BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped the opener of their road series against the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday night, falling by a score of 8-4.
After an afternoon filled with a dozen roster transactions, including the arrivals of infielders Aiva Arquette and Juan Matheus from High-A Beloit, the Blue Wahoos couldn't get their offense going as they slipped back to .500 at 23-23.
The Barons took a quick 2-0 lead against Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller (L, 1-3) thanks to a second-inning RBI single from Jeral Pérez and a third-inning sacrifice fly from Alec Makarewicz. Cristian Hernández tied the game for Pensacola with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Birmingham took the lead for good in the fourth inning, loading the bases against Miller before reliever Luis Palacios served up a go-ahead grand slam to Colby Shelton. The Barons tacked on two more in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-run double from Makarewicz against reliever Livan Reinoso.
Dylan Jasso singled home Connor Caskenette in the top of the seventh inning and brought him in again in the ninth on a sacrifice fly, but the Barons bullpen held onto the lead for an 8-4 final.
Matheus was 2-for-3 with a double in his Double-A debut, and Arquette hustled out an infield single for his first Double-A hit in a 2-for-4 night. Caskenette, making his season debut for the Blue Wahoos after appearing in 14 games in 2024, was 2-for-4 with a double. Reliever Holt Jones, also called up from Beloit, worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout in his debut.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Wednesday afternoon as they play in "The Rickwood Game" at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT, with a live audio broadcast beginning at 12:15 on BlueWahoos.com/radio or the MiLB app.