Big second sinks Trash Pandas in Tennessee 10-5
KODAK, Tennessee – The Rocket City Trash Pandas surrendered 10 early runs and were never able to climb back into the game in a 10-5 loss to the Tennessee Smokies on Wednesday night in the second game of their six-game series at Smokies Stadium.
After a scoreless first inning, Rocket City starter Jhonathan Diaz unraveled in the second. Eight of the first nine Tennessee hitters reached base, with the only out coming on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 Smokies. With one out and the bases loaded, the Trash Pandas turned to Kieran Lovegrove from the bullpen.
Lovegrove didn’t provide much relief, as Nelson Velazquez singled home a pair and Cam Balego launched a three-run homer to put the game out of reach at 10-0 Smokies after two.
Diaz’s (L, 5-2) four-game winning streak came to an end after allowing eight earned runs on five hits in just 1.1 innings to suffer his second loss of the season. Lovegrove walked four and gave up two earned runs with two strikeouts over 1.2 innings.
In the fourth, the Trash Pandas got on the board on a solo home run to left from Brendon Davis, his seventh since joining the Trash Pandas. Torii Hunter Jr. got a run back in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to score Ray-Patrick Didder.
Matthias Dietz was the first Rocket City reliever to pitch a scoreless outing, striking out three over two frames. Nathan Bates pitched a clean sixth and Kolton Ingram ended the night on the mound for the Trash Pandas with a pair of scoreless frames.
The Trash Pandas plated three runs in the eighth on an RBI single from Izzy Wilson, an error from Smokies third baseman Chase Strumpf, and a sacrifice fly from Didder to make it a 10-5 ballgame. But that would be all the scoring on the night.
Davis’ home run was Rocket City’s league-leading 127th of the season. The 10 runs in the second are the most the Trash Pandas have given up in any inning, breaking the previous record of seven that was set three times.
The Trash Pandas (41-42) continue their series against the Smokies (37-45) on Thursday 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.
