KNOXVILLE, TN —The Rocket City Trash Pandas (22-18, 57-51) scored four runs in the sixth inning after being held hitless through five and pulled away for a 6-1 victory over the Knoxville Smokies (20-20, 58-51) on Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park. Austin Gordon struck out eight over 6.0 innings to earn his sixth win, while Rocket City increased its lead over Knoxville to 2.0 games atop the Southern League North Division second-half standings in the opener of the pivotal six-game series.
Knoxville struck first against Gordon in the second inning. Dom Krupinski opened the frame with a single to center before Ariel Armas doubled to left, scoring Krupinski for a 1-0 Smokies lead. Gordon prevented any further damage, using a wild pitch to move Armas to third before striking out Karson Simas and retiring Alex Madera on a groundout.
Making his third Major League rehab start, Knoxville right-hander Edward Cabrera kept the Trash Pandas without a hit over five scoreless innings. Cabrera allowed only a first-inning walk to Jake Munroe, who stole second, while striking out seven and retiring the final 14 batters he faced. He finished his outing after 64 pitches, 43 for strikes.
Gordon matched Cabrera nearly pitch for pitch after Knoxville's second-inning run. The right-hander struck out the side over the next four outs and worked around a runner in each of the third and fourth innings. He then retired Knoxville without a hit in the fifth before striking out Carter Trice and Armas as part of a perfect sixth.
Rocket City finally broke through once Cabrera departed, taking advantage of rehabbing right-hander Daniel Palencia in the sixth. Mac McCroskey, Nick Rodriguez and Eddie Micheletti Jr. drew three consecutive walks to load the bases before Jake Munroe was hit by a pitch, forcing home McCroskey with the tying run. Munroe, back in the lineup for the first time since last Wednesday, extended his Southern League-best on-base streak to 25 games with a first-inning walk.
After Palencia struck out Tucker Flint, Knoxville turned to Kenyi Perez. Caleb Bartolero greeted the right-hander with Rocket City's first hit of the night, lining a two-run single to center to score Rodriguez and Micheletti Jr. for a 3-1 lead. Jacob Cozart followed with an RBI single to center, bringing home Munroe and extending the advantage to 4-1.
Gordon (W, 6-6) finished with 6.0 innngs of one-run baseball, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out eight. The quality start was his sixth of the season, and the right-hander has now allowed just five earned runs over 23.0 innings in four starts against Knoxville this year. His ERA dropped from 4.75 to 4.56, and moved to second in the league with 107 strikeouts on the season.
The Trash Pandas added two insurance runs in the seventh. Rodriguez drew a one-out walk, stole second and advanced when Munroe was hit by a pitch for the second time. Flint followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Rodriguez, before Bartolero reached on a throwing error that allowed Munroe to come home for a 6-1 lead.
The five-run cushion gave Rocket City its first division lead of at least two games since the second half of the 2022 season. The Trash Pandas entered the night one game ahead of Knoxville and have now won eight of their last 10 games after taking back-to-back series from Columbus and Birmingham.
Chris Cortez took over for Gordon and allowed just one hit over 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out one. Nicolo Pinazzi worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth, getting Armas to ground into a double play before Edgar Alvarez lined out to Flint in left to finish the victory.
Despite finishing with only four hits, Rocket City went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and drew six walks. Bartolero led the offense by going 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while Flint and Cozart each drove in a run. Munroe reached base three times without an official at-bat, moving his on-base streak to 25 games, drawing a walk and being hit by two pitches while scoring twice and driving in a run.
Rocket City pitching held Knoxville to five hits and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position while striking out nine. Gordon, Cortez and Pinazzi combined to allow just one run as the Trash Pandas opened the final regular-season series between the division rivals with their third consecutive road victory.
The Trash Pandas will face off against the Smokies for game two of the six-game series on Wednesday night at Covenant Health Park. The first pitch is set for 6:00 pm CT with LHP Lucas Knowles (1-0, 5.31) getting the start for the Trash Pandas, against RHP Connor Schultz (3-4, 4.66) for Knoxville. Fans can watch on Bally Sports Live, MiLB.TV, or MLB.TV. The game can be heard on ESPN 97.7 The Zone and Talk Radio WZZN 97.7 FM HD-2.