Bill Vilona
| Special to the News Journal
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Four former Pensacola Blue Wahoos players contributed to the Miami Marlins’ historic sweep of the New York Yankees.The Blue Wahoos increased their lead in the Southern League South Division second-half race by winning five of six games against the Biloxi Shuckers.Several Blue Wahoos players were promoted to Triple-A Jacksonville, while others were released or traded.
It became quite a week for the Blue Wahoos and their parent affiliate, the Miami Marlins.
Their ballparks are separated by 675 miles from opposite ends of the state, and the special connection added to a historic period for the Marlins’ organization.
Four former Blue Wahoos players – pitchers Edward Cabrera and Eury Perez, and position players Jakob Marsee and Troy Johnston – all factored in the Marlins’ weekend home sweep of the New York Yankees, the first time the organization has swept the Bronx Bombers in franchise history. The feat continued Miami’s astounding rise from oblivion in mid-June to rising relevance now in Major League Baseball’s chase for the postseason.
Meanwhile, more of the organization’s future was on display at Blue Wahoos Stadium when Pensacola won five of six games against the Biloxi Shuckers to further expand its first-place divisional lead.
The Blue Wahoos began a road series Aug. 5 against the Montgomery Biscuits, the Tampa Bay Rays‘ affiliate, with a 6 1/2 game lead on Montgomery in the Southern League South Division second-half race. There are 37 games left in the season.
After dealing with weather issues all last week, including two games with start times delayed nearly 90 minutes, the Blue Wahoos took the final five games of the homestand. Former Ole Miss star Kemp Alderman, the Marlins’ second-round pick in 2023, blasted a pair of homers, went 4-for-4 and drove in five runs in Aug. 3’s series finale.
“Just trying to keep it simple,” said Alderman, following that game. “Play the game like a kid and just have fun and help the team win. We are just seeing it big and trying to hit the ball hard, swing at strikes, take the balls and score runs.”
His assessment could apply to the big-league club. The Marlins were 16 games under .500 on June 11 and exited Sunday at 55-55 – one of only five MLB teams since 1995 to attain this comeback.
Their sweep of the Yankees gave them a 25-24 all-time record against MLB’s 27-time world champion franchise. Amazing, they sit right now as the only team in MLB to have a winning record against the Yankees, including beating them in the 2003 World Series.
In last weekend’s series, Marsee made his MLB debut. Johnston did so on July 29 on the road. Both had hits in their first games. Marsee, who played 91 games last season for the Blue Wahoos, set Marlins’ franchise records by doubling and reaching base three other times on walks in his debut Aug. 1.
Johnston, who set Blue Wahoos hitting records in 2023, played a key role in Aug. 3’s win where Cabrera allowed just two hits with seven strikeouts in a 7-3 win. Perez shut down the Yankees a night earlier in Aug 2’s win.
That same night, the Marlins’ No. 1 rated prospect, the Blue Wahoos’ Thomas White, continued to display his future, throwing a pro-career high 100 pitches in Pensacola’s win. The 20-year-old lefty, making his sixth start at this level, followed a historic 14-strikeout performance his previous outing with a solid seven-strikeout, five-inning game.
“Just to attack the hitters and let the defense go to work,” said White, reflecting on his outing in a post-game, on field interview for the crowd. “(Double-A hitters) are definitely more patient. But as long as I fill up the (strike) zone, I am pretty confident it will turn out pretty good for me.”
Right now, it’s quite a run throughout the organization.
A LOOK BACK
After dropping the series opener against Biloxi, which became a third straight loss, the Blue Wahoos won the next five games with impressive performances. Here’s a recap:
TUESDAY, July 29: Shuckers 7, Blue Wahoos 3 – The Shuckers opened the series with a fast-start, following a 1-hour, 11-minute rain delay. They jumped to a 6-0 lead after three innings. Jheremy Vargos broke the game open with a bases-loaded, three-run double for a 6-0 lead. It became the shortest of three starts for Blue Wahoos righthander Alex Williams, who moved from the bullpen to starter in July.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30: Blue Wahoos 8, Shuckers 4 – The Blue Wahoos staged a five-run rally in the seventh inning for the comeback win. Kemp Alderman tied the game with an RBI infield single, then Nathan Martorella followed with a two-run single for a 6-4 lead, and Fenwick Trimble added a two-run double. Evan Fitterer was stellar in relief, striking out six in four scoreless innings to earn the win.
THURSDAY, JULY 31: Blue Wahoos 9, Shuckers 3 – Fenwick Trimble led the way for the Blue Wahoos, picking up his first three-hit night in Double-A along with two RBIs and two runs scored. He factored into a six-run rally in the second inning that was decisive. Tony Bullard got the scoring started, launching a solo home run for his fifth of the year. The Blue Wahoos added a pair of runs later in the game on bases-loaded walks.
