Trash Pandas catcher lifts two homers in rain-shortened win
KODAK, TN – Trash Pandas catcher Michael Cruz rocketed two homers and drove four as Rocket City defeated Tennessee 4-2 in a game that was shortened to five innings due to rain Saturday evening at Smokies Stadium.
Tennessee started the scoring with an unearned run in the first. Second baseman Carlos Sepulveda led off the frame with a walk. Two batters later, designated hitter Nelson Maldonado grounded a ball past Trash Pandas third baseman Luis Aviles, which rolled down the leftfield line. Sepulveda scored from first on the play while Aviles was hit with a two-base error as the Smokies took a 1-0 lead.
Rocket City tied the game in the third as Cruz stood in to start the frame and lifted a solo homer over the left-centerfield wall to knot the game at one.
The Smokies responded in the bottom-half. With two out and nobody on centerfielder Christopher Morel drew a walk. He promptly stole second, then scored on a double down the leftfield line by Maldonado to put Tennessee back ahead 2-1.
However, Cruz would strike again in the fourth as Rocket City responded with their own two out magic. With nobody on base and two away, designated hitter Mitch Nay would bloop a single to center, and centerfielder Ray-Patrick Didder lobbed another single to left. That set the stage for Cruz who drilled a three-run shot to right. It was his ninth homer of the season and gave the Trash Pandas a 4-2 lead.
From there, with dark clouds, lightning, and rain rolling in, starter Aaron Hernandez retired six of the final seven hitters he faced, including a 1-2-3 showing in the fifth to close the game. The bottom of the fifth was played as the sky opened to rain, which ultimately led to the stoppage of play.
Rocket City registered five hits. In addition to Cruz’s two dinger performance, Nay went 2-2 with two singles and a run scored. He is now six of his last six dating to yesterday’s game when he went 4-5. Along with Didder’s single, the 6-7-8 hitters for Rocket City went 5-6 for the game.
Hernandez (3-4) went the distance for the win allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Starter Caleb Kilian (0-2) suffered the loss after the right-hander allowed four runs on five hits over five frames with two walks and six strikeouts. He was making his first home start for the Smokies after the Cubs acquired him in a trade for Kris Bryant last month.
With the win, the Trash Pandas are guaranteed at least a split of the six-game series and a winning record for the road trip. They also moved to 7-4 on the 12-game swing.
The Trash Pandas (44-42) will wrap up their series tomorrow against the Smokies (37-48). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 103.9 FM THE UMP and SportsRadio 730 AM with Josh Caray on the call.
