written by Bill Vilona
One night after their most significant home loss of the season, the Blue Wahoos experienced their most depressing.
After taking an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning, the big lead and good mood in the dugout finally dissolved into a ninth-inning collapse and a 12-8 loss to the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Wednesday.
With the Blue Wahoos leading 8-5, new reliever Nigel Belgrave collapsed in the ninth inning without making an out in his home debut.
He hit a leadoff double, then struck out two batters with another base hit in between, walked, threw a wild pitch and was replaced with the Biscuits leading 9-8.
Tyler Eckberg came in and hit a two-run double. A deep flyout brought in the other run. The half-inning lasted 26 minutes and required more than 60 pitches before the Biscuits’ offense stopped.
It was a grim end to a game that had started so well for the home team.
Pensacola adopted its alternate identity and uniform change as the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok in the final four games of this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative.
For the first time in 53 home games, this game started late, after a 41-minute rain interruption
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The Blue Wahoos, pent up energy in an attempt to make up for Tuesday’s 18-5 loss, started well, running over Biscuits starter Trevor Martin and scoring four runs in the first inning.
Jakob Marsee led off with a single and then stole second base. Shortstop Jared Serna extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single. Jacob Berry hit a single. And with two outs, Joe Mack smashed a moonshot over the party terrace in right field of the stadium and disappeared somewhere behind the ballpark.
In the third inning, Nathan Martorella hit a three-run home run that scored Serna and Berry, who both hit singles. Serna has had at least one hit in each of his 13 games since the former New York Yankees prospect joined the team via a trade.
Mack then followed up with a solo home run, giving him his team’s highest home run of the season with 19.
Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios appeared to be on his way to his 19th career win for the Blue Wahoos, which would have tied the franchise career record set by Daniel Wright during his time from 2015-2018.
Even after Palacios allowed a two-run homer in the fourth inning and two consecutive home runs in the sixth inning, he still had a three-run lead.
Reliever Dale Stanavich then struck out all seven batters he faced, giving the Blue Wahoos a three-run lead heading into the ninth inning.
But Belgrave couldn’t find the strike zone and wasn’t close enough with many of his throws. He had played four times in relief during the Blue Wahoos’ two-week road trip since joining the team from the Class-A Beloit Sky Carp, and had allowed just two runs and three hits during that time.
This time, however, Belgrave never really got going. He was selected in the 15th round by the Miami Marlins and became the first player from their 2023 draft class to reach Double-A.
The Biscuits took advantage of his mistakes and scored a total of seven runs in that inning.
The Blue Wahoos will now try to get back into the home series on Thursday with Evan Fitterer on the mound against the Biscuits’ talented right-hander Sean Hunley (4-2, 1.79 ERA).
FEATURES OF THE GAME
— The Blue Wahoos grounds crew, led by Gordon van Weyhe, worked hard to combat a sudden storm late Wednesday afternoon. After the tarp was installed and then removed, it took just 45 minutes to prepare the field for first pitch, keeping the Blue Wahoos’ streak of home games uninterrupted. Until Wednesday, no game this season had been postponed due to pregame rain.
– The Blue Anchor Belles played the national anthem.
DO YOU WANT TO GO?
WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
