looking for a pitch to drive, kinda stay right-center with it and he threw me a fastball up-and-in and it was kinda reaction,” Chinea said. “All that (batting) cage work and (batting practice) stuff (to help) and you just got to let it happen in the games.”
From that point, Blue Wahoos starter Jeff Lindgren stayed sharp. He allowed a solo home run in the fourth inning, but worked into the seventh inning and recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Josh Roberson followed in relief and Hock closed out the ninth.
“Give credit to Jeff (Lindgren),” said Chinea. “Jeff ckept us in the game and pitched his butt off.
Blue Wahoos outfielder J.J. Bleday had his first multi-hit game since June 17, going 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in fifth inning. Burdick also went 2-for-5. Eight of the nine batters in the starting lineup had at least one hit.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Biloxi Beats The Blue Wahoos 3-0
July 2, 2021
Two trends went in a wrong direction Thursday night in the Blue Wahoos 3-0 loss against the Biloxi Shuckers.
The comeback offense, the late-inning thrills the Blue Wahoos have produced so often at home, were absent as four Biloxi pitchers combined on a 1-hitter to quiet the crowd of 4,002 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
And the Shuckers, mired in a nine-game losing streak, won for the first time since June 18 when they pounded the Rocket City Trash Pandas 13-1. It was their first shutout win since May 15.
The loss fell on a night when Blue Wahoos starter Jake Eder became the leader in lowest earned run average through all levels of Minor League Baseball, following his five shutout innings.
“I was just told that,” he said after the game. “Yeah, that’s cool. But it doesn’t really matter to me right now. The only thing that is important to me is the next start.
Eder’s ERA fell to 1.03, but it also happened through a high-wire act he pulled off.
The game began with Biloxi’s first two batters reaching on walks, then Eder recording a pair of strikeouts to end that threat. In the second inning, the Shuckers loaded the bases with a leadoff walk, a single and Eder hitting the third batter.
But he got a nifty double-play on a hard-hit ball to Blue Wahoos’ third baseman Demetrius Sims, who stepped on the bag, then threw to the plate to get the second out. Eder than got the next batter to pop out.
After inducing another double-play in the third inning, he retired the final seven batters he faced. He threw 74 pitches, but only 44 for strikes, which led to the bullpen being summoned after the fifth inning.
“I definitely was not in rhythm early, but I think after the third, my slider started landing for a strike and that got me back in rhythm and I started going from there,” said Eder, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Vanderbilt where he primarily was used as a reliever.
The Blue Wahoos only hit occurred on first baseman J.D. Osborne’s leadoff single in the third inning. The only time the Blue Wahoos had multiple base runners was in the ninth.
Trailing 3-0, J.J. Bleday and Jerar Encarnacion followed a double-play by reaching on walks. Nick Fortes got a pitch he liked and sent it to right field, but not quite deep enough for dramatics and the game ended with a putout.
The Shuckers gained insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer from Lucas Erceg. Prior to that, the game’s only run was scored in the sixth inning. when Blue Wahoos center fielder Victor Victor Mesa misplayed a fly ball, falling down and leading to a run-scoring play.
The teams will continue their six-game series Friday.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Every Wahoos Starter Knocks A Hit In Wahoos Win Over Biloxi
July 1, 2021
A capacity crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium was standing, clapping in anticipation.
Zack Leban took a quick pause, gassed up a 97-mph fastball, then pounded his glove amid the cheers.
With all the festivities Wednesday – specialty uniforms, dogs on parade, the debut of Watson the service dog, even a police dog demonstration – Leban’s closing effort in relief completed the Blue Wahoos winning night in a 4-3 victory against the Biloxi Shuckers.
Oh yeah, plus there were post-game fireworks lighting up the sky, too.
The combination fan entertainment and the Blue Wahoos continued knack for winning one-run games created another special experience.
Their win in the season’s 50th game put the Blue Wahoos (30-20) back into a first-place tie in the Double-A South with the Mississippi Braves. The Wahoos, who collected 12 hits, are now 14-6 in one-run games, which is why they’ve climbed 10 games above .500.
Every Blue Wahoos batter in the lineup had at least one hitter – the first time that has occurred this season.
The Shuckers (15-34), meanwhile, dropped their ninth straight game.
And all of this happened Wednesday despite the Blue Wahoos touted pitcher Edward Cabrera struggling at times through his five-inning start.
But even without his A-game, Cabrera picked up his first win as a Blue Wahoos pitcher. The 23-year-righthander gave up three runs – only one of which was earned, striking out three and walking three. The Miami Marlins’ No. 4 overall rated prospect allowed just two earned runs in his three starts.
In this game, however, Cabrera, never seemed comfortable. He had one clean inning in the fourth, and got out of a two-on situation in the fifth inning by striking out Biloxi’s No. 3 hitter Louis Castro.
Biloxi took a 2-0 lead after a second-inning home run by Tristen Lutz, then a third inning single by Bruce Turang.
The Blue Wahoos erased that lead with a three-run rally in the fourth inning on four consecutive hits.
Jerar Encarnacion started the production with his leadoff double. Run-scoring singles from Demetrius Sims, Riley Mahan and Galli Cribbs Jr. put the Blue Wahoos ahead.
After Biloxi tied the game in the fifth, designated hitter Nick Fortes had the game’s biggest hit with his two-out single in the bottom of that inning to score Peyton Burdick, who reached on an error.
From that point, the Blue Wahoos bullpen shined again. Alberto Guerrero (2 innings), Dylan Bice (1 inning) and Leban combined to allow just two hits, no walks in scoreless relief.
Leban gave up a two-out single in the ninth, but stuck out Gabriel Garcia on a 2-2 fastball to end the game.
by Bill Vilona, Pensacola Blue Wahoos senior writer
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).