Rocket City Trash Pandas logo

The Rocket City Trash Pandas suffered their seventh loss in a row Sunday night, falling to the Birmingham Barons 9-2 at Regions Field. This was the final road trip for the Trash Pandas of 2021 season.

Chase Silseth pitched for the Trash Pandas. The Barons added five runs off of Silseth in less than one inning. In just his second-Double-A start and third professional game, Silseth only recorded one out. He gave up five runs, four earned, on four hits. Nathan Bates came in relief of Silseth and got out of the first inning with no more runs coming across home plate for the Barons, but a solo home run by Carlos Perez in the second put the Barons up 6-0.

The Trash Pandas loaded the bases with one out in the third, but Birmingham starter Jake Elliot rattled off back-to-back strikeouts of Mitch Nay and Orlando Martinez to get out of the inning unscathed.

Rocket City once again loaded the bases in the fourth after a walk, hit-by-pitch and a single. But Elliot struck out Carsen Mathews and got Livan Soto to ground out to end the inning.

Bates struck out three in his 1.2 innings pitched. Houston Harding made his second Double-A appearance on the mound for the Trash Pandas after Bates. He gave up one run in his two innings that he pitched, giving the Barons a 7-0 lead.

Nay finally got one on the board in the seventh for the Trash Pandas after a RBI double to center field and a RBI groundout by Martinez to make it a 7-2 game.

The Barons got their lead back to seven in the bottom of the frame off of Rocket City reliever Adrian Almeida after a two-run single by Ian Dawkins to make it 9-2.

Rocket City’s Torii Hunter Jr. went 2-for-3 with a double and Livan Soto increased his hitting streak to five games, going 2-for-3 as well.

This was the first time the Trash Pandas were swept in a series in franchise history.

The Trash Pandas will end their inaugural season with a six-game series beginning Tuesday night against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at Toyota Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Friday’s game

Birmingham 2, Rocket City 0

Starting pitcher Brett Kerry made his official start for the Trash Pandas Saturday in their 2-0 loss to the Barons. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, one walk with two strikeouts. Rocket City’s Michael Cruz went 2-for-4 in the loss, with the team tallying five hits in the game. This loss continues a five-game losing streak.

Saturday’s game

Barons 5, Trash Pandas 1

Birmingham’s Craig Dedelow launched two home runs and drove in three RBIs in their 5-1 win Saturday over the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Rocket City starting pitcher Robinson Pina took the loss. He gave up four runs on six hits in his 4 2/3 innings pitched.

The Trash Pandas tallied six hits in the game. Hunter Jr. led the team going 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI in the third inning.