Trash Pandas Drop Opener To Barons 5-2

A persistent Birmingham Barons offensive attack was too much to handle for the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Tuesday night, as they dropped the opener of their final home series of the regular season 5-2 at Toyota Field.

Making his 21st start of the regular season, Rocket City southpaw Ky Bush induced an inning-ending double play to navigate through a scoreless top of the first.

In the second, top Chicago White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery got the Barons on the board first with a solo home run to right, his second Double-A homer. Rocket City got the run back in the bottom of the inning on Kevin Maitan’s RBI single to score Zach Neto against Birmingham starter Norge Vera.

Rocket City took the lead in the third by taking their time at the plate, as walks to Livan Soto, Logan O’Hoppe, and Zach Neto loaded the bases before a wild pitch from Vera allowed Soto to come home for a 2-1 Trash Pandas advantage.

Colas tied the game in the fourth with a towering solo home run down the right field line, his 14th homer with the Barons to even the score at 2-2. An inning later, Wilfred Veras’ third Double-A homer, a solo shot to left-center, restored the Birmingham lead at 3-2 and they would hold it for the rest of the night.

Bush (L, 7-4) departed after five innings, allowing three runs four hits including the three solo home runs, walking two and striking out three to suffer the loss, his fourth of the season.

The Barons added an insurance run in the sixth, loading the bases off Ben Joyce on a broken bat single and two hit by pitches before Veras’ ground out to short plated Colas to make it 4-2. In the seventh, Luis Mieses’ RBI single against Sean McLaughlin capped the scoring, giving the Barons their biggest lead of the game at three runs.

Rocket City threatened in the bottom of the ninth against Barons closer Edgar Navarro, putting the tying run at the plate with two outs. But with the game on the line, Navarro (S, 3) struck out Ryan Aguilar to end the game and earn the save.

Maitan was the only Rocket City player to record more than one hit in a 2-for-4 performance while Aaron Whitefield’s leadoff double in the first was the Trash Pandas’ only extra-base hit of the night.

Birmingham reliever Garrett Davila (W, 6-5) picked up the win by throwing 4.1 scoreless relief innings, striking out three.

The Trash Pandas (77-56, 36-28 second half) continue their series with the Birmingham Barons (60-73, 29-35 second half) on Wednesday 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.

Wednesday night is Bike Night, with a special parade of motorcycles riding around the warning track at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday is also the final IDEXX Labs Dog Day of the regular season, as fans can bring their furry friends to Toyota Field and sit with them on the Budweiser Berm. A $1 donation per dog is requested, benefitting the Greater Huntsville Humane Society.