SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Trash Pandas Rally in Ninth for 5-3 Win

Published on May 21, 2022 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Down to their final out, the Rocket City Trash Pandas came back with three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Birmingham Barons 5-3, clinching a series victory on Saturday night at Regions Field.

For the Trash Pandas, the win is the first in franchise history when trailing after eight innings. Rocket City went 0-41 when down after eight in the inaugural 2021 season and started 2022 0-13 in that same situation before Saturday night's comeback.

Trailing 3-2 in the ninth, the Trash Pandas offense quickly started the rally off Birmingham closer Sam Peralta (L, 1-1). Kevin Maitan began the inning with a walk. After a fielder's choice ground out from Torii Hunter Jr., Livan Soto walked and Zach Humphreys singled to load the bases with one out. Orlando Martinez struck out for the second out of the inning. Braxton Martinez extended the game with a walk to score Hunter Jr. with the tying run. Preston Palmeiro then delivered the decisive swing, a line drive single to left, scoring Soto and Humphreys to give the Trash Pandas a 5-3 lead.

Called on to finish the game, Trash Pandas closer Eric Torres issued a leadoff walk to Alex Destino and got Ian Dawkins to fly out for the first out. D.J. Burt then laced a line drive to the right side. Trash Pandas first baseman Ryan Aguilar, fresh into the game as a defensive replacement, made a diving catch and tagged first base to double off Dawkins, ending the thrilling victory for the visitors.

The game began as a pitcher's duel. In his seventh outing of the season, Trash Pandas southpaw Ky Bush got off on the right foot. A one-out single from Lenyn Sosa in the first was quickly erased by a double play ground out form Tyler Neslony. Bush then struck out the side in order in the second.

Rocket City got on the board in the top of the third. Maitan led off with a walk, Soto singled to put two on with one out. Orlando Martinez drove in Maitan with the first run of the night on a single to center.

Birmingham responded off Bush in the fifth as Destino reached on a two-out walk and Dawkins lined a two-run homer down the line in left to put the Barons ahead for the first time, 2-1.

The Trash Pandas worked hard to get the run back in the sixth off Birmingham reliever Yoan Aybar. With two on and one out, a wild pitch from Aybar moved the runners up to second and third. Another wild pitch allowed Palmeiro to slide home with the tying run on a close play at the plate.

With the game now tied, the Barons immediately put runners on first and second in the bottom of the frame. Bush worked through the jam by getting another double play from Neslony and a ground out from Raudy Read to strand the go-ahead run on third.

Pitching in the seventh inning for the first time this season, Bush got one out but a walk and a single put two on, ending his start after 6.1 innings. Reliever Zach Linginfelter allowed a go-ahead single to Dawkins, putting the Barons ahead 3-2 after seven. In his longest professional start, Bush allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Luis Ledo (W, 3-2) maintained the one-run deficit with a scoreless bottom of the eighth. He would become the winning pitcher against his former team behind the ninth inning heroics from the offense.

With his scoreless bottom of the ninth, Torres (S, 5) earned his fifth save of the season to move to second in the Southern League in that category as the Trash Pandas clinched their third series victory over Birmingham to start the 2022 season.

At the top of the lineup, Soto and Humphreys each recorded three hits and a run while Maitan drew three walks and Palmeiro drove in a pair in the victory.

The Trash Pandas (22-16) and Barons (14-24) wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch at Regions Field is set for 4 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from May 21, 2022


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