For four innings Tuesday night, Knoxville kept finding its way back into Game 1. Angel Cepeda sent a towering drive over the left-field railing, Carter Trice chased a ball to the wall to tie the game, and Brooks Caple held Rocket City in place.
The Smokies never found their way back after Caple left.
Eddie Micheletti Jr. greeted Tyler Schlaffer with the decisive three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Knoxville’s last 16 batters went down in order in a 9-2 loss to the Trash Pandas at Toyota Field.
The defeat leaves the Smokies needing a win Thursday at Covenant Health Park to extend the Southern League Division Series.
Manager Lance Rymel had framed the opener as important but not all-consuming. Knoxville knew before the series that its next two games, if necessary, would be at home.
“Like, we obviously, we want to win, but at the end of the day, we have two in Knoxville, too. So we’re doing everything in our power to win game one, but if that doesn’t happen, we’re not going to panic. We still have two more games at home in Knoxville.”
— Lance Rymel, Knoxville Smokies Manager
Game 1 remained within Knoxville’s reach until the pitching change in the sixth. Caple struck out Jake Munroe and allowed a ground-ball single to Jacob Cozart before Schlaffer entered with the score tied.
Schlaffer forced Cozart at second, but hit Tucker Flint to extend the inning. Micheletti followed with a high drive to right-center that kept carrying beyond the wall, turning a 2-2 game into a 5-2 Rocket City lead.
It was the second time a home run abruptly changed the shape of the night. Bartolero had jumped on Caple’s first pitch of the second inning and sent it over the wall in left-center. Flint walked, moved to third on a single and a force out, then scored on Anthony Scull’s groundout for a 2-0 lead.
Cepeda answered in his first playoff plate appearance. His third-inning drive climbed high toward left, cleared the railing and landed on the concourse, cutting the deficit in half.
Knoxville pulled even an inning later. Ariel Armas drew a two-out walk, and Trice drove a ball over Flint’s head in deep left. It reached the wall as Armas rounded third, and there was no play at the plate.
That double was Knoxville’s third hit. It was also its last.
Tyler Bremner finished five innings, and the Rocket City bullpen faced the minimum the rest of the way. Camden Minacci, Lucas Mahlstedt, Chris Cortez and Kenyon Yovan combined to retire every Smokies hitter they saw. Knoxville went scoreless over the final five innings after managing two runs and three hits overall.
Caple was charged with three earned runs over 5 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. Rymel had explained before the game why Knoxville trusted him with the series opener.
“I mean, Cable’s been our horse since day one, so it’s good to give him the ball. We feel very comfortable every time he takes them out, and then McCullough has been throwing the ball so well of late.”
— Lance Rymel, Knoxville Smokies Manager
The game got away from Knoxville completely in the eighth. Flint walked and Micheletti singled before Jake Thompson drove a ball over Kane Kepley’s head in center. It kicked off the wall and away as both runners scored and Thompson reached third.
Scull’s groundout brought Thompson home. Arjun Nimmala followed with a long homer over the left-center bullpens, completing a four-run inning and supplying the final margin. Schlaffer was charged with five earned runs in two innings.
Brody McCullough will take the ball Thursday with Knoxville’s season riding on the result. He has already pictured what the first affiliated postseason game in Knoxville since the 1990s might sound like.
“I’m hoping for a big crowd. I think it should be fun. We’ve had great crowds all year, so I don’t see why this would be any different, if not better, so it’ll be a good time.”
— Brody McCullough, Knoxville Smokies Game 2 Starting Pitcher