Blue Wahoos Blanked in Soggy 8-0 Defeat

Pensacola, Fla. – A first-time game with Pensacola’s participation in Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversion initiative became memorable, but didn’t include a franchise win feat.

Two weather delays, one of those lasting nearly two hours, put a damper on crowd involvement, then had the Mississippi Braves expand a pair of sixth-inning runs into a blowout, 8-0 victory Friday night that ended Pensacola’s record-tying eight-game win streak.

The game did not end until 10:56 p.m., 4 hours, 18 minutes after it began.

Transforming into the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok for the first of three times this season – part of MILB’s Copa series to honor centuries of Hispanic/Latino heritage nationwide – the home team was shut out for the first time this season.

Pensacola’s team wore reddish-orange uniforms with gray-teal caps as the Pok-ta-Pok -- a nod to a game with a heavy ball played in 1650 BC.

When Friday’s game began at 6:38 p.m., before a crowd of 4,333, the skies had begun to turn ominous. A light rain had already started. Two innings were played before conditions worsened.

The game resumed in the top of the third inning at 9:01 p.m. following a 1-hour, 52 minute rain delay. The Blue Wahoos front office staff, including team president Jonathan Griffith and general manager Steve Brice, along with part-time staff, worked en masse to remove the tarp in heavy wind, then helped get the infield playable again.

The game was first halted for four minutes in the second inning when lightning flashed in the sky beyond the left field area. Six minutes of play followed before the much-longer delay ensued.

The forced both teams to rely on relievers to finish the game. Pensacola’s Josan Méndez worked three scoreless innings before trouble ensued in the sixth inning.

The M-Braves Cal Conley led off with a double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. He scored on Cade Bunnell’s two-out double. After a walk to Drew Lugbauer, Méndez was lifted for Zack Leban, who gave up an RBI single.

The ninth inning became disastrous for Pensacola. Reliever Jefry Yan struggled with his command the entire way. He gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases, then walked in four runs on five consecutive walks.

M-Braves reliever Domingo Robles shined with seven scoreless innings. He got Pensacola to hit into inning-ending double plays in the third and sixth inning and allowed just three hits, a walk, six strikeouts.

It was the third time in franchise history the Blue Wahoos produced eight consecutive wins before a loss.

The series continues Saturday with the Blue Wahoos’ Dax Fulton (0-4, 6.45) on the mound against the M-Braves’ Alan Rangel (0-2, 5.40). It’s Fireworks Saturday and an expected sellout crowd for the fifth game of the week. A limited number of tickets, including standing room only, are available.

First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT, with a live broadcast beginning at 6:00 on BlueWahoos.com, the MiLB First Pitch app (radio), Bally Live and MiLB.tv (video) and WFGX MyTV 35 (local television). For more information, visit BlueWahoos.com or call the box office at (850) 934-8444.