Trash Pandas Shut Out in Tennessee, 6-0

KODAK, Tennessee – Despite reaching double digits in the hit column, the Rocket City Trash Pandas couldn’t get a run across in a 6-0 defeat to the Tennessee Smokies on Saturday night at Smokies Stadium.

Both starters were on top of their game at the outset, with Tennessee’s Ben Brown and Rocket City’s Mason Erla matching each other zero for zero to begin the night.

That finally changed in the bottom of the fourth, as a two-out single from Bryce Ball plated Cole Roederer from second with the first run of the game against Erla.

After Brown threw four scoreless innings, the Trash Pandas quickly threatened to get even against Smokies reliever Peyton Remy (W, 8-5) in the fifth. Lian Soto got the frame started with a double that deflected off Ball’s glove at first. A wild pitch advanced Soto to third and Logan O’Hoppe walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Remy got the second out of the inning on a pop up from Sonny DiChiara. O’Hoppe stole second to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. But neither run would score as Zach Humphreys struck out to end the frame.

Erla maintained the 1-0 score by getting an inning-ending double play to complete a scoreless bottom of the fifth.

An inning later, the Smokies broke the game open. Following back-to-back singles to start the inning, Jake Slaughter’s two-run double down the left field line made it 3-0. He would come around to score on Nelson Maldonado’s single. Andy Weber then connected with an RBI single of his own, giving the Smokies a 5-0 lead and ending Erla’s night. Aaron Hernandez entered from the bullpen and got the final outs to keep the deficit at five.

Over 5.1 innings, Erla (L, 4-4) gave up five runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts to suffer the loss, his fourth of the season.

Remy and Bailey Horn navigated around runners in both the seventh and eighth to keep the shutout alive.

The Smokies added one more run in the bottom of the eighth against Nick Jones when Yonathan Perlaza doubled to left. Getting the ball back to the infield, Rocket City left fielder Jeremiah Jackson’s throw was array and missed the cutoff man, allowing Perlaza to come all the way home for a 6-0 lead.

In the ninth, Smokies reliever Zac Leigh completed the shutout to get the Smokies back in the series, with the Smokies now trailing the Trash Pandas 3-2 in their final series of the regular season.

All nine Trash Pandas starters reached base with either a hit or a walk in the loss, with Soto and Zach Neto each going 2-for-5 as the Trash Pandas recorded 10 hits as a team, outhitting the Smokies 10-9.

The Trash Pandas (69-50, 28-22 second half) wrap up their series with the Smokies (63-56, 26-24 second half) on Sunday night. First pitch at Smokies Stadium is set for 1 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.