Scintillating Silseth Silences Smokies In 8-3 Win

Behind a brilliant pitching performance from starter Chase Silseth and a balanced attack at the plate, the Rocket City Trash Pandas led from start to finish for an 8-3 victory over the Tennessee Smokies in the fourth game of their six-game series on Friday night at Smokies Stadium.

In the best start of his young career, Silseth pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and a career-high seven strikeouts to earn his first professional victory.

For the second consecutive night, the Trash Pandas opened the scoring in the top of the first. Trey Cabbage and Braxton Martinez each reached with a two-out walk. Preston Palmeiro brought them both home with a double to deep center field, giving Rocket City the 2-0 advantage.

Two innings later, Cabbage drew another two-out walk to extend the frame. Martinez followed with a towering two-run home run to the picnic terrace in left-center field, his second homer of the season, to double the Trash Pandas lead to 4-0.

BRAX BOMB! 💣@braxtonmartinez goes yard and we’re up 4-1. pic.twitter.com/QWusbZsf6e

— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) April 22, 2022

Silseth made the early support stand up. He quickly retired the first seven Tennessee hitters he faced before the Smokies broke through on an RBI single from Luis Vazquez in the third.

A strong throw from catcher Zach Humphreys caught Nelson Velazquez stealing to get Silseth through the fourth unscathed. Yonathan Perlaza reached with a one-out double in the fifth but was also stranded after a pair of ground outs. Silseth (W, 1-0) ended his sixth professional outing with a flourish in the sixth, striking out the final two hitters he faced in a one, two, three inning. Rocket City reliever Eric Torres kept the 4-1 lead with a clean bottom of the seventh.

Leading off the eighth, Cabbage unloaded for a monstrous solo home run, his fifth of the season and second in as many nights at his childhood ballpark, to make it a 5-1 game. Later in the inning, Bryce Teodosio connected on a two-run home run to dead center, his first at the Double-A level, to increase the lead to 7-1.

Tennessee got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth against Ivan Armstrong to make it a four-run game again. Rocket City responded with an RBI single from Braxton Martinez in the ninth to increase the score to 8-3.

Luis Ledo made that the final score with a scoreless ninth to finish the win and even the series at two games apiece with two more remaining on Saturday and Sunday.

Eight of the nine Trash Pandas starters recorded at least one hit while Martinez led the way by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run, three RBI, and a walk. Cabbage drew three walks and went 1-for-2 with his solo home run and three runs scored. The three home runs and seven walks from the Rocket City offense both represent season-highs.

The Trash Pandas (8-5) and Smokies (7-5) continue their series on Saturday 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 to begin a 12-game homestand with a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons.