Blue Wahoos' Big Lead Erased in 12-8 Loss

Pensacola, Fla. - A night after their most lopsided home loss this season, the Blue Wahoos experienced the most deflating.

After taking an 8-0 lead into the fourth inning, the big lead and feel-good dugout vibe Wednesday eventually dissolved into a ninth inning collapse and 12-8 loss against the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

With the Blue Wahoos leading 8-5, newcomer reliever Nigel Belgrave had his home debut in the top of the ninth melt down without getting an out.

He gave a leadoff double, then plunked two batters with another base hit in between, had a walk, uncorked a wild pitch and was lifted with the Biscuits up 9-8.

Tyler Eckberg came in and was tagged for a two-run double. A deep flyout scored the other run. The half-inning lasted 26 minutes and required more than 60 pitches before the Biscuits' onslaught stopped.

It put a glum ending to a game that began so well for the home team.

Pensacola took on its alternate identity, along with uniform change, as the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok, in the final of a quartet of games this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative.

For the first time in 53 home games, this one began late, following a 41-minute rain delay.

All that pent-up energy in seeking to erase Tuesday’s 18-5 loss began well for the Blue Wahoos. They jumped on Biscuits starter Trevor Martin for four runs in the first inning.

Jakob Marsee led off with a single, the stole second. Shortstop Jared Serna extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single. Jacob Berry singled. And with two out, Joe Mack blasted a moon shot over the stadium’s right field party deck area and out of sight somewhere behind the ballpark.

In the third inning, Nathan Martorella blasted a three-run homer to score Serna and Berry, who had both singled. For Serna, he’s had at least one hit in each of his 13 games since the former New York Yankees rising prospect joined the team in a trade.

Mack then followed a solo homer, giving him a team high 19 for the season.

Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios appeared in line for his 19th career win for the Blue Wahoos, which would have tied the franchise career record set by Daniel Wright set during his time in 2015-2018.

Even after Palacios gave up a two-run homer in the fourth inning, then back-to-back homers in the sixth, he still had a three-run lead.

Reliever Dale Stanavich then retired all seven batters he faced to get the Blue Wahoos to the ninth inning with a 3-run lead.

But Belgrave could not find the strike zone and wasn’t close with many of his pitches. He had made four relief appearances during the Blue Wahoos' two-week road trip since joining the team from the Class-A Beloit Sky Carp. He had allowed just two runs and three hits during that span.

This time, however, Belgrave couldn’t get into a groove. He was a 15th round pick by the Miami Marlins and the first member of their 2023 Draft class to reach Double-A.

The Biscuits pounced on his mistakes, scoring seven runs total in the inning.

The Blue Wahoos will now try and get back into the homestand series on Thursday with Evan Fitterer on the mound against the Biscuits' talented righthander Sean Hunley (4-2, 1.79 ERA).

GAME NOTABLES

--- The Blue Wahoos grounds crew, led by Gordon van Weyhe, raced to combat a pop-up storm late Wednesday afternoon. Once the tarp was on, then eventually removed, it took just 45 minutes to get the field ready for a first pitch and kept the Blue Wahoos' string of home games without a postponement intact.

This season, there had not been a game delayed by pregame rain until Wednesday.

--- The Blue Anchor Belles performed the National Anthem.

WANT TO GO?

WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

TV: A live video broadcast available each game on live stream broadcast on Bally Live and MLB.TV (subscription required).

RADIO: Available each game on www.bluewahoos.com/radio with Blue Wahoos broadcasters Erik Bremer and Carter Bainbridge on play-by-play or on the MiLB App.

PROMOTIONS: Pensacola Mullets Night, along with adult beverage specials. The Blue Wahoos will take on their Thursday night identity as the Pensacola Mullets and wear specialty jerseys. There will also be $2 draft beer and buy one/get one on domestic cans.

TICKETS: Tickets are available through www.bluewahoos.com/tickets and at the stadium box office on Wednesday, beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing through the game.