Team Effort Leads Trash Pandas To 8-4 Win

The Rocket City Trash Pandas got contributions from everyone in the lineup to back a solid pitching performance in an 8-4 victory over the Tennessee Smokies in front of an energetic crowd of 6,237 on Friday night at Toyota Field.

The win evens the six-game series at two games apiece, with the Trash Pandas fight back to win two straight after dropping the first two.

For the fourth time game in a row, the Smokies struck in their opening turn at the plate. Making his Trash Pandas debut, Cole Percival immediately got into a jam as Pete Crow-Armstrong walked, stole second, and came around to score on Haydn McGeary’s RBI single. The Smokies looked to add on against Percival. But Bradlee Beesley grounded into an inning-ending double play to limit the damage to one run.

Percival settled down after the rocky first, retiring the side in order in the second and getting another double play to end the third. Rocket City responded with a two-out rally to break through off Smokies starter Kohl Franklin (L, 3-6). Kyren Paris got it started with a walk and promptly stole second. An infield single from Jeremiah Jackson put runners on the corners. Tucker Flint followed with a double to the gap in left-center, plating both runners to put Rocket City ahead 2-1.

McGeary’s second RBI single of the night tied the game in the top of the fourth. Percival again limited the damage to just one run, striking out the next three hitters he faced to end the inning.

Sonny DiChiara got the bottom of the inning started with a single. Gabe Matthews followed with a towering fly ball 416 feet to dead center field for a go-ahead two-run homer, his second Double-A big fly, to put the Trash Pandas back on top 4-2.

Percival (W, 1-0) ended his night with a one, two, three top of the fifth. In his first Double-A start, the Rocket City righty pitched five innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts to earn the victory, his first of the season.

Rocket City extended the lead in the bottom of the frame when Jeremiah Jackson lifted a solo home run that just cleared the fence in left for his team-leading 15^th home run of the season. The home run was also his 29^th overall with the Trash Pandas, tying former teammate Orlando Martinez for the Trash Pandas franchise record.

BJ Murray got a run back for the Smokies in the top of the sixth with a solo homer off new Rocket City reliever Luke Murphy. The Trash Pandas quickly restored the three-run lead at 6-3 on a squeeze bunt by David Calabrese to plate Mac McCroskey, who reached with a one-out walk.

The Smokies cut into the lead once again in the seventh on Scott McKeon’s sacrifice fly. They then brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. Ivan Armstrong relieved Murphy and struck out Murray to end the frame and hold the lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Trash Pandas loaded the bases for Bryce Teodosio, who cashed in with an RBI single to center against Smokies reliever Eduarniel Nunez. A wild pitch from Nunez plated Jose Gomez, giving the Trash Pandas an 8-4 lead.

Armstrong pitched a clean eighth and Kenyon Yovan ended the win with a scoreless ninth, finishing the win with an automatic strike three on McKeon to end a one, two, three inning.

Calabrese, Jackson, and DiChiara all recorded two hits in the victory while Flint and Matthews drove in a pair. McCroskey went 1-for-3 with a run in his second Double-A game. With his stolen base, Paris tied the Trash Pandas single season record with 29 steals in a season, matching Aaron Whitefield’s mark from 2022. All nine Rocket City starters reached base with either a hit or a walk.

The Trash Pandas (41-52, 10-14 second half) continue the series with the Smokies (53-40, 17-8 second half) on Saturday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV. Following the game, a fireworks show will amaze fans of all ages, presented by Tyler Mann Injury Law.