Barons Top Trash Pandas in a 10-8 Thriller

Birmingham outlasted Rocket City 10-8 in a Wednesday night thriller to take the second game of the final series of the first half.

The Trash Pandas scored the first five runs of the game. Barons starter Scott Blewett threw a wild pitch to allow the speedy Aaron Whitefield to score. After that, Jeremiah Jackson scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Jose Gomez. In the second inning, Whitefield hit a sac fly to swell the lead. Orlando Martinez ripped an RBI single, and Preston Palmeiro smacked an RBI double. After Blewett recorded six outs, Rocket City led 5-0.

Blewett stranded Braxton Martinez on second base in the third inning after his double. Birmingham got on the board in the next half inning thanks to a D.J. Burt single that plated JJ Muno after the lefty’s fifth double of the season.

Jackson doubled for the Trash Pandas in the fourth inning for an RBI. After Ryan Aguillar hit a sac fly, Rocket City led 7-1 in the middle of the fourth.

However, the Barons came storming back with the next seven runs. JJ Muno hit another double to get the comeback going with two runs coming in. Muno came in to score on a slow Jose Rodriguez ground ball into center field. D.J. Burt came in to score all the way from first base.

In the fifth inning, Ian Dawkins cranked his third homer of the season to bring in three runs and seize an 8-7 Barons lead.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, the Trash Pandas tied the game when Jose Gomez rolled a grounder over to short. JJ Muno’s flip to second base was tardy and everyone was safe, including Aaron Whitefield, who crossed home plate.

In the next half inning, with D.J. Burt on second base and JJ Muno on third base, Jose Rodriguez hit a bloop single into right field to take a 10-8 lead. That held with Edgar Navarro’s second AA save of his career.

First pitch is set for 7:05 CT tomorrow. Emilio Vargas (0-4, 6.22) will start for the Barons. The Trash Pandas will go with Brett Kerry (2-3, 4.53).