Gameday Thread: Tennessee Smokies vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas (Southern League Playoffs - Game II) Chase Silseth on the Mound

[Chuck]

The game is FREE on MILB.tv tonight. 

Here's the link: https://www.milb.com/live-stream-games/2022/09/22/aa/all/all

[Chuck]

Get to know tonight's starter more in our interview which was just posted with Chase Silseth. 

 

[Chuck]

Game notes

LAST TIME OUT: Rocket City jumped on Tennessee starting pitcher Riley Thompson to the tune of seven runs over 4.1 innings as the Trash Pandas topped the Smokies 9-5 Tuesday night to go up 1-0 in the best-ofthree North Division Series. The Trash Pandas struck early with two in the first on a two-run homer by Preston Palmeiro. They added another run in the second on a solo shot by Jordyn Adams before scoring four more in the fifth on a two-run double by Zach Neto, an RBI double from Logan O'Hoppe, and a wild pitch to take a commanding 7-0 lead. The Smokies stormed back with the next four runs to pull to within three before a two-run triple in the ninth by Jeremiah Jackson made the score 9-4. Starter Ky Bush was strong in his first postseason start by tossing five scoreless innings and striking out seven. Rocket City pounded out 13 hits as Neto, Palmeiro, O'Hoppe, Adams, Ryan Aguilar, and Bryce Teodosio each collected two hits.

FILLING UP ON HOME COOKIN: Unless the Triple-A Nashville Sounds of the International League sweep their final three home games, the Trash Pandas will finish with the most home wins in MiLB with 49. They wrapped the regular season with a 49-20 record and never lost a home series in 2022. BULLISH PEN: A huge key to Rocket City's success has been the work of its bullpen. Specifically, the trio of Kolton Ingram, Eric Torres, and Luke Murphy have all been impressive. Ingram posted a 2.02 ERA with eight saves and 53 Ks in his last 44.2 innings of work with only 11 walks and 10 runs allowed. Torres, meanwhile, registered 18 saves and a 2-1 record in his last 38 innings with 13 hits and six ER allowed for a 1.42 ERA to go along with 56 punchouts. Murphy tied for second on the team with seven wins. In fact, in 33 appearances this season he did not allow a run in 27 of them, including no runs at Toyota Field. Over his last 24 appearances, he went 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA over 25.1 innings and 28 strikeouts with four ER. Ingram led the Southern League with 13 holds while Murphy was close behind, ending the season with 12 holds to rank second in the league. OBP…

RYNO EXPLAINS IT: After clearing waivers, outfielder Ryan Aguilar was returned to Rocket City on 9/13. This came after a seven-game stint with the Angels as the Yorba Linda, CA native collected three hits, drove in two and scored two runs at the big-league level. Now owning a .271 batting average at Double-A this season after hitting .344 for the month of July, outfielder Ryan Aguilar would have compiled for the best on-base percentage in the Southern League at .415 if he qualified for the category. One reason for the high OBP is because he finished 10th in the league with walks at 66. On 7/2 at Tennessee, Aguilar showed his penchant for getting on base by drawing five walks in five plate appearances. Aguilar would also be second in OPS at .906 if he had enough at-bats to qualify. He is having his best season in slugging at a .491 clip, which would have been tied for second in the league if he had enough at-bats. He was 45-134 (.336) over his final 39 games and is finished first on the team in homers with 15. His work resulted in a season-highlight for the week of 8/16-8/21 when he won the Southern League’s Player of the Week Award for going 7-16 against Chattanooga with two homers, six RBI, six runs scored and six walks while only playing in five of the six games.

TONIGHT'S STARTING PITCHER: Pitching for the Trash Pandas will be RHP Chase Silseth who picked up his fourth consecutive win on 9/15 against Birmiongham when he allowed six shutout innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts in a 5-2 win. He has been on a roll of late, going 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA with seven hits allowed on six walks with 36 strikeouts. That includes seven no-hit innings on 9/3 against Biloxi when he started the first ever no-hitter in Rocket City history,. He fired 6.2 perfect innings before allowing a man on, taking home his second Southern League Pitcher of the Week award. The Angels #18 prospect according to MLB.com has bounced back-and-forth between AA and the Majors. He last pitched in the Majors on 7/30 for Los Angeles against Texas and allowed five runs on five hits in four innings of a no-decision. In seven games as a Major Leaguer, Silseth went 1-3 with a 6.59 ERA. He won his MLB debut on 5/13 at Oakland when he fired six innings of shutout ball on one hit. He was awarded the Southern League’s Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of 4/18-4/24 when he allowed a run on three hits over six frames, walked one and struck out seven in an 8-3 win.

CHASE THE CLINCHER: As Rocket City looks to win the series tonight, they will turn to a hurler who knows something about clinching titles. Right-hander Chase Silseth will toe the rubber in Game 2 tonight. He was the starting pitcher in the first-half North Division clincher on 6/19 when he allowed a run on three hits with seven strikeouts over six innings of a no-decision against Montgomery. The bats woke up and the bullpen held on for a 7-2 win. On 9/15 against Birmingham, Silseth got the win after firing six shutout innings on two hits with nine strikeouts in a 5-2 victory over the Barons that gave the Trash Pandas the second-half title as well.

 

[Jeff Fletcher]

Game II 

like the Super Bowl

[tdawg87]

I'm willing into existence a Silseth dominant performance as well as O'Hoppe and Neto getting 3 hits each.

[Chuck]

48 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Game II 

like the Super Bowl

It feels like it for Angels fans with really the only thing to root for these days!  

[Lou]

[Chuck]

 

[Lou]

Why is this announcer 1000 times better than O'Neal?

[Chuck]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

Why is this announcer 1000 times better than O'Neal?

100% @Lou. That's Harry Caray's grandson, son of the Braves play by play announcer Skip Caray. 

I interviewed him last weekend. He's a great guy. I told him we'd love for him to be our next PBP announcer. 

[Stradling]

37 minutes ago, Lou said:

Are you at the game?

[eligrba]

9 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

100% @Lou. That's Harry Caray's grandson, son of the Braves play by play announcer Skip Caray. 

I interviewed him last weekend. He's a great guy. I told him we'd love for him to be our next PBP announcer. 

9 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

It’s probably more entertaining to announce Trash Panda games than Angel games.

[Chuck]

 

[Lou]

[Lou]

12 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Are you at the game?

Sister, BIL and nephew

[Chuck]

 

[Chuck]

 

[Lou]

O'Hoppe after the ump blew the call at home plate.

[Lou]

[Blarg]

[Chuck]

Manager pulled a Joe Maddon and pulled their ace starter at 88 pitches, you know what followed. 

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

Why is this announcer 1000 times better than O'Neal?

Even a trained seal would be a thousand times better than Patty.

[Chuck]

Also, that Kevin Maitan routine groundball right between his legs opened up that inning. He's much better at 1B. 

[Chuck]

 

[Lou]

15 minutes ago, Tank said:

Even a trained seal would be a thousand times better than Patty.

Training optional