Jake Thompson Overcomes Tough Start With Special Impact In Blue Wahoos Comeback Win

Pensacola, Fla. - Jake Thompson had just returned this week from the injured list and three at-bats into Friday’s game, things weren’t going so well.

But then he made something special happen.

Thompson met a two-strike pitch and delivered a game-tying single in the eighth inning that led to the Blue Wahoos 5-4 comeback win against the Rocket City Trash Pandas, igniting an extended roar from a capacity crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

It was followed by relief pitcher Austin Roberts slamming the door in the ninth inning as he’s done in all four save opportunities this season with a stellar finish. The Blue Wahoos had trailed 4-0 into the fifth inning when chipping away at the deficit.

“To start the game off, I was 0-for-3 and it wasn’t pretty,” said Thompson, 26, who was signed by the Miami Marlins in 2022 as a free agent following his collegiate career at Oklahoma State. “Had the bases loaded and (hit into) douple play and had two strikeouts. I wasn’t seeing the ball the best.

“But I knew I was going to have an important at-bat at the end, so I stayed locked in, stayed positive, was up cheering everybody on, having fun that we were coming back, said Thompson, playing in only his third game for the Blue Wahoos since coming back from the injured list.

“There was a game my first year (in professional baseball) when I was in Jupiter (2022). I was like 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and then hit a go-ahead homer late in the eighth and it was like everyone forgot about it (early game struggles) except my mom. I got a text from her and goes, ‘At least you finally touched it.’

“That just made me relax and laugh a little bit. It’s like, I’ve done that before and been able to come through when I had the opportunity.”

The win evened the series for the Blue Wahoos (6-7) against the Trash Pandas (7-6), the Los Angeles Angels affiliate.

A perfect evening and filled seating bowl Friday included Pensacola’s Bubba Watson, the two-time former Masters champion who attended with his two children, and Miami Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler, a former 14-year major league veteran and San Francisco Giants manager.

The Trash Pandas produced three runs in the second inning off Blue Wahoos starter Evan Fitterer, then added another run in the fourth.

But the Blue Wahoos got back into the game when Javier Sanoja launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning. They trimmed the deficit to 4-3 after Dalvy Rosario tripled, then scored on a fielding error on Sanoja's grounder to third.

In the eighth, Jacob Berry led off with a double. He scored on Thompson’s single. With Thompson at second. Shane Sasaki produced a textbook bunt single that sent Thompson to third, putting runners on the corners.

Sean Roby then laced a pitch 114 mph off his bat that was hit so hard in caused the centerfielder to fall after catchin the ball and Thompson scored the go-ahead run with ease.

“That eighth inning, that was team baseball executed perfectly,” Thompson said. “Beautiful line drive up the middle to center and gosh, since you were 10-years-old, that’s how you're taught to score runs.”

In the ninth, Roberts struck out the first two batters and got Nelson Rada, the Angels No. 1 rated prospect, o hit a grounder that Cody Morissette made an outstanding grab and throw that beat Rada to the bag.

The series will continue Saturday with M.D. Johnson on the mound. A limited number of tickets are still available for the second Fireworks Saturday of the season. A livestream broadcast can be heard on www.bluewahoos.com, the MiLB app, or the Bally Live app.

GAME NOTABLES

Blue Wahoos players passed on T-shirts to the first 1,000 fans courtesy of game sponsor Woodlands Medical Specialists

Cassi McGee, teacher of the year in Escambia County, was honored before the game by leading a parade of fellow teachers who received awards. McGee, a teacher at Pine Meadow Elementary School, threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game began.

Dr. Joey Fishbein of Fishbein Orthodontics sang the National Anthem. His dental office had a party deck of 200-plus on the Winn-Dixie party deck.

WANT TO GO?

WHO: Rocket City Trash Pandas vs. Blue Wahoos.

WHEN: Saturday, 6:05 p.m.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.

PROMOTION: Fireworks Saturday. Post game display presented by Navy Federal. Also, fans can receive a Jim Reeves Bobblehead and it’s also “Legalize Marinara Night” with those purchasing a special ticket package receiving a t-shirt and flatbread from Bodacious.

TICKETS: www.bluewahoos.com or at stadium box office. Box office opens at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST: Available on www.bluewahoos.com/Radio or the MiLB app.