Trash Pandas Rally Late, Fall 3-2 In Pensacola 

BOX SCORE

In a pitcher’s duel between two of the best prospects in all of baseball, the Rocket City Trash Pandas stormed back to erase a deficit with two outs in the ninth, but ultimately suffered a 3-2 loss in 10 innings to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The loss ends the Trash Pandas winning streak at five games.

Down 2-0 in the ninth with two outs and nobody on base, Rocket City began the comeback against Pensacola closer Colton Hock. Gavin Cecchini and Anthony Mulrine singled to put the tying runs on base. The next hitter, Ibandel Isabel, laced a double into the left field corner, scoring Cecchini and pinch runner Jose Guzman to tie the game.

Trash Pandas reliever Kyle Molnar pitched his second scoreless inning in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, a diving catch from JJ Bleday robbed Orlando Martinez of a go-ahead hit to keep the score tied 2-2.

Peyton Burdick led off the bottom of the frame with a double to center, scoring Bleday with the winning run for the Blue Wahoos.

For most of the game, it looked like the Trash Pandas wouldn’t be able to score at all.

Rocket City pitcher Reid Detmers got off to a rough start as Burdick launched a solo home run two hitters into the game. An RBI ground out from Lazaro Alonso later in the inning gave Pensacola a 2-0 lead after the first.

Pensacola starter Max Meyer, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, was sharp from start to finish. He stranded Torii Hunter Jr. at third base in the top of the first, and the Trash Pandas wouldn’t get another runner to third for the rest of Meyer’s start.

In the sixth, back-to-back infield singles from David MacKinnon and Mitch Nay put runners on first and second with two outs against Meyer. From there, the Blue Wahoos went to the bullpen and Zack Leban induced a pop up from Cecchini to end the threat.

Over 5.2 scoreless innings, Meyer gave up five hits and walked one while striking out nine. However, he did not factor in the final decision.

For the Trash Pandas, Detmers was sharp after giving up the early runs. The 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft finished his outing after 5.0 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits with one walks and six strikeouts.

The Pensacola bullpen kept the Rocket City bats at bay for three innings before the ninth inning comeback. But it wasn’t enough to extend the Trash Pandas’ winning streak.

Mulrine and Cecchini each went 2-for-4 for the Trash Pandas while Michael Stefanic went 0-for-4 to end his nine-game hit streak.

The Trash Pandas (7-6) meet the Blue Wahoos (7-6) in the second game of their series on Wednesday night. First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.