Trash Pandas stop skid, take down Barons 4-2 on Saturday
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (6-13) received a career-best performance from starter Joel Hurtado (W, 1-1), and knocked off the Birmingham Barons (10-9) 4-2 on Saturday in front of 5,103 fans at Toyota Field. Coming off a strong outing in Montgomery, Hurtado threw 11 of his first
MADISON, Ala. – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (6-13) received a career-best performance from starter Joel Hurtado (W, 1-1), and knocked off the Birmingham Barons (10-9) 4-2 on Saturday in front of 5,103 fans at Toyota Field.
Coming off a strong outing in Montgomery, Hurtado threw 11 of his first 14 pitches for strikes in the first inning and needed just 23 pitches to navigate through the first two scoreless innings.
Rocket City scored first in the bottom of the third inning, starting with a walk by Christian Moore. Nelson Rada grounded out, advancing Moore to second. The former first-round pick and top Angels prospect stole third base to reach the doorstep. Denzer Guzman then drove him in with an RBI groundout, making the score 1-0.
Birmingham answered back with a leadoff home run from Mario Camilletti in the top of the fourth inning, tying the game.
Birmingham’s starter, Wikelman Gonzalez (L, 0-2), matched Hurtado's performance through four innings, but Rocket City broke through against the White Sox’s No. 20 prospect in the fifth inning. Caleb Ketchup opened the inning with a walk, and Moore hit a triple off the centerfield wall to score Ketchup, putting the Pandas back in the lead at 2-1. Guzman then delivered again, this time with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Moore and extending the lead to 3-1.
Hurtado allowed a run in the seventh inning but capped off his fourth start with the longest outing by a Trash Pandas starting pitcher in 2025, and the longest of his career. The 24-year-old induced 12 groundouts and allowed two runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out one, over 7.0 innings. This outing surpassed his previous career high of 6.2 innings pitched last season with Tri-City on September 8 at Hillsboro. The Rocket City starting pitchers in this series boast a 1.65 ERA with two quality starts.
An insurance run was added in the eighth inning, thanks to a double from Travis Blankenhorn and a wild pitch that allowed Mac McCroskey to score. Samy Natera Jr. (S, 2) secured his second save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two batters—his seventh multi-strikeout performance out of the bullpen in eight appearances.
Moore led the offense, finishing 1-for-3 with his second triple of the series, scoring twice, and drawing a walk. Guzman extended his on-base streak to a team-best 13 games with a walk and two RBIs. Reliever Camden Minacci earned his first hold of the season with a scoreless eighth inning, walking one and striking out one.
The series finale between the Trash Pandas and the Barons will take place on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with right-hander George Klassen (0-1, 4.10) starting for Rocket City against Birmingham right-hander Grant Taylor (0-1, 1.08). Fans who are unable to attend can watch the game on WAAY-TV MORE 31.6, Bally Live, and MiLB, or listen on ESPN 97.7 HD-2 and trashpandasbaseball.com.
Sunday’s Promotions:
- Bluey Appearance: Get ready for a wackadoo day at the ballpark as everyone's favorite Blue Heeler pup, Bluey, makes a special appearance at Toyota Field to take photos with fans during the Trash Pandas game from 1:15 to 5:15 pm (nonstop)! There is no additional cost to meet Bluey.
- Pregame Autographs: On Sundays this season, select Trash Pandas players will be available for autographs before the game, from 1:40 to 2:00 pm, at the Pepsi Gate, located on the first base side of the Bill Penney Concourse.
- Postgame Kids Run the Bases: Kids can run the bases at Toyota Field after every Sunday home game, presented by Listerhill Credit Union! Sprocket's Kids' Club members can skip to the front of the line by presenting their ID cards.
- Blue Bell Sunday Sundaes: Limited-edition souvenir helmet sundaes will exclusively be available at the Sweet Space concession stand on Sunday!
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 by 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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