1 of 9,113 Blue Wahoos Wallop Lookouts 9-3 - Game Called in 7th Because of Rain

  • Tuesday, June 8, 2021
  • Joseph Dycus
Lookouts catcher Chuckie Robinson was standing on first after a nice single into right. Trailing by seven runs, he wanted to be a spark for his team and tried to show off his speed. But instead of taking second, the opposing pitcher made a quick throw to first and picked Robinson off before he even had a chance to really make a break down the basepaths. It was that kind of night for the Chattanooga Lookouts, who were routed by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 9-3 at AT&T Stadium before a downpour caused the game to be called in the seventh inning.

The Blue Wahoos have their top three prospects batting at the top of the lineup, and they wasted little time imprinting themselves on the game.
The outfield trio starts with centerfielder Peyton Burdick, who led off the game with a single to left before stealing second. 6’5, 240 pound left fielder Jerar Encarnacion drove a ball into center to put runners on the corners. The third and most-touted of the triumvirate, JJ Bleday, showed patience and walked when facing a full count.

Catcher Nick Fortes was not on any top prospect list, but he showed major league power against the Lookouts’ Nick Pidich when he sent a fly ball  over a retreating Mariel Bautista in right. The baseball flew over Bautista’s head and ricocheted off the wall, allowing two runners to score and Fortes to jog into second with a double. Shortstop Demetrius Sims got another runner in by blooping a single off Pidich in the space between the infield and a charging Lorenzo Cedrola in center field.

Designated hitter Tristan Pompey continued the inning that never seemed to end when he loaded the bases after drawing the second walk of the inning. Right handed first baseman Bubba Hollins didn’t get on base, but his deep fly ball to left got Riley Mahan in from third on a sacrifice fly. Devin Hairston lifted a ball over the infield and into center for another run, and the Marlins affiliate now had five runs on as many hits.

Peyton Burdick ended Pidick’s night before the first inning was even finished with his second at-bat of the early evening. He slapped a ball into left, and around to score came two Blue Wahoos. Manager Ricky Gutierrez had seen enough, and yanked Pidich for righthander John Ghyzel. Chattanooga’s reliever finally got the third out when he painted the bottom outside corner for strike three against Encarnacion.

The Lookouts stop two of Jose Barrero and Brian Rey did their best to give the Lookouts fans hope to start their half of the inning. Barrero singled to left off Brandon Leibrandt, and then Rey drove a pitch into left to put runners on the corners. Catcher Chuckie Robinson did his best impression of Olympic teammate Mark Kolozsvary and singled softly down the third base line. While Barrero scored, Robinson ended up at second after Pensacola’s Hairston made a wild throw to first. Cedrola could have added onto the lead, but his would-be single was snagged out of the air by a leaping Bubba Hollins.

Ghyzel did not give up seven runs like Pidich, but he didn’t have the cleanest second inning ever either. He walked Bleday, got a strikeout and a flyout, and then walked Demetrius Sims. A wild pitch moved both runners to second and third, setting the stage for Pompey. The DH hit a soft ball down the first base line, and an error by first baseman Yoel Yanqui resulted in two unearned runs getting on the board. The Wahoos led 9-1 going into the bottom of the second.

Barrero put another Lookout run on the board when he hit a soft single into center field, scoring Leo Rivas and putting third baseman Robbie Tenerowicz at third with two outs. Rey snapped a grounder right at second base, and he was not fast enough to beat out a throw. So while the Lookouts scored for the second straight inning, they still trailed by a considerable amount after two.

After several scoreless innings in which the Lookouts brought out half their pitching staff to get outs, Chattanooga finally scored again in the sixth inning. Bautista drove a single to Burdick in center, scoring Cedrola after the Chattanooga outfielder had doubled a few batters before. After playing part of the bottom of the inning, the rain really started to come down and the game was called after a little over six and a half innings.

Summary:

Blue Wahoos: 7/2/0/0/0/0/X/X  - 9/9/2
Lookouts: 1/1/0/0/0/X/X/X  - 3/10/2

Leibrandt, Wolf (6) and Fortes; Pidich, Ghyzel (1), Figueroa (3), Lillie (6), Keys (6) and Robinson

WP: Leibrandt
LP: Pidich


You can contact the author at Joseph.A.Dycus@gmail.com or on Twitter at @joseph_dycus . 
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