Trash Pandas Secure 80th Win With 2-1 Victory

MADISON, Alabama – Behind a terrific pitching performance led by starter Mason Erla, the Rocket City Trash Pandas defeated the Birmingham Barons 2-1 in front of an electric crowd of 6,002 on Friday night at Toyota Field.

The win is the Trash Pandas’ 80th of the season and moves them 20 games over .500 at 80-56 while improving their Southern League-leading home record to 48-19. The win also clinches an undefeated series record for Rocket City at home. Over 12 series at Toyota Field in 2022, the Trash Pandas have won nine, split two, and secured at least a split of the final series against Birmingham with three wins in the first four games.

After Erla retired the Barons one, two, three to open the night, the Rocket City offense got him a lead. Preston Palmeiro reached with a one-out single to right against Birmingham starter Sean Burke. With Palmeiro running on the pitch, Zach Neto followed with a line drive past third that rolled into the left field corner for an RBI double and a 1-0 Trash Pandas lead.

An inning later, Kevin Maitan doubled the lead with a towering 426-foot opposite field solo home run to right-center, his 11th of the season and eighth since the beginning of August to make it 2-0.

The Barons recorded their first hit of the night with a two-out single in the third. It did little to deter Erla. He got Moises Castillo to pop out and end that inning. Two singles in the fourth were erased with a pair of strikeouts, the only strikeouts Erla needed on the night.

In the fifth, Birmingham threatened with a single and a walk to start the inning. Luis Mieses then hit a hard line drive to first, where it was caught by Palmeiro, who threw to second to catch Adam Hackenberg off the bag for a crucial double play. An error in the sixth would be the last obstacle for Erla to overcome, as he got Tyler Osik to ground out and end the threat.

That would be the end of a terrific start for Erla (W, 5-6). He tied a season-high with six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and walking two while striking out two to pick up the win, his fifth of the season and first since July 31, in his final start of the regular season.

Nick Jones was first out of the Trash Pandas bullpen and got into trouble. Walks to Hackenberg and J.J. Muno put two on with one out. Mieses followed with a single to right to bring home the first Birmingham run. Jones got out number two on a pop up from Castillo before walking Oscar Colas to load the bases. Aaron Hernandez was called on in a tight spot and got the final out of the inning on a fielder’s choice from Yoelqui Cespedes to hold a 2-1 lead.

Hernandez returned to the mound in the eighth and gave up a single and walked another, but again escaped by getting Muno to ground out and end the inning.

Kolton Ingram (S, 10) was called on in a save situation and quickly got the first two outs. Down to their final out, the Barons nearly tied the game on Colas’ deep fly ball to left. However, it stayed in the ballpark for a double. Ingram then got Cespedes to ground out, ending the game to pick up the save and secure the one-run win.

At the plate, Neto went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI while the pitching quartet of Erla, Jones, Hernandez, and Ingram only needed three strikeouts to get the win.

The Trash Pandas (80-56, 39-28 second half) continue their series with the Barons (60-76, 29-38 second half) on Saturday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is set for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will also be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV. After the game, a fireworks spectacular will light up the Rocket City sky, courtesy of Boeing.