Game Info: Saturday, April 26 vs. Birmingham: 6:35 PM

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SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Game Info: Saturday, April 26 vs. Birmingham: 6:35 PM

April 26, 2025 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 6:35 PM - Toyota Field - Madison, AL

Matchup: Rocket City Trash Pandas - LAA (5-13) vs. Birmingham Barons - CHW (10-8)

Pitching Matchup: RHP Joel Hurtado (0-1, 1.08) vs. RHP Wikelman González (0-1, 6.14)

GAME: 19 of 138 - Home Game: 13 of 69

TV/Radio: WAAY MORE-TV 31.6 - Bally Live - MiLB.tv - ESPN WZZN 97.7 HD-2

Today's Promotions:

Saturday, April 26 | First Pitch: 6:35 pm | Gates Open: 5:30 pm | Trustmark VIP Gates: 5:00 pm

ZOOperstars! Appearance: The world-renowned ZOOperstars! invade Toyota Field with appearances from Harry Canary, Mike Rainbow Trout, Tommy LaSwordfish, Ken Giraffey Jr., Kevin Duranteater, and LeBronco James.

FOR STARTERS: The Rocket City Trash Pandas continue their second homestand on Saturday night with game five of a six-game series against the Chicago White Sox affiliate Birmingham Barons at Toyota Field ... The Pandas went 1-5 on the recent road trip to Montgomery ... Rocket City will see Birmingham 24 times in 2025 ... Rocket City visits Birmingham June 3-8, with the June 4 contest being the Rickwood Classic, and August 19-24 ... the Barons return to Madison, July 29-August 3.

HEARTBREAKER ON FRIDAY NIGHT: The Barons came from behind to beat the Rocket City Trash Pandas 6-4 in front of 5,388 fans at Toyota Field on Friday night. Denzer Guzman had a career night, going 4-for-4, including a home run and a double. The night included a continuation of a suspended game from Thursday, where Birmingham had won 5-2. The Barons initially led 2-0 in the nightcap, but the Trash Pandas rallied to take a 4-2 lead on Guzman's solo homer and a two-run shot by Cole Fontenelle. Birmingham responded with a strong eighth and ninth inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run double from Adam Hackenberg and a two-run single from Nick Podkul. The Barons out-hit the Pandas 15-7, with eight hits in the final three innings. The loss spoiled a Sam Aldegheri quality start, giving up just two runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings, walking two and striking out five.

DENZER IS DAZZLING: Denzer Guzman has reached base safely in 12 straight games since April 11. Over the streak, the 21-year-old has reached base 24 times, batting .372 with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBIs, seven walks, a .471 OBP, and 1.099 OPS. Guzman ranks T-3rd in the Southern League with four home runs, 4th in slugging (.525), 5th in OPS (.907), 5th in total bases (31), and T-8th in RBIs with 10. Guzman recorded his first career four-hit game on 4/25 vs. Birmingham (4x4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R).

FERMIN TO LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Angels have called up right-handed reliever José Fermin from Rocket City, becoming the 39th player promoted from Rocket City to the Majors. Fermin, third this season, and 13th to bypass Triple-A. Fermin was 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in six relief appearances this season, and was the first Southern League pitcher to earn three wins. A native of the Dominican Republic, he began his professional career in 2024 and advanced through the Angels' minor league system. Fermin joins former Trash Pandas Edgar Quero and Michael Darrell-Hicks in making their MLB debuts this season.

WALK THIS WAY: The Trash Pandas are T-2nd in the Southern League with 84 walks in 18 games (4.7 per game). The Pandas walked 12 times in the 5-1 win over Birmingham on April 23, two shy of the most in a single game in club history. The Pandas walked 14 times in a 17-4 win at Chattanooga on June 25, 2024. Christian Moore leads the club and ranks third in the league with 13 walks.

