Big sixth stings Trash Pandas in 10-7 loss
By Aaron Cheris
MADISON – The Rocket City Trash Pandas let a 4-0 lead slip away in a disastrous eight-run top of the sixth inning for a 10-7 loss to the Chattanooga Lookouts in Sunday’s series finale at Toyota Field.
The ballgame began much better than it ended for the home team, as Rocket City got on the board first in the bottom of the second. Mitch Nay and Ray-Patrick Didder led off the frame with walks. Michael Cruz drove them both home with a double to the right-center field gap for a 2-0 Rocket City lead.
In the fourth, the Trash Pandas added to the lead on a two-out RBI single to left from Brendon Davis to plate Luis Aviles Jr. Izzy Wilson made it a 4-0 lead with a 405-foot solo homer to right, his 21st of the season.
The early runs staked Trash Pandas starter Jhonathan Diaz to a lead he would hold for most of the night. In the third, the lefty recorded a pair of strikeouts. After working around a base runner in the fourth, Diaz got through the fifth with a two more strikeouts and a ground out.
But in the sixth, the game unraveled for Diaz and the Trash Pandas. Lorenzo Cedrola was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score the first Chattanooga run. Wilson Garcia followed by giving the Lookouts a 5-4 lead with a long grand slam to left, ending the start for Diaz.
Over five plus innings, Diaz (L, 5-3) gave up five earned runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Matthias Dietz entered for the Trash Pandas and allowed three more runs, giving the Lookouts an 8-4 edge in the sixth.
Carlos Herrera got a run closer for the Trash Pandas in the bottom of the frame with a solo shot to right, his second Double-A home run.
However, the Lookouts put the game out of reach as Robbie Tenerowicz and Chuckie Robinson hit solo homers in the seventh and eighth to double the score at 10-5.
Rocket City got two of the runs back in the ninth on a bases-loaded single from Didder to make it a 10-7 game. With a chance to tie the game, Cruz struck out with runners on base to end the game.
At the plate, four Trash Pandas recorded two hits each while Cruz and Didder were the only two with a multi-RBI game.
The Trash Pandas (48-46) hit the road to begin a six-game series with the Biloxi Shuckers (35-61) on Tuesday night. First pitch at MGM Park is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.
