Smokies hold off late Trash Pandas rally, stranding tying run at third

The atmosphere at Covenant Health Park on Aug. 14 felt like the postseason, as the Knoxville Smokies narrowly walked away with a 5-4 win over the visiting Rocket City Trash Pandas following a high-stakes ninth inning.

Rocket City loaded the bases with one out in the ninth when reliever Grayson Moore entered the game. With the tying run at third base, Moore induced a soft groundout to end the game and preserve a Smokies win.

"I'd be lying if I said that didn't feel a little different than coming in in like the sixth inning," Moore told Knox News. "But it was fun. I just try to go out there and compete and really just control what I can control."

Knoxville starter Luis Martinez-Gomez bounced back from a first-inning home run to deliver five strong innings. He allowed three hits and three walks before lefty Jackson Brockett followed with three scoreless innings, tossing 26 pitches for nine outs.

Marino Santy struggled to close the game in the ninth, giving up a hit and three walks before Moore cleaned up the mess.

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Rocket City three-hole hitter Eddie Michelletti Jr. pounced on the first pitch he saw in the first inning, sending the first blast of the series over the right field fence. An Edgar Alvarez sacrifice fly knotted the score at 1-1 for the Smokies in the second inning.

Center fielder Kane Kepley ripped a two-RBI double to right field to put the Smokies ahead in the fifth inning.

Left fielder Carter Trice launched a leadoff homer in the sixth inning to put Knoxville ahead by four runs, giving the Smokies their first blast of the week. Trice added insurance with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly, which turned out to be the game-winning run.

"It's hard to keep this offense down for nine innings," manager Lance Rymel told Knox News. "It hasn't happened very often this year. We do a good job of rallying and answering back when they score."

Player of the game: Carter Trice recorded three of Knoxville's seven hits in the win, including his 14th homer of the year. Trice's late plate appearance - which didn't count as an at-bat because of the sacrifice fly - proved to be the deciding run. "Any time we can add an insurance run with a Carter Trice home run," Rymel said, "that obviously helps tremendously."

• Stranding them all: Rocket City loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning, but Luis Martinez-Gomez blew strike three past a watching Caleb Bartolero to end the threat.
• Thanks, I'll take that: Shortstop Karson Simas stole his 40th base of the year in the fifth inning to become the first Smokies player with 40-plus stolen bases in a season since Tony Campana in 2010. "I'm proud of him," Rymel said. "Our goal is to get more than that, but to get 40 is a big deal."

The Smokies went ahead the series 3-1 with a clutch save. Here are the remaining promotions at Covenant Health Park with the Trash Pandas in town:

• 7 p.m. Aug. 15: Tennessee Night (themed University of Tennessee-style jerseys), Tennessee Night Bobblehead Giveaway (first 1,000 fans receive DeSean Bishop bobblehead), Summer Fireworks Series
• 2 p.m. Aug. 16: Crayola Day (specialty jerseys), Color Your Own Lunch Box Giveaway (first 1,000 kids receive color your own lunch box)

The Smokies have already clinched a playoff spot by capturing the first-half title and are in first place in the Southern League North.

Southern League North standings

1. Knoxville Smokies (23-20 second half, 61-51 overall)
2. Rocket City Trash Pandas (22-21 second half, 57-54 overall)
3. Birmingham Barons (19-23 second half, 45-66 overall)
4. Chattanooga Lookouts (14-29 second half, 51-61 overall)

Southern League South standings

1. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (26-16 second half, 62-49 overall)
2. Montgomery Biscuits (24-19 second half, 59-53 overall)
3. Columbus Clingstones (22-20 second half, 51-55 overall)
4. Biloxi Shuckers (20-22 second half, 55-52 overall)

** Records reflect the standings as of 10 p.m. Aug. 14.

Trevor McGee covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC for Knox News. Email: trevor.mcgee@knoxnews.com; X: @TrevorMcGee12

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Smokies hold off late Trash Pandas rally, stranding tying run at third