KKKKKKKKKLASSEN: Rocket City starter George Klassen set a new season high with nine strikeouts in his start on April 22 vs. Birmingham. Over the 21-year-old's last two starts, he has 17 strikeouts to one walk, giving up just one run on seven hits in 10.1 innings. Klassen is T-4th in the Southern League with 24 strikeouts in four starts, and 10th in innings pitched at 15.2.

PACING THE LEAGUE IN K'S: Through 18 games this season, the Trash Pandas pitching staff leads the Southern League and ranks 4th in Double-A with 199 strikeouts in 158.2 innings pitched (11.29 SO/9 IP). San Antonio (AA Padres) leads Double-A with 219 strikeouts. The back-to-back 17-strikeout performances on April 12-13 were the season's largest outputs and highest since the Pandas fanned 17 batters on August 17, 2024, at Chattanooga. The most ever for the Trash Pandas in a game was 19, last occurring on opening night, 2023, on April 6 at Chattanooga.

THE BULLPEN ISN'T TRASH: The Rocket City bullpen has 108 strikeouts, tops in the league and 3rd in Double-A. San Antonio's bullpen leads with 141 K's. José Fermin was the first pitcher in the league to three wins, and Brady Choban, Kelvin Caceres, and Jared Southard are T-1st in the league with eight appearances.

NASTY NATERA...JR: Samy Natera Jr. has two wins and a save in seven relief appearances, six with multiple strikeouts, covering 8.1 innings, one earned run, five walks, and 18 strikeouts, (19.4 SO/9).

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU: Infielder Sam Brown is on a season-best 7-game on-base streak that began on April 17, batting .326 with seven hits, a double, four RBI, and .448 OBP.

ADDING KETCHUP TO THE MIX: The Angels promoted Caleb Ketchup to Rocket City on Tuesday. The outfielder had the only Rocket City hit on Wednesday in Montgomery, and picked up a stolen base as a pinch runner lastTuesday night. The outfielder has hit in three of his first four starts. Ketchup hit a home run in his first Trash Pandas at-bat last season on September 11 at Chattanooga.. In 2024, he led the Angels farm system, all of High-A, and ranked T-3rd in MiLB with 65 stolen bases while playing for Tri-City, Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake.

BRING ON THE BARONS: The Trash Pandas are meeting the Barons for the first time this week, and it's the first of four series' against each other in 2025. Last season, Rocket City went 16-14 against Birmingham last season, including a 9-6 mark at Toyota Field. The series in Birmingham, June 3-8, includes the 12:30 pm game on June 4 at historic Rickwood Field for the 2025 Rickwood Classic.

HIP, HIP, HOORAY: The Pandas stopped a streak of 10-straight losses in midweek day games with Wednesday's 5-1 win over Birmingham at Toyota Field. The last win in a midweek day game was May 18, 2022 at Birmingham. The Trash Pandas play five of their first six Wednesday games in the daylight this season (1-2).

THE YOUNG GUNS: The Trash Pandas have three of the nine youngest players in the Southern League. For the second-straight year, OF Nelson Rada is the youngest player in the Southern League at 19.6 years old (8/24/05). INF Denzer Guzman is the eighth-youngest at 21.2 years old (2/8/04), and RHP Walbert Urena is the ninth-youngest,, just 14 days older than Guzman, born on 1/25/04 at 21.2 years old (1/25/04). Rada had a fantastic spring with the Angels, batting .333 over 11 games, a .370 on-base percentage, and six RBI. The Venezuela native spent the 2024 season in Rocket City, hitting .234 with 13 extra-base hits in 123 games. The 19-year-old was seventh in the Southern League with 35 stolen bases as the youngest player in the league. Guzman was promoted to Rocket City on May 7, collecting six home runs, nine doubles, and 30 RBI in 83 games. The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic had his season highlighted with a walk-off grand slam on May 25, leading the Trash Pandas to a win over Montgomery.

