Smokies Series Recap: Knoxville Smokies vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas

July 7, 2025 - Southern League (SL) News Release

KNOXVILLE, TN - The Knoxville Smokies battled the Rocket City Trash Pandas in a six-game split series that began with three contests at Toyota Field in Madison, AL, before concluding with three games at Covenant Health Park. Looking to maintain their Southern League North division lead, the Smokies ultimately split the series 3-3 in a back-and-forth affair that showcased both teams' players and competitiveness.

Game 1: Smokies Smoke the Trash Pandas, Extend Historic Skid

The Smokies opened up the series with a road win, 3-1 over Rocket City Tuesday night. This Smokies win gave Rocket City their 16th straight loss, the most in organization history. Antonio Santos was given the start and the win, as he allowed only one run in five innings. The Smokies finally got on the board in the 6th inning when Jaylen Palmer came up to the plate and batted in Felix Stevens with a double. Corey Joyce returned the favor for Palmer by bringing him home with an RBI hit. The Smokies were able to keep the lead for the rest of the game thanks to the bullpen. Tyler Santana, Brad Deppermann, and the closer A.J. Puckett combined for four scoreless innings. Puckett also recorded his 12th save of the season, leading the Southern League.

Game 2: Trash Pandas Dump Smokies

The second game of the series featured starters Nick Dean for the Smokies and Sam Aldegheri for the Trash Pandas. The pregame show noted that strong defensive pressure would be key to a Smokies victory. Ironically, the game began in the exact opposite manner. Nick Dean gave up seven hits, six earned runs, and one home run in just three innings. The Trash Pandas had the Smokies' pitchers figured out Wednesday night, forcing Knoxville to turn to their bullpen early. Frankie Scalzo Jr., Sam Thoresen, Jake Brentz, and Cayne Ueckert all saw time on the mound, combining for five innings of work. Brentz made his Smokies debut after being acquired by the Smokies on July 1st. Aldegheri and the Trash Pandas had the defensive start that the Smokies were looking for as Aldegheri was given the win and pitched well across six shutout innings. Rocket City defeated the Smokies in a one-sided 9-1 game, snapping their 16-game losing streak.

Game 3: Oscar Colas Leads 21-Hit Slugfest

Game three was the last game played at Toyota Field in this split series. The Trash Pandas emerged victorious in the slugfest, as both teams combined for 21 hits with Rocket City collecting 11 and Knoxville producing 10. The big hitter Oscar Colas, who hit not one, not two, but three home runs against the Smokies pitchers. Colas had one off of Grant Kipp in the 2nd inning, one off of Nick Hull in the 3rd inning, and the final blast off of Zac Leigh in the 5th inning. The Smokies had the lead going into the top of the 8th inning. Corey Joyce, Pedro Ramirez, and Jordan Nwogu combined for five hits, with Nwogu batting in three runners. The Trash Pandas broke the game open in the bottom of the 8th inning with home runs from Josh Crouch and Travis Blankenhorn, combining for four RBIs. Rocket City stopped Knoxville from coming back in the 9th and ended the game 10-8.

Game 4: Schlaffer Sparkles in Double-A Debut on the Fourth

Game four provided a great 4th of July experience for Smokies fans. The Smokies came out on top with an 8-3 victory, led by their newest addition on the mound, Tyler Schlaffer. Schlaffer made his Double-A debut after being called up from the South Bend Cubs. His final outing in High-A was a 10 strikeout performance. Schlaffer earned the victory with six innings pitched, allowing one run, striking out four. In his post-game comments, he highlighted the enthusiastic crowd and praised Casey Opitz's performance behind the dish. The Smokies' eight-run offensive performance was fueled by consistent contributions from the bottom of their lineup, with Casey Opitz and Jaylen Palmer combining for four hits and three runs. The balanced attack helped Knoxville even the series at 2-2.

Game 5: Rocket City Takes Series Lead in Pitcher's Duel

The Trash Pandas captured game five with a 2-1 victory in a pitching-dominated contest at Covenant Health Park. The Smokies struck first when Reivaj Garcia drove in Corey Joyce with an RBI single, although the lead couldn't stick. The real story of the game was the great start from Rocket City's starting pitcher. Rocket City starting pitcher George Klassen dominated over five innings, striking out nine and keeping the Smokies from finding a rhythm at the plate. Knoxville starter Chris Clarke matched Klassen's effectiveness early, throwing five scoreless innings in his first Smokies start. The rest of the bullpen couldn't continue what Clarke had started. The Trash Pandas found themselves scoring a pair of runs between the sixth and seventh innings off of Jake Brentz and Frankie Scalzo Jr. The Trash Pandas pushed the series to 3-2 and put the pressure on the division leaders of the Southern League North.

Game 6: Smokies Roll a Split

The Smokies tied the series 3-3 at home in dominant fashion with an 11-3 victory, their highest-scoring offensive performance of the season. Knoxville overwhelmed Rocket City with 16 hits and limited the Trash Pandas to just two. The Smokies took advantage of the early defensive mistakes and that ultimately set the tone for a one-sided contest. Jordan Nwogu made his first appearance as the leadoff hitter in AA this season for the Smokies. He delivered immediately with two hits and two runs, setting the standard for the Smokies lineup.. An error made by Ben Gobbel early in the game opened up opportunities for players to be on base. The Smokies struck with a four-run inning, highlighted by Reivaj Garcia's 2-RBI single. The second inning brought more excitement as Jaylen Palmer's 2-run homer started another three-run frame. Felix Stevens continued the assault in the third inning, knocking in a triple before being driven home by Casey Opitz, extending the lead to 7-1. Rocket City struggled to generate offensive momentum against Knoxville's pitching. Antonio Santos started with five innings of one-run baseball and the Knoxville bullpen shut down the final four frames. The Smokies cruised to a convincing series finale win, tying it up three games even.

Wrap Up

The Knoxville Smokies and Rocket City Trash Pandas battled through a six-game series that showcased dramatic momentum swings and outstanding individual performances. This series pushed the Knoxville Smokies record to 38-42 and a 6-6 record in the second half of the season, leading the Southern League North.

Knoxville looks to keep up the good work as they will host the talented Montgomery Biscuits for a series at Covenant Health Park. They're currently sitting at an overall record of 45-36. Despite being at the bottom of the competitive Southern League South, they have a 7-5 record. This shows how capable this team is - they may be last in their division's second-half standings, but they have a better record than the North Division leaders. A great series could be coming soon.

For more information on the Knoxville Smokies- including game highlights, upcoming promotions, ticket info, and the latest news- visit smokiesbaseball.com or follow @Smokiesbaseball on IG, X, Facebook, and Tik Tok!

Listen to all the action on the radio: 92.5 FM/1180 AM WKCE

Knoxville Smokies exchange high fives following a win (Lindsay Coward)

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