Trash Pandas Fall To Smokies 6-3

MADISON, Alabama – The Rocket City Trash Pandas were unable to contain the Tennessee Smokies offense in the middle innings, ultimately suffering a 6-3 loss in the second game of their six-game series at Toyota Field on Wednesday night.

The defeat marks the first time all season the Trash Pandas have lost consecutive home games in the same series.

The game began well for the visiting Smokies, as Yonathan Perlaza led off the contest with a home run on the game’s fifth pitch from Trash Pandas starter Ky Bush. The Rocket City lefty rebounded to retire the next six hitters he faced. He struck out two more in the third to keep the deficit at 1-0.

The Trash Pandas got the run back in the bottom of the third when Bryce Teodosio led off the frame with a walk, swiped second for his team-leading 24th stolen base of the year, and came around to even the score on Livan Soto’s double into the left-field corner.

Bush ended his night by cruising through the fourth inning, retiring all three hitters on just five pitches. In his first appearance since pitching in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium on July 16, Bush held the Smokies to one run on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts in a no-decision.

In the fifth, Braden Olthoff entered from the Rocket City bullpen. The Smokies greeted him rudely, as Jake Washer lined a single to center to begin the inning. Three hitters later, Perlaza connected on his second homer of the night, an opposite-field two-run shot to left-center to put the Smokies ahead 3-1. They would hold the lead for the rest of the night.

The Trash Pandas got one back in the bottom of the inning. Jose Gomez got it started with a double to left. Teodosio then struck out on a wild pitch from Tennessee starter Chris Clarke (W, 5-3). As Washer, the Smokies catcher, went to pick up the ball and throw to first to retire Teodosio, Gomez alertly came all the way home from second to make it a one-run game.

Tennessee doubled their run total in the seventh on an RBI single from Jake Slaughter, Alexander Canario’s RBI ground out to third, and Bryce Ball’s triple that just eluded a diving attempt from Jordyn Adams in center, plating Slaughter for a 6-2 Smokies lead.

Leading off the bottom of the frame, Torii Hunter Jr. crushed a towering solo home run 446 feet over the Trash Pandas bullpen in left to make it a 6-3 game. The homer was his sixth of the season, and it left his bat with an exit velocity of 108 miles per hour.

Olthoff (L, 3-5) pitched four relief innings for the Trash Pandas, allowing five runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts to suffer his fifth Double-A loss.

Aaron Hernandez kept the score at 6-3 with a scoreless top of the ninth. But the Trash Pandas were unable to mount a comeback against Tennessee reliever Danis Correa (S, 6), who pitched the final two innings to earn the save.

At the plate, Hunter Jr. was the only Rocket City player to record a multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 performance with the home run, a walk, and two stolen bases. For Tennessee, Perlaza went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot with a home run from both sides of the plate, carrying the visitors to the win.

The Trash Pandas (55-43, 14-15 second half) continue their series with the Smokies (54-44, 17-12 second half) on Thursday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will also be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV.

Thursday is Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night at Toyota Field. Fans are encouraged to come to the game dressed up as their favorite Marvel Superhero, and Marvel characters are available for photos before the game. The Trash Pandas will be wearing specialty Thor themed jerseys for the game, and they will be auctioned throughout the game. The jersey auction will be in-person only, with fans able to bid in a silent auction at a table on the Toyota Field concourse. Bidding will begin when gates open and conclude at the end of the seventh inning. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley and the Rocket City Trash Pandas Foundation.

Every Thursday is Burgers & Buds Thursday, where fans can purchase a burger and a Bud or Bud Light for just $12, available at Dumpster Dive, Gravity Grille, or All-Stars concession stands. From 5-7 p.m. fans, can enjoy $3 domestic drafts as part of Happy Hour at the Inline Electric Rock Porch and Bill Penney Toyota Plaza, while Tim Cannon will be performing at the Rock Porch before the game.