Rocket City Shut Out By Pensacola 1-0

The Rocket City Trash Pandas were held to just three hits, suffering a 1-0 loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos despite a fine pitching performance on Wednesday afternoon at Toyota Field in the second game of their six-game series.

Pensacola starter Luis Palacios (W, 9-7) stole the show, throwing eight scoreless innings on 79 pitches, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out seven to earn the win.

Rocket City starter Jack Kochanowicz fired a scoreless top of the first as the opener before turning the ball over to Cole Percival. The Rocket City long reliever worked around hits in each inning between the third and sixth, stranding runners on base each time to keep the game scoreless.

Palacios retired the first 12 hitters he faced over four perfect innings. The first Rocket City player to reach was Sonny DiChiara, who hit a double off the wall in left to start the fifth. A one-out single from Arol Vera put runners on first and third. Palacios got through the jam unscathed by striking out Bryce Teodosio and inducing a fly out from Anthony Mulrine to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Blue Wahoos broke through. Three consecutive singles started the inning, with Tanner Allen’s RBI single to center scoring Cody Morrissette with the game’s first run against Percival. Jack Dashwood got the final two outs of the inning to hold the one-run deficit. Percival (L, 1-4) would take the tough luck loss, giving up one run on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts over 5.1 relief innings.

Dashwood pitched a scoreless eighth and Ivan Armstrong did the same in the ninth. But the Trash Pandas had no answers offensively.

Palacios issued his first walk in the bottom of the eighth, a leadoff free pass to Teodosio. He erased the walk by picking off Teodosio between first and second, ending his start with a clean eighth.

In the ninth, Blue Wahoos closer Matt Pushard (S, 2) walked Tucker Flint with two outs to extend the game before striking out DiChiara to finish the win.

DiChiara, Vera, and Gabe Matthews each had a hit in the loss. The Rocket City pitching quartet of Kochanowicz, Percival, Dashwood, and Armstrong did not walk a batter.

The Trash Pandas (57-71, 26-33 second half) continue the series against the Blue Wahoos (72-54, 31-27 second half) on Thursday night. First pitch 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 also be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV.

The Trash Pandas will host a Community Clubhouse Sale on Thursday featuring game worn and autographed memorabilia including jerseys, bats, caps, and more. Proceeds will benefit the Rocket City Trash Pandas Foundation. Thursday is also Oktoberfest at Toyota Field. For $30, fans can participate in a German Beer Crawl that includes six 8oz German Beers. This special is available at The Bullpen Bar.