A Six-Game Set, with a One-Game Difference

Cooper Smith

MADISON, AL – Exiting an offensively struggling weekend, Knoxville seeks their first win post-All-Star break in this upcoming series against Rocket City. The Smokies were swept on the road in Montgomery this past weekend, where the ever-so-explosive bats were not so explosive at all. The Smokies tallied just four runs in the 27 innings played in Montgomery, combining for just 5 hits on Friday and Saturday, while seeking the big hit on Sunday that eluded them. Rocket City did not have a joyful weekend themselves, dropping two of three to an in-state rival and last-place Birmingham Barons team. But despite the slow start out of the break, Knoxville and Rocket City still own the first and second spots in the Southern League North standings heading into a monster week in Rocket City. The Smokies and Trash Pandas have already met 12 times this year and will become even more familiar with each other over the next three weeks. One game separates these two teams in the standings, and every game matters as we head into the month of August.

First pitch for the series is set for 7:35 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

It was a slow start for the Smokies' bats after their four-day All-Star break. A team that topped almost every offensive category in June has lost the touch with the magic wands in July. Of course, that is in part due to call-ups and roster attrition, but if Knoxville wants to continue to have success and develop, they have to return to their rowdy ways at the dish. This past weekend, the Smokies scored only four runs all weekend and hit just .161 as a team. Knoxville, known as one of the best clutch-hitting teams in the Southern League, went just 2 for 20 with runners in scoring position in the series.

Rocket City has the worst OPS in the Southern League (.706). They hit virtually no home runs (66), which is last in Double-A, and they don't steal a ton of bases either (122), but they can pitch. This staff will not blow you away with fastballs, but they miss barrels. Rocket City owns the second-best team ERA (4.58), the second-fewest walks (310), and is tied for the best WHIP (1.27)... this team gets outs. Some names to look at entering the series are Joel Hurtado, who will start Friday; Eybersson Polanco, who will start Wednesday; and Carlos Espinosa, who is a key bullpen arm. This staff will keep you second-guessing and has the potential to be the difference in this series.

Players to Watch

It might have been a quiet weekend for Jefferson Rojas' standards, but the Smokies third baseman led all Knoxville hitters with three hits on the weekend, with the only two Knoxville knocks on Saturday. It has not been pretty in July for the Knoxville two-hole, batting just .176 with just a .314 slug, but I'm calling his shot, and here's why. The note on "JRo" is that he enjoys hitting against the Trash Pandas, with a slash line of .316/.381/.605. Rojas is the only Smokie with double-digit RBI against Rocket City this year (10) and boasts the highest OPS against the in-division rival as well. It is always an expectation for your system's No. 1 prospect to produce every series, but for Rojas, it's become a habit.

Brooks Caple gives you a chance to win every time he takes the rock. Another solid start from the Smokies right-hander this past Saturday as Caple punched out six Biscuits on his way to four innings of one-run ball. Caple, limited coming out of the break, threw just 65 pitches but yet again gave his team a chance to win entering the middle innings. Caple has been a consistent staple in this rotation, making starts in five of the last six series dating back to early June, and in his last three starts, it's a 3.00 ERA, striking out 15 batters in 15 innings... like previously mentioned, consistent. Caple is set to start Game 5 of the series against former Volunteer Nate Snead on Saturday. First pitch is at 7:35 p.m. ET.

The two big boppers since the calendar flipped to July for Rocket City have been Nick Rodriguez and Tucker Flint. The two have combined for 28 RBI in their 14 games played in July. They have carried a heavy load of the lacking firepower in the Trash Pandas lineup. Both have slugging percentages at .525 or higher, and both can really hit the right-handed pitcher, each batting north of .315 against righties. Now the good news for Knoxville is that neither Rodriguez nor Flint have any sort of success against the Smokies this season. Tucker Flint has 19 strikeouts in 37 at-bats against the Smokies staff in 2026... that is good for a 51% strikeout rate, while Nick Rodriguez is hitting .237 with nine hits, seven singles, and 12 strikeouts of his own. We know the dominance of the Knoxville staff, but can they cool down the hot-hitting Flint and Rodriguez?

Probable Pitching Matchups

7/21 Tuesday, 7:35 p.m. ETRHP Connor Schultz vs. RHP Ryan Costeiu

7/22 Wednesday, 7:35 p.m. ETRHP Dawson Netz vs. RHP Eybersson Polanco

7/23 Thursday, 7:35 p.m. ETRHP Brody McCullough vs. RHP Austin Gordon

7/24 Friday, 7:35 p.m. ETRHP Luis Martinez-Gomez vs. RHP Joel Hurtado

7/25 Saturday, 7:35 p.m. ETBrooks Caple vs. RHP Nate Snead

7/26 Sunday, 5:05 p.m. ETRHP Kevin Valdez vs. RHP Ryan Costeiu

One game separates Knoxville and Rocket City with a whole lot of baseball left... especially head to head. The Smokies and Trash Pandas will play each other 12 times over the course of the next 20 days, pulling off a home-and-home series squished into a three-week span. The offenses have been lackluster, but the arms continue to keep their teams in games... starters, bullpens, in all situations. Now both teams enter the hitters' haven that is Toyota for a six-game set... What will hiccup first, the staff or the lineups? Find out at first pitch this Tuesday in Game 1 of the series at 7:35 p.m. ET.

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