Trash Pandas Comeback Falls Short, Lose 7-6 In Extras

KODAK, Tennessee – After coming back from an early 5-0 deficit, the Rocket City Trash Pandas battled back quickly against the Tennessee Smokies to force extra innings, but the comeback wouldn’t be enough as the Smokies came through in the clutch to send their home fans happy on opening night.

Tennessee jumped on Trash Pandas starting pitcher Victor Mederos quickly. The Smokies struck first with a sacrifice fly from Haydn McGeary followed by a Christian Franklin RBI single in the bottom of the first.

The Smokies blew the inning open with a three-run home run from Pablo Aliendo, making it 5-0 Tennessee as Mederos exited the game for Brett Kerry.

Rocket City would respond in the next half inning, Sam Brown set the table with his first professional hit before David Calabrese would drive him in for the Trash Pandas’ first run of the season.

Arol Vera followed that up with a run-scoring single, cutting the deficit to three. The Trash Pandas weren’t done in the second, as Angels top prospect Nelson Rada drew a bases-loaded walk and Kyren Paris plated another on a fielder’s choice.

In the fourth, Cole Fontenelle would tie the game at five on an RBI single for his first Double-A hit.

The Trash Pandas kept the game tied due to a strong performance out of the bullpen from Kerry, who tossed four scoreless innings and struck out seven while allowing just one hit. Kerry matched his career high as a reliever with his seven strikeouts.

Both bullpens would continue to keep the game tied through regulation with Trash Pandas’ Kenyon Yovan forcing extras with two scoreless innings.

The Trash Pandas would collect their first lead of the game in the top of the tenth as a wild pitch scored Brown, that would be the lone blemish on Jake Reindl’s (W, 1-0) night.

Eric Torres (L, 0-1) couldn’t keep the lead as the Trash Pandas bullpen faltered in the bottom half.

James Triantos tied the game on an RBI single and after an 11-pitch at-bat, Haydn McGeary grounded one that went off a diving Fontenelle’s glove to end the game.

The Trash Pandas (0-1, 0-1, first half) drop their season-opener in extra-innings for the second straight season and will take on the Smokies (1-0, 1-0 first half) again on Saturday night. First pitch at Smokies Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m. CT, Josh Caray will have the call on WZZN 97.7-HD2.