Moore homers in return to Knoxville, but Pandas drop slugfest

KNOXVILLE, TN – Christian Moore hit his first home run of the 2025 season and recorded three hits for the second consecutive game in his return to Knoxville, but the Rocket City Trash Pandas (6-15) lost a back-and-forth slugfest 9-6 to the Knoxville Smokies (11-10) on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. The two clubs combined for four home runs in a game that marked Rocket City's first-ever visit to downtown Knoxville's new $114 million facility.

Knoxville took an early lead with a two-run home run from Jaylen Palmer in the second inning. This was Palmer's third home run of the season, and all three have come against the Trash Pandas.

Sam Brown extended his on-base streak to 10 games by hitting an RBI single to score Nelson Rada in the top of the third inning, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. The Smokies quickly responded, increasing their lead to 4-1 with a sacrifice fly by BJ Murray and an RBI single from Corey Joyce off Rocket City starter Mitch Farris.

After starting the game with a single, former Tennessee Vols star Moor launched a two-run home run into the home bullpen in left-center field, which was his first of the season. The Knoxville crowd erupted after the 408-foot blast as Moore's homer cut the lead to 4-3.

Murray hit Knoxville's second home run of the night in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 5-3. This would be the last run allowed by Farris, who, through 5.0 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out seven.

The Trash Pandas briefly took control in the top of the sixth inning, rallying against the Smokies' bullpen. Brown and Sonny DiChiara connected with back-to-back singles before Tucker Flint hit a three-run home run, giving Rocket City a 6-5 lead. This was Flint's second homer of the season.

The Smokies quickly tied the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth, with back-to-back extra-base hits from Hayden Cantrelle and Pablo Aliendo. Kelvin Caceras (L, 0-3) entered in the eighth inning, hit two batters and walked one before allowing a go-ahead RBI double from Cantrelle and a two-run single by Pedro Ramirez, extending Knoxville's lead to 9-6.

Knoxville relievers Nolan Clenney (W, 1-0) and Mitchell Tyranski (S, 3) held the Pandas scoreless in the final three innings, securing the win in the series opener.

Moore's three hits led the offense, which totaled eight hits. Brown contributed two hits, while Denzer Guzman's league-best 14-game on-base streak ended with a 0-for-5 performance.

The Trash Pandas and Smokies will face off again on Wednesday night for game two of their six-game series at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville. The game is scheduled for 6:00 PM CT, featuring Rocket City right-hander Walbert Urena (0-1, 10.42 ERA) against Knoxville right-hander Chris Kachmar (1-1, 3.48 ERA). Fans can watch the game on Bally Live and MiLB.tv or listen on ESPN 97.7 HD-2 and trashpandasbaseball.com.

The Trash Pandas will return to Toyota Field from May 6-11 to host the Montgomery Biscuits for a six-game homestand.

Tickets are available starting at just $8 for general admission and $16 for field-level seats. They can be purchased online at tptix.com. Fans can also purchase tickets in person during regular business hours at the Wicks Family Foundation Box Office or by calling 256-325-1403, option 1. Fans can book their group outings for the 2025 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or by calling the group sales department directly at (256) 325-1403, option 2. 20-game mini-plans are also available at tptix.com.