Smokies Series Recap: Knoxville Smokies @ Rocket City Trash Pandas

Cooper Smith

MADISON, AL — The Smokies entered this series against Rocket City having dropped their previous five games, being swept by Montgomery and dropping the final two games against Biloxi prior to the All-Star break. For Knoxville, this week determined if they could continue their first-half fun into late July. The series featured five one-run games, with Knoxville capturing three victories, and two of them coming with late-inning magic. With only 221 miles separating these two teams, it was a lot closer than the standings indicated entering the series on Tuesday.

Game 1: Astounding, Astonishing, and All… Alex Ramirez

Game 1, first at-bat, goodbye baseball… courtesy of Alex Ramirez. Ramirez fell behind 0-2 and battled his way to a full count, picking up spin out of the hand of Ryan Costeiu. Alex spun the ball over the left-field wall for an early Smokies lead.

Connor Schultz had the nod in Game 1 and was on cruise control for the first time through the Rocket City lineup, striking out four batters through his first three innings. But, come the 4th, is when Schultz ran into trouble. The first three batters of the inning reached, and two runs came across on a Jake Munroe single and a Juan Flores groundout.

Then came Alex Ramirez again in the 5th. A-Ram would creep into the right-handed batter's box with two on and one out, and all he needed was one pitch. Ramirez would club his 12th homer of the year to make it 4-2, surpassing his single-season record of 11 back in 2022.

Schultz would exit after five strong innings, and Knoxville's bullpen would hold serve with four innings of one-run ball from Evan Taylor and Tyler Ras to snap the losing streak and take Game 1.

Game 2: Smokies Late-Inning Lumber Not Enough

It was all starting pitching early on in Wednesday's one-run game, with Dawson Netz throwing for Knoxville and Eyberrson Polanco for Rocket City. Both hurlers held their opponents scoreless through the first four innings of the game. Polanco allowed three baserunners with five Ks over his first five, while Netz was stingier by going 12 up, 12 down.

Knoxville would earn the game's first run after two two-out knocks from the nine-hole hitter Karson Simas and leadoff man Alex Ramirez, with Ramirez picking up his fifth RBI of the series already.

Rocket City would respond with three runs of their own, capitalizing on two free passes to lead off the inning. Netz was knocked out of the game after a walk to Mac McCroskey, and Luke Little would enter and surrender the final run of the inning.

The scoring wouldn't stop there for the Trash Pandas as they scratched three more runs across over the next two innings, including a Juan Flores two-run homer.

The Smokies' sticks stayed silent... until they were down to their final three outs. A few singles and defensive miscues from Jake Munroe at 3rd base gave Knoxville life as they loaded the bases with nobody out. The first-half champs would punch across four runs to make it a one-run game but fell short, 6-5, in Game 2.

Game 3: RIP to the RISP

Thursday was another close one with late-inning life from both squads as the starting pitchers matched zeros early on again. For the Smokies, it was chance after chance, but they could not capitalize on the opportunities.

Ethan Hearn started the scoring in the visiting fourth. The Knoxville backstop fell behind in the count 1-2 but did not miss the mistake over the heart of the white. Hearn yanked a heater into straightaway right for his 4th home run of the season, awarding Knoxville a 1-0 lead.

Brody McCullough made his second start in a Smokies uniform, and he impressed. Over 4.2 IP, McCullough did not allow a run, but three free passes would be the difference in a shutout outing. A leadoff walk to Caleb Bartelero would come around to score after McCullough exited the game, as Frankie Scalzo Jr. would surrender a single to Elijah Dunham, tying us at one.

Scalzo's troubles did not stop there as he would allow three more earned runs in the 6th, as Rocket City would climb to a 4-1 lead. However, the heart of the Smokies' order would respond with a haymaker of their own in the 7th.

After Drew Bowser was retired to start the inning, Alex Ramirez would walk, Jefferson Rojas would single, and then... going, going Garriola! Andy parked a three-run homer for his team-leading 18th long ball, but for Knoxville, the scoring would stop there as chances came and went.

The Trash Pandas would make Knoxville pay for their lack of clutch hitting in Thursday's game with a walk-off single from Raudi Rodriguez. The Smokies ended the night 1-for-12 with RISP and 12 LOB, falling 5-4.

