A Samuel Zavala grand slam led the Birmingham Barons to a 6-4 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas before 4,088 at Regions Field on Saturday night. The Barons only had four hits in the win, but two home runs were the big blows for the Barons.
Starting pitcher Juan Carela pitched 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, one run, no earned runs, and a walk with four strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.08 on the season. Liam Paddack pitched one inning, giving up two hits, no runs, and three walks with a strikeout. Jerald Rosado (4-3, 6.90) gets the win in relief, going 1.1 innings, giving up two hits, one run, and no earned runs. Jonathan Clark pitched two innings, giving up two hits, two earned runs, and a walk with a strikeout to end the game.
Birmingham (7-13, 32-57) scored first in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jacob Burke led off the inning with a solo home run to left field for his fifth home run of the season, and the Barons led 1-0.
With two outs, the Barons produce another run. Anthony DePino singled on a sharp line drive to left field. Boston Smith walked to put runners at first and second base. Dylan Campbell singled to center field, scoring DePino, and the Barons led 2-0.
Rocket City (10-10, 45-43) scored on a Caleb Bartolero RBI walk, and the Trash Pandas trimmed the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning. In the top of the seventh inning with two outs, Bartolero singled, and Juan Flores doubled off the right field wall, scoring Flores, and the game was tied at 2-2.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Smith walked, his third of the game. Dylan Campbell and Colby Shelton were hit by pitch to load the bases. With one out, Samuel Zavala hit a grand slam to right field, and the Barons went up 6-2.
In the top of the ninth inning, a Bartolero two-run home run trimmed the Barons lead to 6-4, but Clark got the next two outs to close out the Barons win.
For the Barons, Burke and Zavala had home runs to lead the Barons, who only had four hits in the win.
Up next is Game 3 of the three-game series. LHP Jake Palisch (2-7, 5.58) will go to the mound for Birmingham while Rocket City will go with RHP Nate Snead (2-4, 4.46). First pitch is at 2:05 pm.