BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas couldn’t protect a ninth-inning lead, falling on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 loss to the Birmingham Barons in the finale of a seven-game series on Sunday at Regions Field.

Leading 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, the Trash Pandas turned to closer Kenyon Yovan (L, 3-5). He was immediately greeted by a single from Jose Rodriguez. Yovan got the first out with a strikeout from Colson Montgomery, but a stolen base and a wild pitched moved Rodriguez to third. The second out wouldn’t come, as Bryan Ramos lifted a walk-off two-run home run to left, giving the Barons the win in the series finale.

Despite the loss, the Trash Pandas won the series, taking five of seven from their North Division rivals. The game began better than it ended for the visitors.

For the sixth time in the seven-game series, the Trash Pandas were the ones to open the scoring. Making his Birmingham debut, southpaw Jake Eder got off to an inauspicious start. David Calabrese got the game started with a single. Nolan Schanuel walked and Sonny DiChiara got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Tucker Flint drove in Calabrese with an RBI fielder’s choice for his seventh RBI of the series.

Two innings later, the Trash Pandas added on when Schanuel led off with a walk. DiChiara followed with a double to the gap in right-center, allowing Schanuel to come all the way home for a 2-0 Rocket City advantage.

Birmingham fought back in the fourth against Trash Pandas starter Brett Kerry. A walk and a double put runners on second and third with one out. Sebastian Rivero tied the game with a single to left, plating both runners to even the score at two. An inning later, the Barons took the lead for the first time on Terrell Tatum’s two-out RBI single, plating Montgomery, who reached with a one-out walk.

Trailing for the first time, the Trash Pandas came back with a two-out rally in the top of the sixth off Barons reliever Adisyn Coffey. Kyren Paris got it started with a double off the right field fence. Schanuel tied the game with an RBI single to center and DiChiara walked to put two on with two out. Flint restored the Trash Pandas’ lead with an RBI single to right, plating Schanuel with the go-ahead run.

Kerry departed after five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with five walks and one strikeout to leave in line for the win. Erik Martinez fired a scoreless sixth and Ivan Armstrong struck out three over two scoreless innings to protect the lead.

However, the Barons walked off in the ninth to hand the Trash Pandas their first loss all season when leading after eight innings.

Offensively, each of the top six batters in the Rocket City lineup recorded a hit. Schanuel went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two walks in the loss.

The Trash Pandas (47-55, 16-17 second half) return home to begin a six-game homestand against the Mississippi Braves (46-55, 13-20 second half) on Tuesday night. First pitch at Toyota Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Tuesday night’s game is the first of two Space Nights, with 1,500 adults ages 18 and up receiving a limited-edition Trash Pandas Space Night shirt upon entry, presented by Huntington Ingalls Industries.