Game Info: August 31 vs. Columbus: 2:35 PM: Toyota Field
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: August 31 vs. Columbus: 2:35 PM: Toyota Field

Published on August 31, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Sunday, August 31, 2025 - 2:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, Alabama

Matchup | Rocket City Trash Pandas - LAA (19-37, 43-81) vs. Columbus Clingstones - ATL (28-28, 54-68)

Pitching Matchup: RHP Luke Murphy (0-1, 4.35) // RHP Lucas Braun (4-5, 4.22)

Game: 125 of 137 - Second Half: 57 of 69 - Home Game: 63 of 69

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

TODAY'S PROMOTIONS:

Sunday, August 31 | First Pitch: 2:35 pm | Gates Open: 1:30 pm | Trustmark VIP Gates: 1:00 pm

Pregame Autographs: George Klassen and Walbert Urena will be available for autographs before the game, from 1:40 to 2:00 pm, located on the first-base side of the Bill Penney Concourse.

Postgame Kids Run the Bases: Kids can run the bases at Toyota Field after every Sunday home game, presented by Listerhill Credit Union! Sprocket's Kids' Club members can skip to the front of the line by presenting their ID cards.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:.

Rocket City Trash Pandas Beer and Wine Festival

PANDA NOTES:

FOR STARTERS: The Rocket City Trash Pandas wrap up their penultimate homestand of the 2025 season on Sunday afternoon, the finale 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.

ALDEGHERI DOMINATES AS TRASH PANDAS BLANK COLUMBUS: Starter Sam Aldegheri fired a career-high 8.0 shutout innings with six strikeouts, leading the Trash Pandas to a 4-0 win over Columbus on Saturday night. Oscar Colás drove in two runs while David Mershon scored twice and swiped his 10th base of August. Aldegheri, now 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA over his last nine starts, became just the third pitcher in team history to reach eight wins in a season. The game, played in front of 5,526 fans, lasted only 1 hour, 57 minutes-the fastest in Toyota Field history.

SAM THE MAN: LHP Sam Aldegheri has six quality starts in his last nine outings since July 2. The Verona, Italy native is T-1st with six wins (6-2) over that stretch with a 1.98 ERA (12 ER/54.2 IP), 19 walks, and 43 strikeouts. His ERA ranks 3rd in the Southern League over that span. Aldegheri is 2nd in franchise history in wins with eight. He ranks among the league leaders in quality starts (T-2nd, 8) starts (T-6th, 22), innings pitched (2nd, 121.1), strikeouts (11th, 104), and ERA (8th, 3.78).

ROCKET ARMS: Over their last 11 games, the Trash Pandas' pitching staff holds a Double-A-best 2.50 ERA, which includes 94 strikeouts over 93.2 innings. That ERA ranks 7th in all of MiLB since August 18.

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.

GETTIN' ON BASE IN AUGUST: OF David Mershon has reached base safely in six-straight games and leads the Southern League in August with 23 walks. He's turned that into 10 stolen bases, which ranks T-3rd in the league.

CLUTCH COLÁS: OF Oscar Colás' has reached base in 17 of his last 20 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 T-10th in Double-A with 39 home runs in 50 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 Sam Aldegheri (121.1 IP), LHP Mitch Farris (116.0 IP), and RHP Walbert Urena (115.2 IP)rank among the Southern League's top six in innings pitched in 2025 and now sit 4th, 5th, and 6th in franchise history. The Trash Pandas record holder is RHP Chase Chaney in 2024 with 138.0 innings pitched.

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 (T-4th, 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 6th with 26 hits while batting .265 across 26 games. He's also T-4th with seven doubles, adding two homers, 10 RBIs, nine walks, 14 runs, and a .351 OBP. Gobbel has reached base safely in 22 of 26 games this month.

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.

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from August 31, 2025


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