MADISON, Alabama — The Rocket City Trash Pandas stormed back with four late runs then escaped a ninth inning surge from the Chattanooga Lookouts for a 6-5 win in the opener of their seven-game series on Tuesday night at Toyota Field.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Trash Pandas began the comeback. Luis Aviles Jr. led off with a double. Orlando Martinez and Brendon Davis each reached on an infield single to load the bases with nobody out. David MacKinnon then tied the game with a pop up to right that fell for a game-tying single. Three hitters later, Ray-Patrick Didder delivered the decisive swing with a bases clearing three-run double to left-center.
In the ninth, Rocket City turned to closer Connor Higgins and Chattanooga quickly plated two runs and had runners on first and third with one out. Higgins (S, 7) escaped the jam by inducing a game-ending double play ground out from Wilson Garcia, stranding the tying run at third to earn the save and end a thrilling win for Rocket City.
The Trash Pandas got the scoring started in the bottom of the first as Davis reached with a two-out walk, stole second, and came home on a sharp single to center from MacKinnon.
Chattanooga tied the game in the second off Rocket City starter Johnathan Diaz on Jay Schuyler’s RBI double into the left field corner to score Mark Kolozsvary. Two innings later, Schuyler hit another double, this time to right, to score Quincy McAfee and put the visitors up 2-1.
Rocket City got the run right back in the bottom of the frame with another two-out rally. Mitch Nay got it started by reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Didder followed with a single to center to advance Nay to third. Michael Cruz then evened the score with a single up the middle, plating Nay with the tying run.
With the game tied at two, Diaz returned to the mound for the Trash Pandas and retired the final six Chattanooga hitters he faced to end a strong start. Over 6.0 innings, the Rocket City southpaw gave up two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in a quality start.
Keith Rogalla (W, 2-2) kept it tied with a scoreless seventh. But in the eighth, an RBI single from Garcia gave the Lookouts the lead at 3-2 before the Trash Pandas stormed back for the winning runs in the bottom half.
At the plate, Didder led the way with by going 2-for-4 with the game-winning double and three RBI while MacKinnon and Martinez each recorded a pair of hits in the win.
The Trash Pandas (45-43) continue their series with the Lookouts (42-45) on Wednesday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will be televised locally on WAAY-31.6, This TV.