Patience Pays Off For Trash Pandas In 5-3 Win

The Rocket City Trash Pandas took advantage of late mistakes from the Montgomery Biscuits to turn a deficit into a lead in an eventual 5-3 win on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium.

The win guarantees the Trash Pandas at least a split of the six-game series, with a chance to earn a series victory on Saturday night.

For the second straight night, the Trash Pandas and Biscuits engaged in an early pitcher’s duel. Rocket City got a runner in scoring position in the top of the second against Biscuits starter Cole Wilcox, with Jeremiah Jackson reaching on a leadoff single and stealing second base. However, Jackson was left on third as two ground outs and a line out to short kept Rocket City off the board.

Trash Pandas starter Brett Kerry was equally as sharp to start. He worked around baserunners in both the first and the second before shutting the Biscuits down in order in the third and fourth. In the fifth, the game changed.

The Lookouts loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single. Kerry got the second out on a fielder’s choice ground ball from Tristan Peters. Trash Pandas first baseman Ryan Aguilar opted to get the force out at home, extending the inning. Austin Shenton followed with a sharp single through the right side of the infield, scoring two runs to put the Biscuits on top and end Kerry’s night.

Luke Murphy was first out of the Rocket City bullpen and allowed an RBI single to Junior Caminero, giving the Biscuits a 3-0 lead after five innings. Over 4.2 innings, Kerry allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts as his personal three-game winning streak came to an end.

Leading off the sixth, the Trash Pandas got on the board when David Calabrese’s fly ball to right center cleared the fence for a solo home run, his sixth homer of the season, to make it a 3-1 game. Kyren Paris then walked, stole second, and later came home to score on an RBI single from Jackson against reliever Jeff Belge to cut the Montgomery lead to one at 3-2. Murphy (W, 1-2) kept the deficit at one with a scoreless bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, the Trash Pandas patiently waited against Belge to turn the game around. Zach Humphreys got the inning started with an infield single. Walks to Jose Gomez and Bryce Teodosio loaded the bases. While Calabrese was at the plate, Belge (L, 2-1) uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Humphreys to score. Ball four to Calabrese was another wild pitch that plated Gomez with the go-ahead run. Paris took the Trash Pandas’ fourth walk of the inning, loading the bases again.

Nelson Alvarez took over for Belge and picked up where he left off. Alvarez’s first pitch went to the backstop for the third run-scoring wild pitch of the inning, giving the Trash Pandas a 5-3 lead at the seventh inning stretch.

Kolton Ingram was next into the game for the Trash Pandas and retired all four hitters he faced, striking out three. Kelvin Caceres entered and recorded the final two outs in the eighth to preserve the 5-3 lead.

Closer Kenyon Yovan was called on for the ninth. An error from Paris at second and a one-out single put the tying run on base and brought the winning run to the plate. Yovan (S, 5) then induced a fielder’s choice ground out from Ronny Simon and a pop out from Peters to finish the victory and earn his team-leading fifth save of the season.

Rocket City dominated on the basepaths, stealing a season-high six bases in the victory, led by a career-high three from Jackson. Gomez and Jackson each recorded a pair of hits in the win for the Trash Pandas, who earned their fourth win of the season when trailing after six or more innings.

The Trash Pandas (24-25) continue their series against the Biscuits (24-25) on Saturday night. First pitch at Riverwalk Stadium is set for 6:05 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.