Home Runs Power Trash Pandas Past Biloxi 9-7

Trailing early, the Rocket City Trash Pandas slugged their way back into the game and ultimately prevailed with a 9-7 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers in the second game of their six-game series on Wednesday night at Toyota Field.

The win wraps up an incredible August for the Trash Pandas, who went a season-best 17-9 during the month including 10-4 at home. Overall, the win improves the Trash Pandas’ record to a franchise-best 22 games over .500 at 72-50 while keeping them three games ahead of Tennessee in the second half standings at 31-22.

The back-and-forth slugfest began in favor of the visitors. The Shuckers scored a single run in each of the first, second, and third innings, capped by Garrett Whitley’s solo home run, to build a 3-0 lead against Trash Pandas starter Ky Bush.

Rocket City got on the board in the bottom of the third when Jordyn Adams reached with a two-out triple and came around to score on Aaron Whitefield’s bloop single to right off Biloxi starter Carlos Luna.

The Shuckers extended the lead in the fourth, scoring a pair on Jason Lopez’s RBI ground out and Corey Ray’s RBI single to make it 5-1.

Rocket City stormed back in the bottom of the frame. Zach Neto got it started with his second Double-A home run and first at Toyota Field, a 367-foot solo shot that cleared the wall in left to make it 5-2. Zach Humphreys singled, and Kevin Maitan doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. Making his Double-A debut, Kyren Paris tied the game with one thunderous swing, crushing a 415-foot three-run homer in his second Double-A at-bat to tie the game 5-5 after four.

The fourth inning would be Bush’s last. In those four innings, he allowed five runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out four in a no-decision.

Biloxi restored the lead in the fifth, with Wes Clarke’s first Double-A home run, a two-run blast to left center, putting the visitors up 7-5 against Trash Pandas reliever Aaron Hernandez. The Trash Pandas responded in the bottom of the inning, with Zach Humphreys connecting on a two-run homer of his own, his seventh of the season, to even the score again at 7-7 after five.

Hernandez kept it tied with a scoreless sixth and Kolton Ingram (W, 6-2) got a double play to work out of a jam in the seventh.

Sonny DiChiara reached with a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh and was replaced with pinch runner Jeremiah Jackson. However, Jackson wouldn’t need to run. Two hitters later, Maitan got a hold of the first pitch from reliever Ryan Middendorf and launched a towering 430-foot home run with an exit velocity of 110 miles per hour that nearly hit the scoreboard in right field. The two-run blast was Maitan’s eighth of the season and fifth in the month of August to give the Trash Pandas their first lead of the night at 9-7.

Luke Murphy continued his torrid pace at home with a scoreless top of the eighth, giving him 24.2 scoreless innings at Toyota Field over 18 appearances this season.

In the ninth, closer Eric Torres (S, 18) shut down the Shuckers in order to finish the win and earn his Southern League-leading 18th save of the season. For the season, Torres has converted 18 of 19 save chances, propelling him to the top of the Trash Pandas franchise leaderboard ahead of Ingram’s 13. Ingram would earn the win with his scoreless top of the seventh.

At the plate, Paris led the way by going 2-for-3 with the three-run homer, a walk, and a stolen base in his debut while Humphreys and Maitan both went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a two-run homer.

The Trash Pandas (72-50, 31-22 second half) continue their series with the Shuckers (57-62, 23-29 second half) on Thursday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is set 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 on WAAY 31.6, This TV.

At Thursday’s game, 2,000 adults ages and older will receive a special commemorative glass featuring former Trash Pandas ace Reid Detmers, presented by Champy’s World Famous Fried Chicken. Thursday is Burgers and Buds Thursday, where fans can enjoy a burger and a Bud or Bud Light for just $12, available at Dumpster Dive, Gravity Grille, or All-Stars concession stands. As part of Happy Hour, fans can enjoy $3 domestic drafts at the Inline Electric Rock Porch and Bill Penney Toyota Plaza from 5-7 p.m., while Tristan Baugh will be performing at the Rock Porch before the game.