Game 4: Mighty Martinez-Gomez, and a Timely Trice Even the Series

The best outing of Luis Martinez-Gomez's career came on Friday, and boy, was it needed. Knoxville's pitching continues to keep them competitive on a nightly basis; however, this was dominance from the Smokies' right-hander.

Two two-out knocks in the first three innings were exactly what the boys in blue needed after Thursday night's loss. Carter Trice and Andy Garriola delivered, Trice with an RBI double in the first and Garriola with a sharp single in the third. Alex Madera would plate another in the 4th on a sacrifice fly, with the Smokies leading entering the home 4th.

The lone mistake of the evening by Martinez-Gomez came against Jake Munroe as he would house a heater for his first Double-A home run of his career, but that was it for the Rocket City sticks against Luis. Mr. M-G would finish with 6 IP, allowing only 2 H and 1 ER while striking out 12 Trash Pandas!

The Smokies would lose the lead in the 7th inning on a Juan Flores sacrifice fly following a fielding error, which did give Knoxville fits on Friday. But it was Trice Time in the 8th.

Carter Trice started the Smokies' scoring in the first inning and closed all the scoring with a go-ahead solo shot to give Knoxville a 4-3 lead with just six outs to get. Jacob Wallace and Tyler Ras would get those six outs, as Ras snagged his second save of the series, putting a close to a 4-3 winner.

Game 5: The Saturday Shutout Goes to Rocket City

It was all Trash Pandas all night long, beginning with former Volunteer and 2024 National Champion Nate Snead solidifying another solid start. Snead would turn in five shutout innings of his own while striking out four Smokies before turning the ball over to the bullpen.

As for Brooks Caple, it was another quality start that lacked run support. However, Caple coughed up a couple of mistakes of his own in the middle innings. A mistake in the 4th to Jake Munroe would double the Rocket City lead, and then David Calabrese would get his own licks in with a homer of his own, giving the Trash Pandas a 3-0 cushion.

Caple's night would be through after six strong innings, allowing those three earned runs while striking out six Trash Pandas in the process.

As for the Knoxville offense, it was another night of frustration when they needed to come up with the big hit, leaving 10 more runners stranded throughout the game and going hitless in eight at-bats with RISP.

The Rocket City arm barn would have to get the final 12 outs of the game, and they did, highlighted by the five-strikeout performance from Lucas Mahlstedt. Two more runs late by the Trash Pandas would complete the Game 5 shutout by a score of 5-0.

Game 6: Extra-Inning Win, One-Game Lead Retained

Knoxville entered the series with a slim one-game lead over Rocket City, but entering Sunday they were all tied up, with the Game 6 winner grabbing the division lead. Kevin Valdez would make his second start for the Smokies, and a solid outing is what Knoxville received.

It was a homer handoff as Ariel Armas would abolish a Ryan Costeiu fastball for his second of the year, followed by a Caleb Bartelero round-tripper... 2-1 Rocket City after four.

Valdez would complete the 5th inning, and the home run allowed to Bartelero was really the only miss of the night. Ryan Costeiu also booked a bounce-back start after allowing four runs on Tuesday. Costeiu finished the night with 5 IP of one-run ball and six Ks.

Both bullpens showed some trouble. For Rocket City, it came in the 6th inning courtesy of a Carter Trice RBI single and an Edgar Alvarez two-run double. For Knoxville, it happened in the 8th on an Alex Madera error and a JJ D'Orazio single. Neither team could snag the lead in the ninth, so we had free baseball determine the Southern League North leader in Game 6.

With two outs and the go-ahead run at third, Jefferson Rojas wanted more than one as he launched his 15th of the year, tacking on two runs to make it 6-4, but of course it wasn't easy in the bottom half of the 10th. A Jake Munroe groundout would get Rocket City one back, but that would be all as Jacob Wallace would pick up a save in his second game as a Smokie... 6-5 final in 10.

Wrap Up

Some offensive scrappiness and steady starting pitching were the themes of the six-game set in Madison. The Knoxville bats struggled at times but were picked up by the staff as the Smokies found their way to a series split and maintained that slim one-game lead in the standings over the Trash Pandas. Knoxville will see Rocket City very soon, but next it's back home to comfy Covenant Health Park for six with Pensacola. The first game of the series is set for Tuesday with a 7:00 PM first pitch. Join us at the park for Taco Tuesday!

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