MADISON, Ala. — (Rocket City Trash Pandas)
MADISON, AL – Rocket City squandered two late leads as they fell to Birmingham 8-6 Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 7,500 fans at Toyota Field.
It was all about the long ball for the Trash Pandas as they scored all six of their runs on four homers. The scoring started in the first as leftfielder Orlando Martinez started the inning with a opposite-field dinger to left.
Birmingham responded with a round-tripper of their own in the second. Designated hitter Micker Adolfo, who had been 0-14 for the series entering play, launched a mammoth solo homerun to left to tie the game.
However, Rocket City stayed true to its name by scoring the next five runs on two round-trippers. First-baseman David MacKinnon, playing in his first game since injuring his shoulder last Friday, blasted a three-run shot to straightaway centerfield to make the score 4-1 in the third. In the fourth, catcher Matt Jones started the frame with a line drive over the leftfield wall to up the lead to 5-1.
The Barons would start their comeback in the fifth. Starter Jake Lee was removed from the game for the Trash Pandas with runners at first and second with one out. Reliever Kieran Lovegrove promptly came in and walked the next two hitters he faced, the second one forcing in a run. With the bases still loaded and one out, shortstop Romy Gonzalez grounded to short to bring in another run and pull the Barons to within two.
Things stayed that way until the eighth when Birmingham used gorilla ball to tie things up. There was a runner at second with two outs when catcher Carlos Perez lifted a towering two-run blast off the elevator shaft in left against reliever Oliver Ortega to knot the game at five.
Rocket City would launch their fourth and final homer of the game to retake the lead in the eighth. With two out and nobody on, designated hitter Michael Cruz drilled a solo homerun to right to put the Trash Pandas back in front after striking out in each of his previous three at-bats.
Given a mulligan, Ortega came back out in the ninth but could not secure the lead. After a leadoff single from first-baseman Jameson Fisher, pinch-runner Laz Rivera took second on a wild pickoff attempt. Ortega got a strikeout of leftfielder J.J. Muno, then surrendered an RBI single to center by second baseman Mitch Roman to tie the game 6-6.
Ortega compounded problems by walking the next hitter, centerfielder Zack Granite, which put runners at first and second with one away. The Barons then attempted a double steal. Jones’ throw to third skipped down the leftfield line, which allowed both Rivera and Granite to score on a two-run throwing error.
In the bottom-half, shortstop Gavin Cecchini provided a two-out single to keep hope alive, however rightfielder Izzy Wilson got under a pitch and flied out to shallow right to end the game.
Despite the score, the teams combined for only 15 hits with Rocket City outhitting Birmingham 8-7. The only player with multiple hits for the Trash Pandas was Cecchini who singled twice in four at-bats. The Barons got a 2-4 performance from third baseman Ti’Quan Forbes who doubled and scored a run. Roman chipped in by going 2-3 with two singles, an RBI, a run and a stolen base.
Getting the win for Birmingham was Luis Ledo (1-0). Though he gave up the go-ahead homerun in the eighth to Cruz, the right-hander went the final two innings and allowed a run on three hits. The loss fell to Ortega (0-2) who blew a save in the eighth and could not nail down his own win in the ninth. He allowed five runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in two frames.
The Trash Pandas (10-13) continue their series with the Barons (15-8) on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Field with first pitch scheduled for 2:35 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 103.9 FM THE UMP and SportsRadio 730 AM with Josh Caray on the call.
