Game Info: August 26 vs. Columbus: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: August 26 vs. Columbus: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field

Published on August 26, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 6:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, Alabama

Matchup | Rocket City Trash Pandas - LAA (16-35, 40-79) vs. Columbus Clingstones - ATL (26-25, 52-65)

Pitching Matchup: LHP Mitch Farris (2-8, 4.57) // RHP Lucas Braun (4-4, 4.28)

Game: 120 of 137 - Second Half: 52 of 69 - Home Game: 58 of 69

TV/Radio: WAAY-TV "MORE" 31.6, Bally Sports Live, MiLB.TV, Talk Radio WZZN 97.7 HD-2

TODAY'S PROMOTIONS:

Tuesday, August 26 | First Pitch: 6:35 pm | Gates Open: 5:30 pm | Trustmark VIP Gates: 5:00 pm

Reeds Jewelers Ladies Night: Ladies in attendance can enter to win prizes all game long at the Sun Cruiser Guest Services booth behind Section 5. Additionally, select wine will be available for $5 for all fans 21 and older.

THIS WEEK:.

Wednesday, August 27: Celebrate Tito's Dog Days with pups in the park and enjoy Japanese Heritage Night with cultural activities and décor.

Thursday, August 28: Throwback Thursday features $3 beers and a Huntsville Stars 40th Anniversary celebration with Jose and Ozzie Canseco plus a Stars jersey auction.

Friday, August 29: Enjoy Friday Night Fireworks, support the canned food drive, and meet Huntsville Havoc coaches, players, and mascots.

Saturday, August 30: The weekend continues with a second straight night of fireworks presented by Boeing.

Sunday, August 31: Fans can get pregame autographs from Trash Pandas players and kids can run the bases after the game.

PANDA NOTES:

FOR STARTERS: The Rocket City Trash Pandas open their penultimate homestand of the 2025 season on Tuesday night, kicking off a six-game series with the Atlanta Braves' affiliate, the Columbus Clingstones. It's the third and final matchup between the clubs this year. Rocket City took 2 of 3 at Toyota Field in mid-July but dropped 5 of 6 on the road in Columbus earlier this month. The Trash Pandas return home after a 2-4 trip to Birmingham.

TRASH PANDAS CLOSE SERIES WITH 7-4 WIN IN BIRMINGHAM: The Trash Pandas closed their series in Birmingham with a 7-4 win over the Barons on Sunday. Starter Sam Aldegheri earned the victory in his first outing since August 15, while the offense was led by Korey Holland (2-for-4) and Arol Vera (two RBIs, two runs). Rocket City built an early lead with big innings in the fourth and sixth before the bullpen - Sam Ryan, Luke Murphy, and Samy Natera Jr. - combined for 3.2 scoreless frames to seal the win.

Rocket City pitching on point: The Trash Pandas' pitching staff shined last week, posting a 2.77 ERA over six games - the sixth-best mark in all of Double-A. Birmingham led the way with a 1.94 ERA, while this week's opponent, Columbus, ranked second at 2.00.

CLOSE DOESN'T COUNT: The Trash Pandas and Barons played five one-run games last week in Birmingham, going 1-4 in those contests. This season, Rocket City is 13-21 in one-run games-6-15 on the road and 7-5 at Toyota Field. So far, 57 games have been decided by two runs or fewer, going 22-35, and 4-8 in extras.

NATERA EARNS PROMOTION TO TRIPLE-A: Trash Pandas reliever Samy Natera Jr. was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday after emerging as one of the hottest arms in Double-A. The left-hander has allowed just one run over his last nine outings, going 1-0 with a 0.93 ERA, 17 strikeouts, and only two walks in 9.2 innings while holding opponents to a .176 average and a 0.83 WHIP. Overall, Natera has been a workhorse for Rocket City, tied for the Southern League lead with 41 appearances and tied for eighth with eight saves. He leaves the Pandas with a 4-1 record, 2.64 ERA, and 68 strikeouts across 47.2 innings, limiting opponents to a .183 average.

GOBBEL'ING UP HITS IN AUGUST: INF Ben Gobbel has been one of the Southern League's most consistent bats in August, ranking 5th with 23 hits while batting .284 across 21 games. He's also T-3rd with six doubles, adding two homers, seven RBIs, six walks, 11 runs, and a .788 OPS. Gobbel has reached base safely in 18 of 21 games this month.

WALKIN' IN AUGUST: OF David Mershon leads the Southern League in August with 19 walks. He's turned that into nine stolen bases, which ranks 3rd in the league.

OSCAR Putting the 'Colossal' in Colás: OF Oscar Colás' has reached base in 14 of his last 15 games, belting five home runs during the stretch - highlighted by a two-homer performance on August 14 and a grand slam on August 8 in Columbus, the Trash Pandas' second of the season and 11th in franchise history. Since May 30, Colás has led the Southern League with 13 homers in that span. Overall, he sits 6th in the league with 14 long balls this year between Birmingham (1) and Rocket City (13).

BLASTING OFF IN THE ROCKET CITY: Since July 1, the Trash Pandas have led the Southern League and rank 9th in Double-A with 36 home runs in 45 games. Oscar Colás (11), and Ben Gobbel (6) have combined for 16 of those homers. The Pandas matched a club record with five long balls on July 3 vs. Knoxville and had four on August 14 vs. Knoxville. Overall, Rocket City ranks 3rd in the league with 85 long balls.

FARRIS PACING THE SL IN STRIKEOUTS: LHP Mitch Farris leads the Southern League with 129 strikeouts over 22 outings in 2025. Farris is currently 2nd in team history in single-season strikeouts, passing Coleman Crow (128, 2022) on August 19 at Birmingham, and trailing only franchise record-holder Caden Dana, who struck out 147 batters in 2024. Farris ranks among the league leaders in starts (T-6th, 21), innings pitched (3rd, 109.1), and strikeouts (1st, 129).

Sam's Rolling Through Starts Like Fresh Pasta Dough: LHP Sam Aldegheri has five quality starts in his last eight outings since July 2. The Verona, Italy native is T-1st with five wins (5-2) over that stretch with a 2.31 ERA (12 ER/46.2 IP), 19 walks, and 37 strikeouts. His 2.31 ERA ranks 4th in the Southern League. Aldegheri ranks among the league leaders in starts (T-6th, 21), innings pitched (2nd, 113.1), strikeouts (11th, 98), and ERA (9th, 4.05).

Feeling Calabreezy in THE Rocket City: OF David Calabrese is back for his fourth stint in Rocket City since 2023, and is now 4th on the all-time list in games played for the Trash Pandas with 219. He sits behind Orlando Martinez (296), Tucker Flint (244), and Bryce Teodosio (230). In 10 games since returning from High-A Tri-City, Calabrese is batting .278.

mURPHY MAKES HIS MARK: RHP Luke Murphy, back for his second stint in Rocket City in 2025, holds the franchise record with 115 appearances from 2022-2025. The Vanderbilt product also ranks 3rd in team history with 10 wins, is tied for first with 21 holds, and sits 3rd in team history with 164 strikeouts.

trash pandas baseball hitting the west coast: This Thursday's game (Aug. 28 vs. Columbus) will be televised live on FanDuel Sports Network West, the first of two remaining Trash Pandas broadcasts this season. The final telecast will air Sept. 10 against Chattanooga. Produced in-house and featuring veteran voices Josh Caray and Chris Harris, the broadcasts give fans in the Angels' local TV market an exclusive look at Toyota Field through the FanDuel app and network.

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Southern League Stories from August 26, 2025


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