Bush, Bats Power Trash Pandas Past Smokies 8-1

MADISON, Alabama – The Rocket City Trash Pandas built an early lead and starter Ky Bush was dominant on the mound in a 8-1 victory over the Tennessee Smokies on Saturday night in front of an energetic sellout crowd of 7,500 at Toyota Field.

Bush began the game in fine form with a one, two, three top of the first. The offense wasted no time in giving him a comfy lead.

Livan Soto started the bottom of the inning with a walk and Aaron Whitefield extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a single to left. With both runners in motion, Zach Humphreys blooped a single to shallow left, allowing both Soto and Whitefield to slide home safely with the first two runs of the night. Ryan Aguilar walked to put two back on base. Preston Palmeiro then crushed an opposite-field three-run homer to left-center, his third home run of the season, to give the Trash Pandas a 5-0 lead after the first inning.

Orlando Martinez added on in the second when he connected on a solo home run of his own 399 feet to right for his second blast of the season, increasing the advantage to 6-0.

Tennessee got a run back off Bush in the third on a fielder’s choice ground out. But that would be all Bush allowed. He needed only 10 pitches to strike out the side in the fourth before working around a double and a walk for a scoreless fifth. Bush ended his night by again setting the Smokies down in order in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to first.

Over six brilliant innings, Bush (W, 3-1) allowed one run on four this with one walk and a season-high nine strikeouts to earn his third victory of the season.

Luke Murphy was first out of the Trash Pandas bullpen and quickly struck out the side in the seventh.

Kevin Maitan put the game out of reach for good in the bottom of the seventh with a massive 446-foot home run off the batter’s eye in center field, a two-run blast for his second homer of the season and an 8-1 Rocket City lead.

Murphy shut the Smokies down in the eighth to complete two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Pitching on his 27th birthday, Luis Ledo tossed a clean ninth to finish off the Trash Pandas third win in a row.

Palmeiro led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Maitan was 2-for-3 with the home run, two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base, his first steal since the 2019 season.

The Trash Pandas (26-17) and Smokies (24-19) conclude their series with a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday at Toyota Field. The start of the first game is set for 12:05 p.m. The second game will start approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first, but no earlier than 2:35 p.m. Tickets for May 29 are valid for both games of the doubleheader. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The games will also be televised locally on WAAY-31.6, This TV. Check listings for additional cable carriers.

At Sunday’s doubleheader, 2,000 adults ages 18 and older will receive a limited-edition Trash Pandas camouflage cap, presented by Crestwood. After the second game, all kids ages 12 and under are invited to run the bases. Also, as part of Miller May, fans are welcome to stay on the Inline Electric Rock Porch for an hour after the second game for Miller Post-Game Happy Hour, with drink specials available.