Trash Pandas on Notice: Smokies Looking to Clean House in Rocket City

Written by James Schmelzer

After splitting a tough home series with the Biloxi Shuckers — who already secured the Southern League South title in the first half of the season — the Smokies hit the road this week to face the Rocket City Trash Pandas in a pivotal Southern League North showdown. Knoxville remains locked in a fierce battle to keep their playoff hopes alive, trailing the division-leading Barons by seven and a half games.

This series marks the fifth and final meeting between these two teams this season, and it comes at a crucial moment for Knoxville. With barely a month left in the season, there is absolutely no room for error for the Smokies.

The Rocket City Trash Pandas have struggled all season, sitting dead last in the Southern League North standings this year. While their playoff hopes are very slim, the Trash Pandas are more poised to play spoiler down the stretch — and the Smokies will need to stay sharp to avoid slipping up against a team with nothing to lose.

Rocket City, the Los Angeles Angels Double-A affiliate, comes into the series with a 12-27 record in the second half of the season, having lost eight of their last ten games. Meanwhile Knoxville, the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate, seems to always be sitting at .500 as they head into the series with a 19-19 record.

First pitch of the series is set for 7:35 PM ET at Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama on Tuesday night.

Heading into this series, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are looking to shake off a tough season. They finished the first half of the year dead last in the Southern League North, sitting 15 games back of first place. Unfortunately, the second half hasn’t been much better, as they remain in last place trailing the division-leading Barons by 15 games. Despite their struggles, the Trash Pandas have seen bright spots in players like George Klassen and Joel Hurtado this season. Klassen has been a steady presence on the mound. The #4 prospect in the Angels organization held a 3.32 ERA, striking out 26 batters in the month of July. Meanwhile, Hurtado has made strides on the rubber as well. The #24 prospect in the Angels organization holds a 2.88 ERA at home this season. Both players will continue to be key pieces in the Trash Pandas push to disrupt the playoff race and finish the season on a high note.

The Smokies, however, are determined to make the most of the second half. Currently sitting at .500 with a 19-19 record, Knoxville has led the Southern League North in runs scored this season (166). Their pitching staff continues to be a key strength, especially right-hander Tyler Schlaffer who holds a strong 1.80 ERA on the road this season. Offensively, both Reivaj Garcia and Corey Joyce have stepped up with timely hits, combining for 21 hits over their last 10 games. Of course we cannot forget to include the heart of the lineup, BJ Murray Jr. He’s always the talk of the team and a fan favorite, coming through with timely hitting. Over his last 10 games, he’s slashing .275 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs.

As the second half winds down, the Smokies continue to focus on gaining ground in the Southern League North standings in order to catch up to the rival Birmingham Barons. While Rocket City has struggled all season, they’re still a team you can’t take lightly and Knoxville will need to stay sharp each and every game this week.

Players to Watch

Jaylen Palmer has been a spark for the Smokies during the month of August. The Brooklyn native is hitting .346 over his last 10 games with 12 total bases. Palmer’s speed, power, and defense makes him a threat every time he’s on the field. In July, he racked up 14 hits and 3 stolen bases, along with a .255 batting average. While Palmer has been igniting the offense, Antonio Santos has been locking things down on the mound. The hard-throwing righty has only given up 10 runs in 32.1 innings on the road this season, striking out 23 batters. Santos thrives in pressure situations and has become one of the Smokies’ most reliable arms late in the season. He currently holds a 2.70 ERA in the month of August.

On the other side, Ben Gobbel has been locked in at the plate for the Trash Pandas and will be a key bat to watch against the Smokies this week. The Rocket City slugger has been crushing the ball, hitting .265 over his last 10 games with 11 total bases. Knoxville’s pitchers will need to step up their game because Gobbel’s power and timing can turn the tide in an instant. The Smokies will also face another challenge in left-hander Samy Natera Jr. The Trash Pandas’ reliever has been red-hot at home, posting a 1.93 ERA with 31 strikeouts over the course of 18.2 innings pitched. His deceptive delivery and nasty off-speed pitches have been giving hitters fits all season. If Natera is locked in, he has the stuff to silence even Knoxville’s hottest bats.

Probable Pitching Matchups

8/12 Tuesday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Grant Kipp (6-4, 3.41 ERA) vs RHP George Klassen (3-10, 6.17 ERA)

8/13 Wednesday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Antonio Santos (3-4, 2.02 ERA) vs LHP Mitch Farris (1-8, 4.85 ERA)

8/14 Thursday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Walker Powell (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Walbert Urena (4-7, 4.93 ERA)

8/15 Friday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Nick Dean (1-4, 5.90 ERA) vs LHP Sam Aldegheri (6-7, 3.91 ERA)

8/16 Saturday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Tyler Schlaffer (3-1, 3.00 ERA) vs RHP Bryce Osmond (0-1, 13.50 ERA)

8/17 Sunday, 3:35 PM ET

RHP Grant Kipp vs RHP George Klassen

The Smokies aren’t backing down — they’re battling fiercely to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Southern League North standings, refusing to let the Barons’ big lead end their season early. The Barons will travel to Pensacola this week where the Smokies will hope for some help from the first place Wahoos. Every game counts as Knoxville fights to stay in the race.

While the Trash Pandas bring a tough, gritty lineup, the Smokies will be ready to bring their A-game and fight for their right to stay alive in the Southern League North division chase. Expect hard-hitting action, clutch moments, and plenty of edge-of-your-seat baseball when these rivals face off this series. With just 30 games left, let the countdown to the end of our inaugural season in Covenant Health Park begin. If you haven’t visited the stadium yet, make sure to check out smokiesbaseball.com to check out tickets for our final two homestands!

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