Hurtado Dominates in Trash Pandas' 9-0 Blowout of Blue Wahoos

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SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Hurtado Dominates in Trash Pandas' 9-0 Blowout of Blue Wahoos

May 14, 2025 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


PENSACOLA, Fla. -The Rocket Trash Pandas (11-22) received a dominant pitching performance from Joel Hurtado (W, 3-2), shutting out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (20-15) on Wednesday morning by a score of 9-0 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. José Quijada and Camden Minacci combined with Hurtado for the four-hit shutout, the first of the year for Rocket City. The was Rocket City's second in a midweek matinee, improving to 2-3 in school day games this season. The nine-run winning margin is the largest for the Pandas this season, and the largest since a 13-run victory at Chattanooga last year on June 25.

Hurtado matched both his season and career high by throwing just 82 pitches across 7.0 shutout innings, allowing only three hits, walking none, and striking out two. He induced 12 groundouts for the second time this season, and his team-best ERA now stands at 2.04, ranking fourth in the league through seven starts. Nelson Rada and Sam Brown, the league's top two hitters in May, continued their hot hitting ways - Rada walked twice, scored twice, and stole two bases, while Brown posted his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI. Rada is batting .389 this month, while Brown leads the league-and ranks second in Double-A-with a .406 average. Brown's season batting average of .306 is now third in the league.

Just 13 hours after a tough extra-inning loss on Tuesday night, the Trash Pandas capitalized on the wildness of Pensacola starter Robby Snelling (L, 2-3). On Wednesday, manager Andy Schatzley adjusted the lineup to feature Rada and Brown in the top two spots. Rada was hit by the game's first pitch, followed by a single from Brown. Snelling then walked Denzer Guzman and Christian Moore, forcing in the first run. After briefly regaining his composure with back-to-back strikeouts, Snelling walked Jaxx Groshans with the bases loaded, making it 2-0.

The Pandas extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Moore reached base again with a bloop single and scored on a Myles Emerson double. Things unraveled for the Blue Wahoos in the fifth inning. Brown, Guzman, and Moore hit three consecutive singles, prompting Snelling's exit in favor of Ricky DeVito. The new pitcher hit back-to-back Rocket City batters, Emerson and Cole Fontenelle, with the bases loaded, increasing the lead to 5-0. DeVito then retired the next three batters, stranding the bases loaded.

DeVito tied a Southern League record by plunking four batters in Wednesday's game, starting with Rada and Brown in the sixth inning. Rada stole second and third, boosting his season total to 15 steals, tying him for first place in the Southern League alongside Montgomery's Colton Ledbetter. Guzman then reached base on an error from Pensacola catcher Spencer Bramwell, allowing Rada and Brown to score, making it 7-0.

In the seventh inning, Groshans led off with a single. DeVito walked two of the next three batters to load the bases. Brown grounded out softly to new pitcher Nigel Belgrave, allowing Groshans to score, bringing the tally to 8-0. David Calabrese capped the scoring for Rocket City by racing home on a wild pitch from Belgrave, making it 9-0.

The Wednesday morning game featured several unusual occurrences: DeVito's four-hit batters, Pensacola pitching striking out 17 Rocket City batters, and combining to go 1-for-22 with runners in scoring position while stranding 17 runners on base. Remarkably, only one of Rocket City's runs was scored via a hit; the others resulted from hit-by-pitches, walks, wild pitches, or errors.

The Trash Pandas and Blue Wahoos are back in action on Thursday night for game three of the six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm, with Rocket City left-hander Sam Aldegheri (1-2, 4.09) starting against Pensacola right-hander Evan Fitterer (2-2, 2.84). Fans can watch the game on Bally Live, MiLB.tv, or listen on ESPN 97.7 HD-2 and trashpandasbaseball.com

Even with the team out of town, the fun continues at Toyota Field as the Trash Pandas partner with Kissel Entertainment for the sixth annual Big Ol' Ballpark Fair May 15th-25th. The Fair will be open Tuesday-Friday at 4 pm, then at 1 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Armbands with access to all the rides cost $35 Friday-Sunday and $30 Tuesday-Thursday. Admission is $10 daily, and parking at Toyota Field is $5. Discounted wristbands are available if you purchase in advance before May 14. You can find more information by visiting kisselentertainment.com.

The Rocket City Trash Pandas return to Toyota Field and welcome the Biloxi Shuckers, May 27 to June 1, with promotions scheduled such as the first Tito's Dog Day, Friday and Saturday Night Fireworks, and the first appearance for Lunaticos de Rocket City and a Lunaticos Sugar Skull Bobblehead Giveaway presented By Early Services.

Tickets are available starting at just $8 for general admission and $16 for field-level seats. They can be purchased online at tptix.com. Fans can also purchase tickets in person during regular business hours at the Wicks Family Foundation Box Office or by calling 256-325-1403, option 1. Fans can book their group outings for the 2025 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or calling the group sales department directly at (256) 325-1403, option 2. 20-game mini-plans are also available at tptix.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 14, 2025


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