PROSPECTS WITH A HALO: The Trash Pandas roster features five of the Angels' top 10 prospects and 11 of the top 25; included in the top 10 are Christian Moore (1), RHP George Klassen (3), LHP Sam Aldegheri (5), OF Nelson Rada (6), and INF Denzer Guzman (9). The other members of the roster included in the Top-30 include LHP Samy Natera Jr. (16), RHP Walbert Ureña (17), RHP Joel Hurtado (19), RHP Camden Minacci (20), INF Cole Fontenelle (23), and RHP Ryan Costeiu (24).

DARRELL-HICKS, QUERO, AND FERMIN LAUNCHED TO THE LEAGUE: The Los Angeles Angels called up right-handed reliever José Fermin from Rocket City, becoming the 39th player promoted from Rocket City to the Majors. Fermin, third this season, and 13th to bypass Triple-A. Fermin was 3-0 record and a 1.13 ERA in six relief appearances this season, and was the first Southern League pitcher to earn three wins. A native of the Dominican Republic, he began his professional career in 2024 and advanced through the Angels' minor league system.The Chicago White Sox promoted Edgar Quero from Triple-A Charlotte, and he made his MLB debut on April 17 vs. Oakland. He picked up his first hit on April 18 at Boston. Quero, a 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher from Cienfuegos, Cuba, was acquired by the White Sox in a 2023 trade with the Los Angeles Angels involving pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López. Quero skipped High-A and joined Rocket City in 2023. In 60 games, he posted a .242 batting average with 2 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 35 runs scored. His on-base percentage stood out at .378, thanks to 45 walks ... Former Trash Pandas pitcher Michael Darrell-Hicks had his contract selected by the Angels on April 6 but was optioned back to Triple-A Salt Lake on April 7. The Angels recalled Darrell-Hicks again on April 11 from Triple-A Salt Lake and made his debut that day against the Houston Astros. In his debut appearance, he pitched one inning, allowing four earned runs on three hits and issuing three walks ... He was 6-4 with a 1.73 ERA over 30 relief outings in 2024 for the Trash Pandas, earning eight saves in ten chances and 46 strikeouts to eight walks over 41.2 innings. Overall, Darrell-Hicks had a 6-7 record in Rocket City over 33 games and three starts, striking out 58 and walking 13 over 53.2 innings in 2023 and 2024.

FONTENELLE'S CYCLE: Not only was Cole Fontenelle's cycle on April 8 vs. Knoxville the first in Trash Pandas history, but it was the first in the Southern League since former Smokies star Moises Ballesteros did it on June 15, 2024, at Biloxi. Fontenelle led off each at-bat, which has only been done once in MLB history, by Todd Helton in 1999 against the Florida Marlins. The last LA Angels' minor league player to hit for the cycle was José Rojas, who hit for the cycle on May 11, 2018, while playing for the Double-A Mobile BayBears. Rojas completed his cycle with a grand slam in the eighth inning, leading the BayBears to a 14-3 win over the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park.

TOYOTA FIELD MAGIC: Denzer Guzman's walk-off blast on April 5 vs. Chattanooga was his second as a Trash Panda, following a walk-off grand slam against Montgomery in May last year. The Trash Pandas had six walk-offs last season, including the previous walk-off home run on July 15, when Christian Moore hit an opposite-field home run. It was the 18th walk-off win in Toyota Field history. Guzman's first two hits of 2025 were three-run homers.

BACK FOR MOORE: Christian Moore returns to Rocket City, ranking as the top prospect in the Angels' organization and the No. 66 overall player in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Selected eighth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Moore starred as a second baseman for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he emerged as one of college baseball's brightest stars, leading them to the 2024 College World Series Title. He played in only two games with Single-A Inland Empire in the California League last season before being promoted to Rocket City. Moore hit .347 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in his first 25 minor league games.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: The Sunday, April 6, game against the Chattanooga Lookouts that was postponed by inclement weather will be made up as part of a Wednesday, June 18, doubleheader when the Lookouts are back in Madison. The series will stretch from June 17 to 22 and now feature seven games in six days. Both games will be seven innings, with game one starting at 4:05 pm and game two starting roughly 45 minutes after the completion of game one.

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