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2023 Top Ten Moments: Part One

Breaking down the best of the Trash Pandas, starting with numbers 6-10
By Lucas Dolengowski
October 13, 2023

The Rocket City Trash Pandas embarked on their third baseball journey in 2023, which was filled once again with many memories both at Toyota Field and away from home. We went back and ranked our top ten moments of the season... 10. The First Win of the Year...Right After THAT

The Rocket City Trash Pandas embarked on their third baseball journey in 2023, which was filled once again with many memories both at Toyota Field and away from home. We went back and ranked our top ten moments of the season...

10. The First Win of the Year...Right After THAT Game - April 8th

The beauty of baseball is that no matter what happens -- win, loss, or rainout -- you usually get to try it again the very next day. Or in this case, two hours later. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Lookouts on opening weekend, the Trash Pandas were one out away from a combined no-hitter. Ultimately, they still threw a no-hitter but lost the game 7-5 in a crazy and chaotic 7th inning that will go down in baseball history. Look it up for yourself if you want to know more.

Sam Bachman took the ball to start the nightcap and took matters into his own hands, tossing 5 shutout innings while striking out 9. Orlando Martinez blasted a home run and that was all Rocket City needed en route to a 3-0 victory. How many hits did the Trash Pandas surrender in response? One.

9. The Largest Crowd in Trash Pandas History - July 4th

Is there anything better than baseball on the Fourth of July? Trash Panda Nation packed Toyota Field to the gills on a perfectly gorgeous 85-degree Independence Day, marking the biggest in-venue attendance in team history at a full 7,500. We're already looking forward to another day of patriotic play on July 4, 2024, against the Birmingham Barons.

8. Tucker Flint's Sunday Slugfest Walk-Off - May 21st

21 combined runs. 24 combined hits. 4 ties. 4 lead changes. Arguably the wildest win at Toyota Field this season went down on Sunday, May 21st. The Barons jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, and Rocket City would respond with a six-run outburst in the third inning. Birmingham seemed to take control after a grand slam gave them a 10-6 advantage, but the Trash Pandas clawed back to make it a one-run deficit heading into the 9th. Outfielder Orlando Martinez immediately equalized it with a solo shot to right field, and three batters later Tucker Flint smashed a double down the left field line to score Aaron Whitefield all the way from first for a dramatic 11-10 victory.

7. Kyren Paris' Game-Tying Inside-The-Park Home Run - August 2nd

Another day, another frenetic matchup with the Barons. Playing in Birmingham for a doubleheader, Kyren Paris stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs in the final frame. On a 1-1 pitch from Garrett Schoenle, he barreled a hanging slider towards center field. Terrell Tatum seemed to have a beat on it, but whether it was tailing, diving or lost in the sunlight, the outfielder misplayed the ball and Paris was off to the races as it careened to the wall. The 21-year-old showcased his speed with an elite home-to-home time of about 15 seconds, and just like that the game was going to extras.

The Trash Pandas held off the Barons in the bottom of the 7th, and Tucker Flint blasted a three-run homer in the top of the 8th to finish off the comeback. Rocket City won the next game too, 3-2, to sweep the doubleheader -- they finished the season with a 19-11 record against Birmingham.

6. 12 Former Trash Pandas Make Their MLB Debuts

Nine Trash Pandas players were "Launched To The League" in 2021. Seven more in 2022. A dozen had their dreams come true this year as they were called up by the Los Angeles Angels -- 8 of them directly from Double-A Rocket City. Congratulations to Zach Neto, Sam Bachman, Ben Joyce, Jose Soriano, Kolton Ingram, Victor Mederos, Trey Cabbage, Jordyn Adams, Kyren Paris, Davis Daniel, and Kelvin Caceres on getting to The Show and making us all proud.