Trash Pandas Attack From Start To Finish In 10-5 Win

The Rocket City Trash Pandas took the lead quickly and added on from there, scoring early and often with an all-around offensive ambush to defeat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 10-5 on Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The win snaps the Trash Pandas’ five-game losing streak and ends a streak of 13 straight losses at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The only other Rocket City win at Pensacola came in the inaugural 2021 season, a 2-1 victory on May 19.

Facing Southern League wins and ERA leader Patrick Monteverde, the Trash Pandas struck from the onset for their first lead of the series. Kyren Paris got the offense started with a one-out double and Edgar Quero singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Jeremiah Jackson opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left, plating Paris from third. Tucker Flint followed with an RBI triple past the Pensacola right fielder, scoring Quero to give the Trash Pandas an early 2-0 lead.

Rocket City starter Victor Mederos held the lead with a scoreless first. The Blue Wahoos got one back in the second on Jose Devers’ solo homer to cut the lead in half. Rocket City restored the two-run lead in the fourth when Flint led off the inning with a double and came home to score on a double play ground ball from Gabe Matthews. Again, Pensacola cut the lead to one when Victor Mesa Jr.’s grounder was misplayed by Paris for an error, allowing Toy Johnston to score.

Rocket City looked to break the game open in the fifth against Monteverde. Orlando Martinez doubled to start the inning before walks to Paris and Quero loaded the bases with nobody out. Flint’s fielder’s choice ground ball to short plated a run. With runners on the corners and two outs, Flint looked to be picked off between first and second. On the rundown, Paris dashed home and beat the throw at the plate for a steal of home to make it 5-2. Jose Gomez capped the inning’s scoring with an RBI double into the left field corner.

The Blue Wahoos responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. A pair came on rehabbing Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia’s two-run homer while Will Banfield’s RBI single made it 6-5.

Mederos (W, 4-6) pitched five innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts to earn the win, his third of the season. Monteverde (L, 8-2) threw 4.2 innings for the Blue Wahoos, allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts for just his second loss of the year.

Jake Lee was first out of the bullpen for Rocket City and fired a scoreless sixth. The offense finally pulled away in the seventh. Flint got the inning started with a single. Gomez followed with an RBI triple to right, his first triple of the year to make it 7-5. A passed ball allowed Gomez to score the eighth Rocket City run. Later in the inning, Edgar Quero drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-5.

Lee and Nick Jones combined on a scoreless bottom of the seventh. Needing a home run to complete the cycle in the top of the eighth, Flint laced a double to left to get the frame started. Also looking for a home run to finish a cycle, Gomez flew out to the warning track in left. Two hitters later, Bryce Teodosio’s sacrifice fly to right drove in Flint with the tenth and final run of the night for the visitors.

Jones worked a quick bottom of the eighth. Kelvin Caceres pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to finish the win.

Offensively, Flint led the way in a career-night, producing four hits and four runs for the first time as a pro in a 4-for-6 night that included two doubles and a triple. Gomez finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Paris chipped in, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two stolen bases.

The Trash Pandas (39-48, 8-10 second half) and Blue Wahoos (51-36, 10-9 second half) continue their series on Saturday night. First pitch at Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.