Rocket City Rallies Past Columbus in Front of Season-High Crowd

MADISON, AL – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (28-27) found a way to win another tight game on Saturday night, edging the Columbus Clingstones (26-28) 2-1 before a season-high crowd of 6,840 at Toyota Field. With the victory, Rocket City moved back within 1.5 games of first-place Chattanooga and remained tied with Knoxville for second place in the North Division with 14 games remaining in the first half.

On Saturday, the Trash Pandas paid tribute on and off the field to the Negro League, wearing Negro Southern League Huntsville Stars jerseys for the first time since last year's Rickwood Classic. The club also honored the memory of Eugene "Dick" Scruggs, a Meridianville native and Negro League pitcher who played for the Kansas City Monarchs, Detroit Stars, and Birmingham Black Barons before becoming one of North Alabama's most respected ambassadors for Negro League baseball. Scruggs, a member of the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, passed away in May at the age of 87.

We are honored to welcome the Scruggs family to Toyota Field for tonight’s Negro League Tribute Game as we celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Eugene Scruggs.

Scruggs was an American pitcher in the Negro Leagues whose career, community leadership, and professional… pic.twitter.com/K56ZjXBeFP

— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) June 7, 2026

For the second consecutive night, runs were at a premium as the two clubs traded zeros most of the game. Rocket City starter Ryan Johnson, making his third start since being optioned from Los Angeles on May 21, cruised through a perfect first inning before Columbus broke through in the second. Former UAB star Logan Braunschweig opened the frame with a double into the left-center field gap and scored one batter later on an RBI single by Ethan Workinger, giving the Clingstones a 1-0 lead.

That would be the only run Johnson allowed. After Workinger's RBI hit, the 23-year-old retired the next 12 batters he faced and turned in a season-high 5.2 innings. Johnson surrendered just one run on three hits, walked none, and struck out three. Over his first three starts with Rocket City, he owns a 1.93 ERA, allowing three runs on six hits across 14.0 innings while recording 18 strikeouts against just three walks.

Columbus starter Lucas Braun turned in his best outing of the season. Braun tossed 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Trash Pandas finally broke through in the seventh inning with help from Columbus reliever Jhoncarlos Lara. Kyren Paris led off the rally with a one-out single, and Lara later walked two batters before uncorking his third wild pitch of the inning, allowing Paris to race home from third and tie the game at 1-1.

Rocket City's bullpen continued its dominant run. Chris Cortez entered for Johnson in the sixth and worked around two hits and a walk to record the final two outs of the inning. Leonard Garcia (W, 1-0), the lone left-hander on the Trash Pandas pitching staff, followed with 1.2 strong innings, allowing one hit while striking out four. The appearance was Garcia's Southern League-leading 19th of the season.

The decisive moment came in the bottom of the eighth against Columbus reliever Tyler LaPorte (L, 0-1). Tucker Flint, who reached base three times on the night, drew a leadoff walk. With one out, Harold Coll hit a comebacker to LaPorte, who made a behind-the-back grab but threw wildly to second base, allowing both runners to advance and putting men at the corners. With the infield drawn in, Paris grounded out to shortstop, but Flint crossed the plate with the go-ahead run to give Rocket City a 2-1 advantage.

Luke Murphy closed the door in the ninth, working around a one-out walk while striking out one to earn his Minor League-leading 11th save. Murphy lowered his ERA to 0.45 and has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 appearances, spanning 16.1 innings with 19 strikeouts and just two walks.

The Trash Pandas managed five hits in the win, led by Flint, who finished 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

The Trash Pandas and Clingstones wrap up their six-game series on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 pm, with RHP Ryan Costeiu (5-2, 5.91) set to start for Rocket City against Columbus RHP Drue Hackenberg (1-0, 0.00). Fans can watch 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.

Saturday’s Promotions:

• Armed Forces Cap Giveaway: The first 1,000 adults through the gates will receive an Armed Forces cap courtesy of SAIC.
• Armed Forces Day Tributes: Join the Trash Pandas for a special day of appreciation, recognition, and baseball at Toyota Field to honor the men and women of the military. The night will feature a special pregame tribute to Gold Star families and a helicopter flyover as we celebrate and remember the service and sacrifice of our military community.
• Free Face Painting & Kids Zone: Enjoy free face painting, presented by Mainstream Events, and inflatables in the Moonwalk Kids Zone.
• Pregame Autographs: Select Trash Pandas players will be available for autographs on the Bill Penney Concourse before the game from 3:10 to 3:30 pm.
• Postgame Kids Run the Bases: Kids can run the bases after the game, presented by Listerhill Credit Union. Sprocket's Kids Club members can skip the line with their ID. Run the Bases will happen after the Fireworks Show.
• Blue Bell Sunday Sundaes: Limited-edition souvenir helmet sundaes available exclusively at Sweet Space.

Tickets are available starting at just $8. They can be purchased online HERE. Fans can book a group outing for the 2026 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or by calling the group sales department directly at (256) 325-1403 option 2. A complete promotional schedule for the season can be found HERE.

Fans are reminded that Toyota Field follows MiLB's clear bag policy. Guests are allowed one clear bag no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag. Small, clear clutches are also permitted. Exceptions will be made for medical needs and parents with infants (diaper bags). Learn more about this policy here.

ABOUT THE ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS

Owned and operated by BallCorps, LLC, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are the proud Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Southern League. The Trash Pandas play at state-of-the-art TOYOTA Field in Madison, Alabama. The organization's mission is to unite our communities by creating positive and lasting memories one experience at a time.