Trash Pandas bats back pitching duo In 8-4 win

KODAK, Tennessee – The Rocket City Trash Pandas took an early lead then got the late insurance runs they needed to pull away for an 8-4 win over the Tennessee Smokies, evening their six-game series at two games apiece on Friday night at Smokies Stadium.

A solo home run from Nelson Velazquez gave the Smokies a 1-0 lead against Trash Pandas starter Davis Daniel in the bottom of the second. Rocket City got the run back in the third on a two-out double from Luis Aviles Jr. to score Anthony Mulrine and even the score 1-1.

An inning later, the Trash Pandas put runners on the corners with one out on David MacKinnon’s league-leading 26th double and a single from Izzy Wilson. On the 1-0 pitch to Mitch Nay, Wilson broke for second. Nay hit a ground ball through the vacated right side of the infield with Wilson in motion, allowing MacKinnon to come home from third and Wilson hustled all the way around from first to score on the single. Ray-Patrick Didder followed with a double off the left field wall, plating Nay for a 4-1 Trash Pandas lead.

A wild bottom of the frame nearly got Tennessee back in the game. Daniel began the fourth by striking out Brennen Davis. But strike three was wild and Davis reached first safely. Daniel then struck out Velazquez and Tim Susnara for the first two outs. Looking for the final out of the inning, Daniel hit Christopher Morel and Andy Weber to load the bases. Daniel finally got out of the frame by firing a fastball past Tyler Payne for his fourth strikeout of the inning.

Tennessee got a run closer in the fifth on an RBI single from Brennen Davis to plate D.J. Artis and make it a 4-2 game. That would be the end of the start for Daniel. Cristopher Molina entered in relief for the Trash Pandas and struck out Velazquez to maintain the lead.

Over 4.2 innings, Daniel allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking none and striking out eight. Molina retired the Smokies in order in both the sixth and seventh to keep the score 4-2.

In the eighth, the Trash Pandas got a key insurance run when Christian Molfetta lined a two-out triple down the left field line to score from second. The triple marked the first hit and RBI of Molfetta’s professional career after signing with the Los Angeles Angels as an undrafted free agent in July.

The Smokies made it a one-run game in the eighth and nearly tied it when Weber lifted a deep fly ball to left. But Trash Pandas left fielder Brendon Davis made a leaping catch at the wall to end the inning and strand the tying run on third base.

In the ninth, the Trash Pandas put the game out of reach for good when Brendon Davis and MacKinnon hit back-to-back blasts and a solo home run from Nay later in the inning made it 8-4.

Molina (W, 3-1) returned to the mound in the ninth and finished the victory with a clean inning. He earned his third win with 4.1 strong innings in relief of Daniel, giving up two runs, one earned, on two hits with seven strikeouts. Daniel and Molina combined to strike out 15 and didn’t issue a walk as the Trash Pandas improved their record to over .500 for the season.

At the plate, Nay led the way in a season-best 4-for-5 performance with three runs and three RBI, including his team-leading 19th home run of the season. MacKinnon’s home run was his 10th of the season, becoming the sixth Rocket City hitter to reach double digits for the season.

The Trash Pandas (43-42) continue their series against the Smokies (37-47) on Saturday night. First pitch at Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.