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Reunited Tandem Of McCambley and Banfield Lead Blue Wahoos To Third Win Of Week 

Zach McCambley delivered a six-inning gem and his catcher Will Banfield went 4-for-4 in Blue Wahoos win Friday against the Birmingham Barons. (Daniel Venn)
August 13, 2022

They’ve come up together in the minor leagues, which gives pitcher Zach McCambley and catcher Will Banfield a special relationship. That kind of connection was on full display Friday night when McCambley produced one of his best starts, whlle Banfield had his finest game in Double-A to co-supply the Blue

They’ve come up together in the minor leagues, which gives pitcher Zach McCambley and catcher Will Banfield a special relationship.

That kind of connection was on full display Friday night when McCambley produced one of his best starts, whlle Banfield had his finest game in Double-A to co-supply the Blue Wahoos 6-3 victory against the Birmingham Barons at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

McCambley followed his worst outing July 29 with a memorable one Friday. He allowed just one run in six innings, struck out 10 and did not walk a batter for the first time in his 18 starts this season.

Banfield, meanwhile, called the game from behind the plate, then swung a productive bat with a 4-for-4 night and scoring two runs. It was his first multi-hit night since joining the Blue Wahoos on July 22.

“Super happy for Banny,” McCambley said. “He was in Beloit (Sky Carp) with me all last year. He was my catcher and we built chemistry. This year with him coming in now, we are a little familiar with each other.

“He is a super athletic catcher and has got an A-grade arm. I like the way he was calling the pitches tonight. It was different than how we was calling them in Beloit. I can see him maturing as a catcher taking that step forward to be a leader of the team. Whatever he was putting down tonight I was with him. And I have the utmost confidence he is going to block anything.”

Friday, Banfield also made contact well. He began the Blue Wahoos’ 4-run rally in the sixth inning with his one-out, infield single.

He later scored on a wild pitch. The Blue Wahoos had runners on first and third when J.D. Osborne drove in the first run. With two outs, the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases and got a two-run single from Nasim Nunez, another recent addition from the Beloit Sky Carp.

That rally enabled McCambley to earn his sixth win.

It became a far different experience from his last start, when he was rocked for three home runs and lasted only two innings in a loss at Montgomery. It was one of this roughest nights as a pro.

“Yeah, it just wasn’t my day,” said McCambley, who gave up six hits and five runs in that shorting outing. “My stuff wasn’t able to command any part of the strike zone like I was (Friday). I think (Friday) that t I was working every single part of the zone pretty well with the fastball and it was playing pretty well. Just threw with more conviction.

“Last week was obviously very disappointing to me,” McCambley said. “I kinda let the bullpen guys down. I knew this week, going into it I was going to give them a little extra in what I had --- find another gear to get through that sixth inning and let those bullpen guys rest a little.””

The Blue Wahoos tacked on two more runs in the eighth to lead 6-3 when a defining moment of the game occurred. After that inning was extended for an injury to a Barons reliever and a replacement summoned, It may have hurt Sean Reynolds, who had been warming up in the Blue Wahoos bullpen.

Reynolds walked the first two batters he faced in the ninth. The tying run was now at the plate. Banfield was joined on a mound visit by pitching coach Dave Eiland in effort to calm Reynolds.

Whatever was said, worked well. Reynolds struck out the Barons’ Evan Skoug on a 2-2 breaking pitch. He then struck out DJ Burt on a 3-2 slider, then ended the game with a strikeout against top of the order batter Jose Rodriguez, who homered in his previous at-bat.

“Huge pitches that (Reynolds) made,” said McCambley, watching from the dugout. “This is really Sean’s first season pitching full time. He was a hitter the last five years . He is a rookie as a pitcher.

“Dave went out there, calmed him down a little bit. He collected his thoughts and started getting that slider over the plate a little more. Starting to command that fastball… and he also throws 99 miles per hour so it’s really good watching him work out there. I think that was a big step for him in the process of being a pitcher.

‘He's throwing gas out there and it’s just a joy to watch.”

GAME NOTABLES

--- Representatives from Columbia Southern University, an online university, attended Friday’s game as part of the school’s sponsorship of Friday’s game, which included the backpacks giveaway. The group participated in pregame activities, including ceremonial first pitches, as well as an in-game radio interview and display table on the home plate concourse.

--- The Blue Wahoos also welcomed Lloyd’s Autoglass, Whataburger and T-Mobile with display tables on the concourse. During on-field pregame, Whataburger presented a check for $1,000 to the Manna Food Bank.

-- Friday's game was televised regionally by YurView Louisiana, formerly Cox Sports Television. It was the final one of four games broadcast this season by the regional network. Blue Wahoos radio announcer Erik Bremer handled the lead role in the broadcast booth with former MLB pitcher and Pensacola native Kevin Saucier as analyst. The radio broadcast Friday was handled by Steve Nissim with Studer Family of Companies and former WEAR-3 sportscaster.


BLUE WAHOOS WEEKEND

WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

GAMETIMES: Saturday’s game starts at 6:05 p.m., Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

TICKETS: Available online at www.bluewahoos.com/tickets. Or at stadium box office during regular business hours Monday through Friday or by calling 850-934-8444.

RADIO: ESPN-Pensacola (99.1 FM and 1330 AM and WYCT 98.7 HD4).

TV: YurView (check provider) and MILB.tv (streaming) through www.milb.com/live-stream-games with subscription discount using BLUE WAHOOS.

PROMOTIONS: – Saturday: Fireworks Saturday and D.I.Y Jersey Night – Each Blue Wahoos player will take field in a different, specialty jersey designed by fans. An in-game auction will occur. In addition, fans will get a chance to test drive electric vehicles from various auto companies in a promotion by Florida Power & LIght. There will be multiple choices of vehicles to drive. Also, renown economist John List professor of economics at the University of Chicago, will be on the concourse meeting fans and signing his new book. List, who is part of the Blue Wahoos ownership team, is visiting as part of CivicCon Night at the ballpark.

A fireworks show will follow the game.

Sunday: Family Sunday – Kids can run one lap around the bases following the game and families can toss baseballs in the outfield for 30 minutes following the game.