FRIDAY, AUG. 1: Blue Wahoos 1, Shuckers 0 – After getting a season-best start from Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, who worked into the seventh inning for the first time this year, relievers Will Kempner and Austin Roberts finished off a crisply-played, five-hit shutout. The Blue Wahoos remain unbeaten (38-0) when leading after eight innings this season. The Blue Wahoos got the game’s only run in their first at-bat on a sacrifice fly by Fenwick Trimble.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2: Blue Wahoos 4, Shuckers 2 –The Blue Wahoos produced a three-run rally for Thomas White in the second inning. Josh Zamora’s one-out single was followed by Tony Bullard’s double to put runners on second and third. Mark Coley II followed with a two-run single, then newcomer catcher Connor Caskenette singled home the third run. After throwing 100 pitches, White exited with two outs in the fifth inning, one out shy of qualifying for the mound win.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3: Blue Wahoos 8, Shuckers 4 – After a near-90 minute rain delay, this game featured lightning flashing the sky across the water and on both sides of the ballpark, but aside from a quick cloudburst in the second inning, it never rained again. The Blue Wahoos jumped out early when Kemp Alderman began his big day with a two-run homer in the first inning. It was part of his 4-for-4 day with two homers, a double and five RBI.
THIS WEEK
The Blue Wahoos face the Biscuits for the fourth time this season in a series that will directly affect the second-half chase for a playoff spot. They hope for a reversal of fortune.
The Biscuits have an 11-7 series edge, including taking five of six from the Blue Wahoos the last time these teams played in Montgomery in May.
The Biscuits roster currently features six of the Tampa Bay Rays’ top-30 prospects on the MLB Pipeline list. An additional top-30 prospect, Matthew Etzel, now with the Blue Wahoos (not playing this week) began the season with the Biscuits.
The highest-rated member of the current group is infielder Brayden Taylor, rated No. 3 in the organization, but Tayler has struggled this year. He is batting just .160 in 77 games with five homers and 31 RBIs.
Taylor entered the season as Montgomery’s highlest-rated prospect, ranked No. 66 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list. He was the Rays’ No. 1 draft pick in 2023 out of Texas Christian University and holds the school record with 48 career home runs.
WAHOOS NOTEWORTHY
The Blue Wahoos entered Aug. 5’s game against Montgomery with a revamped team. As expected this time of year, a lot of roster moves happened. Seven players on Aug. 3’s roster are no longer with the Blue Wahoos.
Infielders Tony Bullard, Nathan Martorella and Johnny Olmstead were all elevated on Aug. 5 to Triple-A Jacksonville. Outfielder Jake Thompson, pitcher Ricky DeVito and infielder Josh Zamora were released in order to make room for newcomers. Six players joined the team from either High-A Beloit (Wisc.) Sky Carp or Class-A Jupiter.
Those players were infielders Payton Green, Yiddi Cappe, Dub Gleed, Eric Rataczak; outfielder Colby Shade; and pitcher Colby Martin.
In addition, pitcher Austin Roberts was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
–Team owners Quint and Rishy Studer provided the staff of the Blue Wahoos and Beloit Sky Carp – both part-time gameday workers and front office staff – with a pair of $50 gift cards apiece for their participation help in employee engagement surveys and high-marks in fan experience satisfaction. The amount totaled $50,000.
–The Blue Wahoos honored long-time bat boy, Austin Goins, now in his mid-20s, with a presentation last Aug. 3 in his final game. Goin is a Booker T. Washington High grad, who is moving on after six years working for the ballclub.
–A reminder that tickets for the Florida State vs. Mississippi State Fall Ball exhibition game event on Oct. 18 go on sale to the general public on August 12 at 9 a.m. through www.bluewahoos.com.
–With his performance in Aug. 3’s win, Blue Wahoos pitcher Evan Fitterer recorded his 259th career strikeout in a Blue Wahoos uniform in the seventh inning, setting a new franchise record for career strikeouts after tying the record of 258 on July 30.
WANT TO FOLLOW?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Montgomery Biscuits
WHERE: Riverwalk Stadium, Montgomery, Alabama.
WHEN: Tuesday (Aug. 5) through Sunday (Aug. 10). Start times are 6:35 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 3:33 p.m. on Sunday.
LIVESTREAM AUDIO: You can listen to the Blue Wahoos’ broadcast of this series with Blue Wahoos lead announcer Erik Bremer on www.bluewahoos.com/radio or the MILB App. .
LIVE STATS: Available on www.bluewahoos.com.
LIVESTREAM VIDEO: Available on MiLB.TV (subscription required).
NEXT HOMESTAND: Begins on Aug. 12 vs. Birmingham Barons at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
TICKETS: Available for purchase online at www.bluewahoos.com/tickets, or by visiting the Blue Wahoos box office which will be open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday through Friday this upcoming week.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
Second Half Records (all prior to Aug. 5)
South Division
Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 21-11Montgomery Biscuits – 15-18Biloxi Shuckers – 14-19Columbus Clingstones – 14-19
North Division
Birmingham Barons – 24-9Knoxville Smokies – 16-16Chattanooga Lookouts – 15-16Rocket City Trash Pandas – 11-22
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