Trash Pandas Rally Comes Up Short In 2-1 Loss

In another pitcher’s duel from Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, the Rocket City Trash Pandas couldn’t get the clutch hit they were looking for in a 2-1 loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 on Saturday night.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth, the Rocket City offense sprung to life as back-to-back doubles from Braxton Martinez and Preston Palmeiro cut the deficit in half and put the tying run in scoring position with two outs. However, Pensacola reliever Anthony Maldonado induced a fly out from Ryan Aguilar, ending the game with the tying run on second.

The game began as another tightly contested contest as for the second straight night, both starters were on their game from the first pitch. The Trash Pandas’ Ky Bush and Pensacola’s Zach McCambley matched each other zero for zero in the early innings.

The Blue Wahoos threatened in the second with a walk and a single. But Bush worked around the jam by striking out Hayden Cantrelle and getting a pop out from J.D. Osborne to navigate around the runners. An inning later, Troy Johnston’s line drive one-hopped the wall in right field. Trying to stretch for a double, Johnston was thrown out at second on a strong throw by Rocket City right fielder Orlando Martinez to maintain the scoreless tie.

Orlando Martinez singled to start the fourth and quickly stole second. McCambley stranded him on second by striking out Aguilar to end the inning.

Rocket City again put a runner in scoring position in the sixth as Zach Humphreys reached on a one-out infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the sixth, Thomas Jones led off with a double for Pensacola and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt off Bush. Johnston drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center as Jones came home. Later in the inning, an infield single from Griffin Conine scored Victor Victor Mesa with the second run of the frame, ending Bush’s start. Jack Dashwood entered and struck out Ray-Patrick Didder to end the inning.

In his sixth Double-A start, Bush (L, 2-1) allowed two earned runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 5.2 innings to suffer his first Rocket City loss.

McCambley tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts to win for the Blue Wahoos. The relief duo of Jefry Yan and Maldonado (S, 1) pitched the final three innings to finish the victory for the home team.

Zach Linginfelter maintained the two-run deficit with two scoreless relief innings out of the Rocket City bullpen.

Despite outhitting the Blue Wahoos 6-4, the Trash Pandas were handed their fifth straight loss to start a season-long 12-game road trip.

The Trash Pandas (18-14) and Blue Wahoos (17-15) wrap up their six-game series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch at Blue Wahoos stadium is set for 4:05 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.