Late Passed Ball Costly In 1-0 Loss

Pitcher Jorge Alcala may have produced his best start this season and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos got a pair of clutch relief efforts to follow him.
That made the agony of Thursday's night's 1-0 loss against the Biloxi Shuckers more pronounced.
A large crowd of 4,332 at Blue Wahoos Stadium, which included several large groups in the party deck areas, watched the Blue Wahoos (17-10) sustain their first consecutive home losses this season.
The third game of the weekend series is Friday. The game's only run Thursday was scored on a passed ball in the eighth inning. It enabled the Shuckers (14-13) to cut Pensacola's first place lead in the Southern League South Division to three games.
"We had to chances to put this game away," said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego. "We're having a tough time at the plate. We'll just continue working with those guys, making the little adjustments and try to help the pitching.
"These guys will get it. We are going to come back like we're used to."
The game featured the Blue Wahoos debut of acclaimed outfielder Alex Kirilloff, rated the No. 8 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline and the 2018 Minnesota Twins minor league player of the year.
After a month to rehab a wrist injury and a near 600-mile drive on Wednesday from Fort Myers, where the Twins' spring training headquarters and facilities are located, the right fielder batted second in the lineup.
The left-hand hitting Kirilloff's first at-bat produced a towering shot to deep center that Biloxi's Trent Grisham gathered after a couple spin moves. Kirilloff was walked his second at-bat, but then struck the last two times, to finish 0-for-3.
In the eighth inning, he had a chance with runners on the corners, but Biloxi's lefthanded reliever Daniel Brown struck him out with an array of breaking pitches.
"Alex was out for quite a bit," Borrego said. "He is going to get it. It's not the same pitching he was facing (past month in Fort Myers).
"These guys are going to spin it a lot. They know who they are facing. But he's going to get it. He just needs more games, more feel."
The plus side for the Blue Wahoos was Alcala, the Twins' No. 18 rated prospect. The 23-year-old righthander worked five complete innings, allowing five hits, no runs, no walks and matched his season high with eight strikeouts.
It followed two rough outings when Alcala allowed 12 runs and 12 hits.
"In the last two outings, he was bouncing around in the fifth inning," Borrego said. "(Thursday) was perfect. He was throwing the ball really well. What I saw was he was more confident. He was attacking really well.
"He regrouped and got back to where he was at the start. That was good to see."
Jeff Ames followed by retiring the Shuckers in order the next two innings. In the eventful eighth, Max McDowell led off with a single by Alex Alvarez. Blue Wahoos reliever Cody Stashak hit the next batter. Trent Grishman bunted pinch runner C.J. Hinojosa to third.
Hinsojosa then scored on a passed ball for the only run of the game. Stashak struck out the next two batters and worked out of a jam in the ninth.
But the Blue Wahoos were retired in order in the ninth by Nate Griep, who earned his fifth save.
Earlier Thursday, the Blue Wahoos added two pitchers Alex Phillips and Randy Dobnak from Fort Myers, after Devin Smeltzer was promoted to Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.
Smeltzer, whose comeback from cancer at 9-years-old has been an inspirational story, had allowed just two earned runs in five starts. 
BALLPARK MEMORIES

• The Tiger Points Sports Association youth league baseball team paraded on the field before the game. Approximately 150 players participated. The group and families purchased 332 tickets for the game.
• The Blue Wahoos honored "Downtown Dave," the mega-popular, on-field, on dugout, emcee, who was named Employee of the Month. In addition, he threw out a first pitch before the game. He was presented an award on the dugout in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• The Booker T. Washington High chorus performed the National Anthem, receiving a warm response with their rendition.