Orange Crush: Burdick's Record-Tying Bomb Sets Power Tone On Crabzilla Night

The Blue Wahoos made their much-anticipated fashion statement.

And then showed off a power display on Crabzilla Night.

Wearing, uh, interesting, bright orange uniforms, complete with a crab claw on one sleeve, “Crabzilla” logo on another, then image of crab eyes on the pants’ backside, they furthered a memorable experience Wednesday night with a 7-2 win against the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The Blue Wahoos (43-43) clubbed a season-high five home runs, including three in the first inning, and one of those being a Peyton Burdick bomb that tied the franchise, single-season, record of 20 for most homers by a player.

A monster night at the plate to befit the occasion.

“(Uniforms) were crazy,” said Burdick, laughing, afterward, who matched the home run total set by Cincinnati Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino in 2018. “Whoever designed all those…. A-plus. Those were the craziest uniforms I have ever worn in my life.”

Burdick continued his August assault, jumping on a cut fastball from Brendan McKay -- a former Tampa Bay Rays starter on an injury rehab assignment -- in Burdick’s first at-bat. It was launched 428-feet over the left-center wall and was Burdick’s fifth home run this month.

He finished the night going 2-for-4, and produced his 11th RBI in August with multiple hits in seven of his last eight games.

“Just going up there are trying to be easy, trying to be boring at the plate,” said Burdick, whose recent production belies boredom. “I’m trying to control the emotion side of it. I think sometimes I get in the habit of swinging too hard, so just trying to relax and calm down bit.”

The center fielder’s home run was followed by right fielder Griffin Conine’s latest homer, which gives him 30 across two levels this season – the most by any player in Minor League Baseball.

A batter later, first baseman Lazaro Alonso hit a laser over the right field fence off McKay. Then J.J. Bleday made it four homers with his solo shot in the third inning.

“I think when one guy or two guys get going, it trickles down,” said Burdick,

Along with pitcher Max Meyer recording his sixth win in another strong outing, it became perfect tonic, after the Blue Wahoos earlier Wednesday completed a rain-suspended game with a 10th-inning 8-7 loss. The Biscuits plated their runner starting the inning on second base when the game was picked up Wednesday and took just 16 minutes to complete.

Tuesday, the Biscuits staged a five-run rally in the ninth to tie, then got the Blue Wahoos out in order before a massive thunderstorm forced suspension until Wednesday’s prelude to the “Festival of Crabzilla” game.

“That was just a tough game,” Burdick said. “In baseball it’s how it works out sometimes.”

The homer brigade was completed with Jerar Encarnacion’s solo blast to lead off the sixth inning. The offense provided Meyer with a smooth night in his six innings of work.

He allowed just four hits, struck out nine and did not walk a batter to improve to 6-1 with a 2.00 earned run average.

“Max is an ultra competitor,” Burdick said. “He just goes out there and gets after it. I love that. It’s so much fun to play defense behind him, because he is out there getting guys out and just competing.

“And it’s really fun to play behind a guy like that that just wants to get after it like that. It really fires you up.”

GAME NOTABLES – The Blue Wahoos auctioned some of the uniforms during the game. The rest of the signed jerseys are part of an online auction that extends to Monday. The link is on the home page at www.bluewahoos.com under Latest News.

The team’s win was completed in just two hours, 33 minutes.

Meyer was followed by perfect relief. Matt Pobereyko and Dylan Bice did not allow a hit in their combined three innings, facing just one batter above the minimum.

BLUE WAHOOS HOMESTAND

WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Thursday Through Sunday.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.

GAMETIMES: Games Thursday and Friday start at 6:35 p.m., then 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 4:05 p.m. on Sunday.

TICKETS: Available for all games at www.bluewahoos.com, the stadium box office or calling 850-934-8444.

RADIO: ESPN-Pensacola (99.1 FM, 1330 AM), Chris Garagiola

on play-by-play.

PROMOTIONS: Thursday: Pensacola Mullets Night in addition to Thirsty Thursday with drink specials. Team will wear their Thursday custom-made Mullets’ jerseys.

Friday: Giveaway Friday with the first 2,000 fans receiving a bobblehead “Hill-Kelly Hillsdale” horse sponsored by Hill-Kelly Dodge Chrysler.

Saturday: Fireworks Night. The Blue Wahoos will launch fireworks after the game.

Sunday: Military Sunday plus kids can run the bases after the game and families can toss baseballs in the outfield for 30 minutes.