Wahoos Weekly: Blue Wahoos back home after riding high on the road
The Blue Wahoos begin May with a homestand this week, following one of their best road trips in team history.
They won five consecutive games against the Montgomery Biscuits, who entered last week with the best start among all Southern League teams. The road trip included a pair of wins, 4-3 and 11-4 on Sunday, after Saturday’s game was suspended by weather. Those two wins pushed the Blue Wahoos above .500 for the first time this season.
The hot streak has been a combination of excellent pitching and run-production by several players. Blue Wahoos pitchers went 21 consecutive innings without allowing a run during the week-long series in Montgomery, which tied the longest scoreless streak in team history.
It matched the feat attained in 2017 when the Blue Wahoos were a Cincinnati Reds affiliate and the pitching staff included Tyler Mahle and several other pitchers now with MLB teams.
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In Sunday’s 11-4 win, catcher/outfielder Paul McIntosh went 5-for-6 with a homer, double and four RBI. It was only the third time in team history a player had produced five hits in a game. It was part of a season-high 16 hits for the Blue Wahoos.
On Friday, starter Patrick Monteverde continued as one of the best pitchers this season in professional baseball, after he threw seven shutout innings in a 6-0 win. He has now allowed just one earned run this season for a 0.35 ERA in four starts. Victor Mesa Jr. hit a 3-run homer in that game.
Thursday night, Evan Fitterer made his Double-A debut with the Blue Wahoos and threw six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win. He had eight strikeouts in the game, after being called up from High-A Beloit Sky Carp in the Midwest League.
WAHOOS NOTABLES
DAWG DAYS – The Blue Wahoos first “Doggone Tuesday” was a success and it will be repeated each Tuesday when the Blue Wahoos begin a home series. Fans can bring their beloved pups to the game and either sit on the grass berm area in the outfield, or walk the concourse or have a place in the seating bowl area.
SCHOOL FIELD TRIP – On Wednesday the Blue Wahoos will host their second Education Day game, beginning at 11:05 a.m. and including students from grade school through high schools throughout the Escambia and Santa Rosa County area, along with Baldwin County in Alabama. More than 2,600 students are expected, but there are also tickets available for non-students who want to attend a matinee game.
This is the first time in franchise history the Blue Wahoos have held mid-week day games and partnered with area schools. The previous one this season was April 19. Because of the early start on Wednesday, the game time for Tuesday is moved up 30 minutes to start at 6:05 p.m.
The students receive a worksheet that will incorporate elements of the game with a learning experience in math, history and other topics.
WARDROBE CHANGES – The Blue Wahoos will be wearing an assortment of different uniforms this week. On Friday, they will unveil their La Copa de la Diversion uniforms as the Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok. The Blue Wahoos are part of an initiative among selected Minor League Baseball Teams across the nation to embrace the culture, values of Hispanic and Latino communities.
Pensacola as a city has a Spanish heritage that dates back centuries. The team on Friday will be wearing hats and uniforms that were specially designed to reflect Pok-ta-Pok which was an early form of ballgame played in 1650 BC
On Saturday, the Blue Wahoos will wear Marvel Defenders of the Diamond designed uniforms, which is part of a new initiative and partnership with Marvel animation throughout Minor League Baseball.
TROY TRIUMPHS – Blue Wahoos first baseman Troy Johnston had back-to-back, multi-homer games last Wednesday and Thursday, becoming only the second player in franchise history to attain that feat. The previous time was in 2016 by Brandon Dixon. Johnston has boosted his average to .246 after a slow start in the first two weeks of the season.
MAGGI MAKES IT – After 13 seasons in the minor leagues, Drew Maggi, who played for the Blue Wahoos in 2019 as a Minnesota Twins prospect, made his Major League debut last week in Pittsburgh as a pinch-hitter for the Pirates in their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With fans in Pittsburgh knowing his background, Maggie received a standing ovation before his first at-bat and paused to acknowledge the fans. He then had a his first MLB hit the next game.
Maggie becomes the 123rd player in Blue Wahoos history to reach the major leagues and third this season.
THIS WEEK
The Blue Wahoos begin on Tuesday a six-game home series in Pensacola against the Mississippi Braves, the Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate.
The M-Braves were in Biloxi last week where they split a six-game series against the Shuckers. This is lone back-to-back road trip weeks of the season. After starting the season at 3-10, the M-Braves had won five of seven games before Sunday’s loss to the Shuckers.
One of the M-Braves featured players is first baseman Drew Lugbauer, 26, an 11th round pick by the Braves in 2017 out of the University of Michigan. He hit his 50th career home for the M-Braves in the Sunday loss to Biloxi. His four homers this season are tied for second in the league. Last June, he surpassed the M-Braves franchise home run record with 33 and continues to extend it.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Tuesday May 2 through Sunday May 7.
GAMETIMES: Tuesday at 6:05 p.m., Wednesday at 11:05 a.m., Thursday at 6:35 p.m., Friday, 6:35 p.m., Saturday at 6:05 p.m., Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
TICKETS: Available for each game at www.bluewahoos.com/tickets. Or by visiting the stadium box office Tuesday through Friday beginning 10 a.m through the middle of each game, and Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 12 p.m.
BROADCAST: MILB First Pitch App beginning five minutes before first pitch, or MiLB.Tv for video streaming.
PROMOTIONS
Tuesday is Doggone Tuesday with fans able to bring their pet dogs to the game.
Wednesday is a special matinee start time for the second Education Day with more than 2,500 students from schools in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Baldwin County expected to attend. Non-student tickets for that game are also available.
Thursday – Mullet Thursday with team wearing specialty uniforms and “Thirsty Thursday” drink specials.
Friday – Cinco De Mayo/Copa Night – The Blue Wahoos will wear specialty uniforms for the “Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok, honoring Pensacola’s Spanish heritage history. It is also Giveaway Friday with the first 1,000 fans receiving Blue Wahoos socks courtesy of Woodlands Medical Specialists.
Saturday – Team will wear Marvel “Defenders of the Diamond” uniforms that will also be for sale, plus post-game fireworks will follow the game.
Sunday – Family Sunday with kids able to circle the bases following the game and families able to toss baseballs in the outfield for 30 minutes.
LIVE STREAM – A live audio broadcast of all games are available on www.bluewahoos.com, the MiLB First Pitch App, along with video streaming on Bally Live and MiLB.tv.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
(Through Games On April 30)
NORTH DIVISION
Rocket City Trash Pandas (LA Angels) 12-9
Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs) – 11-10
Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds) – 10-11
Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox) – 9-12
SOUTH DIVISION
Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers) 11-9
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins) 11-10
Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays) 11-10
Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves) 8-13
Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Wahoos Weekly: Winners of five in a row, Blue Wahoos to host Mississippi
