Trash Pandas Sweep Twin Bill Over Smokies

MADISON, Alabama – In a tightly contested pitcher’s duel, the Rocket City Trash Pandas finally got the clutch hit they needed from Preston Palmeiro in the bottom of the 11th inning for a thrilling 1-0 walk-off win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Easter Sunday afternoon at Toyota Field.

Heading into extra innings in a scoreless game, the Trash Pandas got brilliant relief work from Luis Ledo (W, 1-1), who pitched two scoreless innings with runners in scoring position each time.

In the bottom of the inning, Aaron Whitefield began as the runner on second and Trey Cabbage was intentionally walked. Two hitters later, Palmeiro stepped to the plate and lined a single to right for his first hit of the season, allowing Whitefield to slide home with the winning run and give Rocket City a split of the six-game series.

From the start, the stars were the pitchers with Rocket City’s Coleman crow and Pensacola’s Bryan Hoeing matching each other zero for zero to start the afternoon.

In the first, Crow struck out a pair in a one, two, three inning. The Blue Wahoos put two on with two out in the second before Crow caught Santiago Chavez looking at strike three to end the frame. Pensacola again put a pair of runners on the base in the third, and Crow got through it by striking out Jerar Encarnacion with a breaking ball to keep the game scoreless. Crow ended his second Double-A start by working around a baserunner for the third straight inning, keeping the game scoreless in the fourth.

Crow was sharp over 4.0 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and walking one with six strikeouts. His start marks the ninth straight game Trash Pandas starters have allowed two or fewer runs to start the season. As a group, the Rocket City rotation has posted an ERA of 1.88 (8 ER/38.1 IP) through the first nine games of the 2022 season.

Rocket City turned to Luke Murphy out of the bullpen in the fifth and issued a one-out walk to Hayden Cantrelle. It was quickly erased when Murphy struck out Troy Johnston and catcher Anthony Mulrine fired to third to catch Cantrelle stealing for an inning-ending double play.

Ivan Armstrong entered for the seventh for the Trash Pandas and immediately got into a jam, allowing a double and a single to start the frame. The righty powered through it by inducing a double play ground ball from former Trash Pandas infielder Ray-Patrick Didder for the first two outs before striking out Griffin Conine to end the inning. Another double play in the seventh gave Armstrong two scoreless innings of relief.

Kolton Ingram kept the strong relief work going with a one, two, three top of the eighth for the Trash Pandas as Hoeing continued his dominance for Pensacola.

Ingram returned for his second inning for work in the ninth and retired the Blue Wahoos in order. Nardi sent the game to extra innings with a clean frame of his own, and the Trash Pandas found the winner in the 11th off Pensacola close Colton Hock.Five Trash Pandas pitchers combined to pitch 11 scoreless innings, walking just three and recording 14 strikeouts while the Blue Wahoos were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Trash Pandas were 1-for-12 in that same situation. However, the one hit proved to be the difference in the game.

The Trash Pandas (6-3) hit the road to begin a six-game series with the Tennessee Smokies starting on Tuesday night. First pitch at Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.

Rocket City returns home to Toyota Field on Tuesday, April 26 for a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons. The homestand is highlighted by a special 11:05 a.m. first pitch for Education Day on Wednesday, April 27 and a Reid Detmers bobblehead giveaway, presented by Trustmark, on Thursday, April 28.