Trash Pandas Storm Back For 7-3 Win

The Rocket City Trash Pandas scored five late runs to pull out a 7-3 win over the Tennessee Smokies in the third game of their six-game series on Thursday night at Smokies Stadium.

With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth, the Rocket City offense went to work. Mitch Nay led off with a single. Ray-Patrick Didder followed by bunting and reaching on an error by the Tennessee pitcher. Michael Cruz then gave the Trash Pandas the lead with a ground ball single to right. The Trash Pandas added on as Luis Aviles Jr. singled in a pair and Brendon Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to put the Trash Pandas up 6-2.

Connor Higgins allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-3. Nay got it right back in the ninth with a solo home run to cap an epic 14-pitch at-bat against Smokies reliever Samuel Reyes.

Higgins returned to the mound in the ninth and got the first two outs and Keith Rogalla recorded the final out to finish the win for the Trash Pandas, snapping a two-game losing streak.

The Trash Pandas began the game in promising fashion, loading the bases with nobody out behind singles from Aviles Jr. and Carlos Herrera followed by a walk to Davis. Tennessee starter Dakota Chalmers got through the jam by getting a pop up from David MacKinnon and ground balls from Izzy Wilson and Nay to end the inning.

Rocket City broke through in the second as Didder led off with a single, swiped second for his 12th stolen base of the year, and came home on a single to right from Torii Hunter Jr.

The single run was enough for Trash Pandas starter Ryan Smith for most of his outing. In the third, the lefty induced a double play ground ball to erase a leadoff walk. Two innings later, a two-out walk and single put Tennessee in position to score, but Carlos Sepulveda flew out to end the inning.

However, Smith couldn’t hold the lead in the sixth. A two-run homer from Nelson Velazquez turned a one-run deficit into a 2-1 lead for the home team and left Smith in line for the loss.

Smith’s third Double-A start was his best. Over 6.0 strong innings, he gave up two earned runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in a quality start.

The Trash Pandas got Smith off the hook with two outs in the seventh as Davis reached on a walk, stole second base, and scored the tying run on a double to center from MacKinnon.

Reliever Connor Higgins kept the game even 2-2 with a clean bottom of the frame, giving the Trash Pandas the late opportunity they capitalized on to earn the win.

Higgins (W, 1-2) earned his first victory of the season after giving up one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

At the plate, eight of the nine Rocket City starters recorded a hit in the win while Nay’s home run was his 18th of the season to tie Wilson for the team lead. In his Rocket City debut, Herrera went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. As a team, the Trash Pandas stole a season-high six bases in the victory to improve their record back to .500 on the season.

The Trash Pandas (42-42) continue their series against the Smokies (37-46) on Friday 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.