Game Info: August 30 vs. Columbus: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: August 30 vs. Columbus: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field

Published on August 30, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Saturday, August 30, 2025 - 6:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, Alabama

Matchup | Rocket City Trash Pandas - LAA (18-36, 42-81) vs. Columbus Clingstones - ATL (28-27, 54-67)

Pitching Matchup: LHP Sam Aldegheri (7-8, 4.05) // RHP Brett Sears (6-4, 3.77)

Game: 124 of 137 - Second Half: 56 of 69 - Home Game: 62 of 69

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

TODAY'S PROMOTIONS:

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

Saturday Night Fireworks: For the second consecutive night, Fireworks will lift off from Toyota Field, presented by Boeing.

THIS WEEKEND:.

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 continue their penultimate homestand of the 2025 season on Saturday night, game five of a six-game series with the Atlanta Braves' affiliate, Columbus Clingstones. It's the third and final matchup between the clubs this year. The Pandas 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 are coming off of a 2-4 trip to Birmingham.

KLASSEN FANS NINE, BUT TRASH PANDAS FALL 7-1: The Trash Pandas dropped their second straight Friday, falling 7-1 to Columbus at Toyota Field as the series evened at two games apiece. George Klassen struck out nine over five strong innings, tying his season high and moving to seventh in the Southern League with 111 Ks. Korey Holland's homer gave Rocket City an early lead, but the Clingstones broke through late, scoring six runs across the sixth and seventh innings. Despite 16 total strikeouts from Rocket City pitching, Landon Harper held the Pandas to one run over seven frames while David Fletcher and EJ Exposito paced the Columbus offense.

KLASSEN K'S PILING UP: RHP George Klassen made his 22nd start of 2025, and 29th of his career on August 29 vs. Columbus, which ranks 4th in franchise history. Klassen's 111 strikeouts this season places him 5th in franchise history.

ROCKET CITY PITCHING ON POINT: Despite giving up nine earned runs the last two days, over their last 10 games, the Trash Pandas' pitching staff holds a 2.76 ERA, which includes 88 strikeouts over 84.2 innings. That ERA ranks 5th in all of Double-A baseball since August 18. Five of the top six ERA's in that span come from the Southern League.

GETTIN' ON BASE IN AUGUST: OF David Mershon has reached base safely in five-straight games, and leads the Southern League in August with 21 walks. He's turned that into nine stolen bases, which ranks T-3rd in the league.

CLUTCH COLÁS: OF Oscar Colás has reached base in 16 of his last 19 games, hitting five home runs during the stretch - including a two-homer game on August 14, a grand slam on August 8 in Columbus (the Trash Pandas' second of the season and 11th in franchise history), and a walk-off three-run triple vs. Columbus on August 27. Since May 30, Colás leads the Southern League with 13 homers in that span and ranks T-8th overall with 14 between Birmingham (1) and Rocket City (13).

BLASTING OFF IN THE ROCKET CITY: Since July 1, the Trash Pandas are 2nd in the Southern League (Pensacola, 41), and rank 10th in Double-A with 39 home runs in 49 games. Oscar Colás (11), Ben Gobbel (6), and Korey Holland (4) have combined for 21 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 87 long balls.

DURABLE ARMS: LHP Mitch Farris (116.0 IP), RHP Walbert Urena (115.2 IP), and LHP Sam Aldegheri (113.1 IP) rank among the Southern League's top six in innings pitched in 2025 and now sit 5th, 6th, and 7th in franchise history. The Trash Pandas record holder is RHP Chase Chaney in 2024 with 138.0 innings pitched.

TOYOTA FIELD MAGIC WAS BACK: The Trash Pandas rallied from a three-run deficit in the ninth to stun Columbus 6-5 on Wednesday, as Oscar Colas delivered a three-run walk-off triple - the team's third walk-off win of the season, and first since Cole Fontenelle's game-winner on June 11 vs. Pensacola after Denzer Guzman's walk-off homer on April 5 vs. Chattanooga.

FARRIS KEEPS PUTTING UP BIG STRIKEOUT NUMBERS: LHP Mitch Farris leads the Southern League, and ranks 2nd in Double-A with 142 strikeouts over 23 outings in 2025. Farris is currently 2nd in team history in single-season strikeouts, trailing only franchise record-holder Caden Dana, who struck out 147 batters in 2024. His 13-strikeout game on August 26 vs. Columbus was the third-most in team history behind Reid Detmer's 16 on June 26, 2021 at Chattanooga, and Brett Kerry's 14 on August 29 vs. Tennessee. Farris ranks among the league leaders in starts (T-6th, 22), innings pitched (2nd, 116.0), and strikeouts (1st, 142).

GOBBEL'ING UP HITS IN AUGUST: INF Ben Gobbel has been one of the Southern League's most consistent bats in August, ranking 7th with 25 hits while batting .278 across 24 games. He's also T-4th with six doubles, adding two homers, eight RBIs, nine walks, 13 runs, and a .369 OBP. Gobbel has reached base safely in 20 of 24 games this month.

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from August 30, 2025


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