Smokies Beat Trash Pandas, Force Game 3

September 22, 2022 – Southern League (SL) – Tennessee Smokies News Release

MADISON, Ala. – The Tennessee Smokies (1-1) kept their season alive with a 4-2 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas (1-1) Thursday night at Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama. Tennessee will take on the Trash Pandas in a win-or-go-home game on Friday night.

The Smokies scored the first run of the game in the top of the third on a Yonathan Perlaza RBI double, but Rocket City would score the next two runs of the game to take a lead, both against starter Ben Brown. Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Tennessee pulled ahead for good on a Chase Strumpf three-run homer.

Strumpf is 5-for-8 with three RBIs and two runs scored through the first two games of the Southern League North division series.

LHP Bailey Horn (W, 1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen with 2.1 shutout frames. Zach Leigh (S, 1) recorded the save and struck out each of his first two batters faced on three pitches to begin the bottom of the ninth, before Perlaza made a leaping catch at the right field wall for the final out of the game to clinch the Smokies’ victory.

The Smokies will play the third and final game of the 2022 Southern League North divisional series Friday night at Toyota Field in Madison, AL. The winner will advance to the championship series next week, while the loser will be eliminated. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 PM ET. Fans can catch the action at https://www.milb.com/tennessee/fans/audio-listen-live.

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