Fast Start Powers 7-4 Trash Pandas Win

The Rocket City Trash Pandas took a big lead early and then rode a solid pitching performance from starter Jack Kochanowicz and three relievers to beat the Birmingham Barons 7-4 on Saturday night at Regions Field, evening the six-game series at two games each.

Rocket City wasted little time in breaking through against Barons starter Garrett Schoenle (L, 2-6). Kyren Paris reached with a one-out walk on in the top of the first. With Paris running on the 1-1 pitch to the next hitter, Edgar Quero laced a double down the line in left, allowing Paris to come all the way home with the first run of the night.

In the second, Jeremiah Jackson doubled the Trash Pandas’ lead with his second home run in as many nights, a 396-foot opposite field shot to the Birmingham bullpen in right-center field for a 2-0 lead. Two hitters later, Tucker Flint crushed a towering 423-foot home run to right, his sixth homer of the season and fourth against the Barons, to make it 3-0.

The Trash Pandas weren’t done. Bryce Teodosio singled, Jose Gomez doubled, and David Calabrese walked to load the bases with one out. Paris cashed in with a sharp single to right, plating Teodosio and Gomez for a 5-0 lead. Quero capped the inning’s scoring with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Calabrese with the sixth Rocket City run.

Kochanowicz worked around baserunners in each of the first two innings. In the third, the Barons broke through to cut the lead in half following a brief lightning delay. Alsander Womack drove in Jose Rodriguez with an RBI double. Chris Shaw then hit a two-run homer to left, his second homer in as many nights to make it a 6-3 game.

The Rocket City righty settled down from there, working through a pair of two-out singles in the fourth to hold the three-run lead and retiring the Barons in order in the fifth. Kochanowicz got the first two outs in the sixth before an error by Jackson brough an end to his night. Ivan Armstrong entered and struck out Terrell Tatum to end the inning and close the book on Kochanowicz (W, 4-4). Over 5.2 innings, he allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts to earn his fourth win of the season, tying for the team lead.

Armstrong continued his strong relief work with a clean bottom of the seventh. Kenyon Yovan needed just eight pitches to retire the Barons one, two, three in the eighth.

The Trash Pandas tacked on a run in the ninth when Paris tripled to deep right-center. The relay throw to third from Rodriguez was off the mark and went out of play, allowing Paris to come all the way home for a 7-3 lead.

Birmingham got one back in the bottom of the ninth on a solo homer from Tatum against Kelvin Caceres. The Rocket City reliever shut the door from there, finishing the win to even the series.

Five different Trash Pandas recorded two hits in the victory. Paris scored twice and drove in two runs, while Quero also drove in a pair with two hits. Eight of the nine Rocket City starters reached with either a walk or a hit as the visitors outhit their opponents 12-10.

The Trash Pandas (33-40, 2-2 second half) continue their series against the Barons (27-46, 2-2 second half) on Sunday night. First pitch at Regions Field is set for 6:30 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.