Game Info: Tuesday, July 1 vs. Knoxville: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: Tuesday, July 1 vs. Knoxville: 6:35 PM: Toyota Field

July 1, 2025 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 6:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, Alabama

Matchup: Rocket City Trash Pandas - LAA (0-6, 24-50) vs. Knoxville Smokies (3-3, 35-39)

Pitching Matchup: LHP Mitch Farris (0-4, 4.02) // RHP Antonio Santos (1-2, 1.93)

Game: 75 of 137 - Second Half: 7 of 69 - Home Game: 40 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, July 1 | 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, canned wine will be available for $5 for all fans 21 and older.

ROSTER MOVES:

7/1: C Jaxx Groshans placed on the Development List

7/1: INF Caleb Ketchup reinstated from the Development List and transferred to Single-A Inland Empire

7/1: RHP Jorge Marcheco transferred from Rocket City to High-A Tri-City

7/1: INF Joe Redfield reinstated from the 7-day Injured List

FOR STARTERS: The Rocket City Trash Pandas are starting a split six-game series with the first of three games at Toyota Field against the Knoxville Smokies. The remaining three games will be held at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville from July 4-6 The Trash Pandas are currently on a club-record losing streak of 15 games, having just been swept in their last series, going 0-6 at Montgomery. During their previous homestand, they went 3-10, including a 0-7 performance against the Chattanooga Lookouts and a 3-3 record against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. This season, the Pandas have a 5-6 record against the Smokies and are 2-4 at Toyota Field. Overall, Rocket City leads the all-time series against Knoxville, 65-63.

PANDAS FALL VICTIM TO MLB Rule 7.02(B) ON SUNDAY: The Trash Pandas experienced their 15th consecutive loss on Sunday, falling to the Montgomery Biscuits 6-5 in a rain-shortened game. Although the Trash Pandas tied the game in the ninth with a home run from pinch-hitter Evan Edwards, the game reverted to the previous inning due to MLB rules, as it was called off because of rain. In the first inning, the Trash Pandas took a 2-0 lead on the fifth home run of the season by Travis Blankenhorn, but the Biscuits fought back and responded each time Rocket City tied or took the lead. Blankenhorn was 2-for-4 with his sixth home run in seven games, two RBIs, and Myles Emmerson added a homer and finished 2-for-3.

BLANKENHORN BLASTING OFF: Travis Blankenhorn has hit in 10 of 13 games since returning from the Injured List on June 13; the veteran outfielder is batting .326 (15-for-46) with three doubles, six home runs, 14 RBIs, and a 1.163 OPS. He's upped his batting average from .145 to .222 ... In the previous series at Montgomery, finished 7-for-25 with a double, five home runs, nine RBIs, and 1.360 OPS ... Blankenhorn became the fifth Panda to homer in three straight games, June 22-25 ... Has hit all six of his home runs over his last seven games, including two on June 27, the most homers in Minor League Baseball, since June 22.

RADA REPORT: CF Nelson Rada, the youngest player in the Southern League at 19 years and 10 months, leads the Southern League, and is 4th in Double-A with 28 stolen bases this season, including 19 in May. He hit his first home run of 2025 on June 28 at Montgomery, his second as a Trash Panda and first since June 7 of last season against Pensacola at Toyota Field. Rada ranks among the league leaders in stolen bases (1st, 28), OBP (4th, .391), batting average (5th, .288), walks (T-10th, 36), and hits (7th, 71). Rada has recorded a team-best 21 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games.

RADA SINCE MAY 21: Rada has reached base safely in 30 of 34 games since May 21 and ranks third in the Southern League with a .311 batting average over his last 34 games, collecting 38 hits.

KLASSEN TO THE FUTUREs game: RHP George Klassen has been chosen to participate in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game which will take place at 3:00 pm CT on Saturday, July 12, at Truist Park in Atlanta. The No. 3 prospect for the Angels is the only representative for the Angels and becomes the sixth Rocket City player to earn a Futures Game selection, joining RHP Caden Dana ('24), OF Kyren Paris (' 23), C Edgar Quero (' 23), RHP Ky Bush (' 22), and LHP Reid Detmers (' 21).

NOT THE GOOD KIND OF STREAK: The Trash Pandas have experienced a club-record 15-game losing streak since June 14. This streak surpasses their previous records of eight consecutive losses in both 2023 (from September 3 to September 12) and 2021 (from September 5 to September 14). Their 15-game losing streak is the longest in Minor League Baseball this season. Altoona also recorded 15 consecutive losses in 2024 (from April 19 to May 4), which ranks as the ninth-longest losing streak in MiLB since 2005. The streak matches the longest in Southern League history, set by the Columbus (GA) Astros in 1971, dropping 15-straight games from May 17-June 1, 1971. In 1971, the Southern League and Texas League played an interlocking schedule and referred to the agreement as the "Dixie Association". Over the last 20 years, the longest losing streak recorded was a 19-game skid by Triple-A Rochester, which occurred from July 16 to August 10, 2022. In the Southern League, Pensacola faced an 11-game losing streak from May 20 to May 31.

DENZER DEMANDS RESPECT: The 21-year-old ranks among the Southern League leaders in doubles (7th, 14), RBIs (13th, 35), extra-base hits (T-7th, 22), and home runs (T-13th, 8).

DELAYING THE LAUNCH: Over their last 14 games, the Trash Pandas have endured 9 hours and 20 minutes, and in the previous homestand, the Trash Pandas faced weather delays that totaled 6 hours and 20 minutes. Rocket City has had 14 home games affected by rain delays or postponements this season, adding up to 9 hours and 2 minutes of total delay time. According to wunderground.com, rain has been recorded on 22 out of 37 home game days. Despite these challenges, Rocket City continues to lead the league in attendance.

NEW HALF, NEW TRASH PANDAS: In June, the Trash Pandas had 25 roster moves impact the roster, with 10 moves coming on June 17. Only 17 of the current 28-man roster were active on May 19. Newcomers joining the club in June include OF Oscar Colás (6/3), 1B Evan Edwards (6/3), INF David Mershon (6/17), INF Ben Gobbel (6/17), LHP A.J. Block (6/17), RHP Sam Ryan (6/17), while OF Travis Blankenhorn (IL, 6/7), C Jaxx Groshans (Dev. List, 6/24) and RHP George Klassen (IL, 6/1) have been reinstated from the IL, or Dev. List.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA: The Trash Pandas are in a stretch of 34 consecutive games played in the state of Alabama. This stretch began on May 27 and will continue through July 3. During this time, the Pandas will play six road games in Birmingham from (6/3-8), six games in Montgomery from (6/24-29), and 22 home games at Toyota Field.

KEEPIN' IT QUALITY: Starter Joel Hurtado is T-1st in the Southern League (with Ian Mejia, COL) with seven quality starts and leads the league in generating 94 groundouts. He ranks fourth in the Southern League with 72.2 innings pitched. He also ranks among the Southern League leaders in starts (T-5th, 13), wins (T-7th, 5), ERA (6th, 3.10), and WHIP (11th, 1.29).

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics



Southern League Stories from July 1, 2025


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