Late Rally Falls Short as Biscuits Sweep Thursday Doubleheader
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Late Rally Falls Short as Biscuits Sweep Thursday Doubleheader

Published on May 29, 2026 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


MONTGOMERY, AL - The Montgomery Biscuits (26-22) swept a Thursday doubleheader from the Rocket City Trash Pandas (25-23) at DABOS Park, winning 4-1 in game one and 4-2 in the nightcap to take a 2-1 lead in the six-game series.

The opener started well for Rocket City. Raudi Rodriguez led off the game with a one-out triple and scored on a Gustavo Campero groundout to give the Trash Pandas a 1-0 lead. However, Montgomery starter and Rays No. 9 prospect Michael Forret (W, 5-0) took control from there. After allowing the first-inning triple, Forret surrendered just two more hits over the remainder of a complete-game, career-high 7.0-inning effort, striking out eight and walking two.

Rocket City starter Austin Gordon (L, 1-5) kept the Biscuits off the board through the first three innings before Montgomery broke through in the fourth. Xavier Isaac led off with a double and scored on a Jadher Areinamo double to tie the game. Brayden Taylor followed with a two-run homer to right field, making it 3-1. After the inning's first out, Ryan Spikes tripled and later scored on a Gregory Barrios single, extending the lead to 4-1. Gordon, making his team-leading 10th start, allowed four runs on seven hits over 4.0 innings, walking none and striking out two.

Jose Gonzalez made his first relief appearance of the season after nine starts and provided 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking one and striking out one. One night after collecting 15 hits, the Trash Pandas were limited to just three in game one.

In the nightcap, Angels No. 14 prospect Nate Snead (L, 0-1) made his Double-A debut following seven strong starts at High-A Tri-City. The former University of Tennessee standout retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, including a perfect 10-pitch first inning.

Montgomery struck first in the third. Mac Horvath doubled with two outs, and Taylor launched his second home run of the day and sixth of the season over the right-field wall to give the Biscuits a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, Areinamo doubled to start the inning and later scored on a Will Simpson RBI single, making it 3-0. After recording two outs in the frame, Snead was lifted for Leonard Garcia. In his Double-A debut, the South Milwaukee native allowed three runs on five hits over 3.2 innings with no walks and no strikeouts. Garcia followed with 1.1 scoreless innings and one strikeout to keep the deficit at three.

Biscuits starter TJ Nichols continued Montgomery's dominant pitching, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings while allowing two hits, striking out five, and walking one before turning the game over to former Angels farmhand Chris Clark (W, 1-2).

Kenyon Yovan's streak of nine consecutive scoreless appearances ended in the sixth inning. Isaac was hit by a pitch to begin the frame and, after two outs were recorded, Spikes delivered an RBI double into the right-center field gap to stretch Montgomery's lead to 4-0. Yovan struck out one and has allowed just one run over his last 9.1 innings.

Rocket City mounted a late rally in the seventh. Clark allowed a single to Campero and walked Tucker Flint before Elijah Dunham narrowly missed a three-run homer, settling instead for an RBI double off the top of the right-field fence to make it 4-1. Derrick Eddington (S, 5) entered from the bullpen and surrendered an RBI groundout to J.J. D'Orazio that cut the deficit to 4-2. Eddington then walked David Calabrese to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but retired pinch-hitter Kyren Paris on a flyout to end the game.

Campero drove in two more runs during the doubleheader and is now 6-for-11 this week with a home run and six RBIs. Nick Rodriguez reached base safely three times in the twin bill and is 4-for-9 with two walks through the first three games of the series. At the end of the night, the Trash Pandas remain in second place, but 2.0 games back of Chattanooga.

The Trash Pandas and Biscuits meet again on Friday night at DABOS Park for game four of the six-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm with RHP Joel Hurtado (4-1, 3.07) starting for the Trash Pandas opposite RHP Gary Gill Hill (1-0, 4.24) for the Biscuits. Fans can watch the games on Bally Sports Live, MLB.tv, and MiLB.tv, and listen locally on Talk Radio WZZN 97.7 FM HD-2 and ESPN The Zone 97.7 FM.

The Trash Pandas will return to Toyota Field for a six-game series against the Atlanta Braves affiliate Columbus Clingstones, June 2-7.

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from May 29, 2026


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