Trash Pandas Winning Streak At Five With 7-4 Victory
MADISON, Alabama – The Rocket City Trash Pandas hit a pair of home runs to jump out to an early lead, then starter Mason Erla was dominant on the mound in a 7-4 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Wednesday night at Toyota Field. The victory gives the Trash Pandas
MADISON, Alabama – The Rocket City Trash Pandas hit a pair of home runs to jump out to an early lead, then starter Mason Erla was dominant on the mound in a 7-4 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Wednesday night at Toyota Field.
The victory gives the Trash Pandas a five-game winning streak, tying their season-high wins in their last seven games and improves their record to a season-best 17 games above .500 at 47-30.
Trash Pandas starter Mason Erla worked around immediate trouble to start the game. Two singles and an error put runners on second and third with one out. T.J. Hopkins then hit a comebacker right to Erla, who caught the runner on third in a rundown for the second out. Erla ended the inning by inducing a Nick Quintana fly out to right, keeping the Lookouts off the board in the first.
In the bottom of the second, the Trash Pandas broke through to open the scoring. Torii Hunter Jr. led off the inning by launching an opposite-field solo home run 374 feet to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Jordyn Adams followed with a walk and stole second. A single from Ryan Aguilar and a walk to Anthony Mulrine loaded the bases with nobody out. Livan Soto plated Adams with an RBI ground out to first. Aguilar came home with the third run of the inning on a wild pitch. Jose Gomez capped the innings’ scoring by connecting on a two-run blast of his own 413 feet to left field for his fourth homer of the season and a 5-0 Trash Pandas lead after two.
Pitching with the lead for the first time, Erla was strong in the third, retiring the Lookouts in order. A line drive double play got him through the fourth unscathed and he struck out two in a one, two, three top of the fifth. He ended the night with a strong sixth, getting around a hit-by-pitch to complete a scoreless outing.
Over six innings, Erla (W, 3-0) held the Lookouts to just four hits while walking none and striking out four in his best start of the season to earn his third victory, and second in as many starts.
Sean McLaughlin was first out of the bullpen and tossed a scoreless top of the seventh. The Trash Pandas added two more in the bottom of the inning to put the game away for good, with Preston Palmeiro’s sacrifice fly scoring Mulrine and Braxton Martinez’s RBI single scoring Livan Soto for a 7-0 lead.
The Lookouts broke the shutout in the eighth with three runs off McLaughlin in the eighth. They then added a run in the ninth off Nick Jones and loaded the bases with two outs, but Kolton Ingram struck out Mike Siani with the tying runs on base to end the game.
Ingram (S, 7) got the last out to pick up his seventh save of the season and 11th overall for the Trash Pandas, becoming the club leader in saves. At the plate, Gomez and Hunter Jr. each recorded a pair of hits in the win for the Trash Pandas.
The Trash Pandas (47-30 overall, 6-2 second half) continues their series with Chattanooga (36-41 overall, 2-6 second half) on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. at Toyota Field. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will also be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV.
At Thursday’s game, 2,000 adults ages 18 and older will receive a special commemorative glass of the first All-Star in Trash Pandas history, Mitch Nay, presented by Jonathan’s Grille. Thursday is also Burgers and Buds Thursday, where fans can purchase a burger and a Bud or Bud Light for just $12, available at Dumpster Dive, Gravity Grille, or All-Stars concession stands. From 5-7 p.m. fans can enjoy $3 domestic drafts at the Inline Electric Rock Porch and Bill Penney Toyota Plaza as part of Happy Hour, with a live performance Plan B taking place on the Rock Porch before the game.
Don't sleep on these prospects at Spring Breakout -- 1 from each team
The second edition of Spring Breakout is bursting with high-profile prospects. Seventy members of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 are slated to participate, including Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (No. 2), Tigers outfielder Max Clark (No. 6), Red Sox infielder Kristian Campbell (No. 7), Rays shortstop Carson Williams (No. 9) and
Meet the 14 women who run MiLB teams
From California to Massachusetts, from Arkansas to Iowa, leadership in professional baseball is evolving. Coming into the 2025 season, there are 14 women in general manager positions across Minor League Baseball. When most fans think of the GMs in baseball, they likely assume the job is all about building a
2024 Draft class gets early chance to take center stage at Spring Breakout
When players are taken in the early rounds of the MLB Draft, it’s easy to dream about seeing them under the bright lights of the big leagues, but a common refrain has been that fans don't get to see those players for years after they're selected. Thanks to Spring Breakout,
From Spring Breakout to MLB? Here are nine players who could soon be in The Show
The inaugural Spring Breakout in 2024 provided a platform for fans to meet many of baseball's top prospects before they began standing out in the Majors shortly thereafter. Paul Skenes striking out Jackson Holliday. Jackson Chourio reaching twice and scoring a run. Jace Jung hitting a pair of homers.
Brewers' 17-year-old international signee draws comparisons to Chourio
PHOENIX – A farm system loses an elite-level prospect like Jackson Chourio, who was the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball at the start of the 2024 season, to the big leagues, it’s easy to understand that it would take a hit in this year’s farm system rankings. So don’t
Cubs have MLB stars AND loaded farm system
MESA, Ariz. – It’s a testament to where a farm system is when a Top 100-caliber hitter gets traded away and there’s still a desire to tout the bats. The Cubs traded Cam Smith to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal, but they still have seven players on the
Griffin boosts Pirates system, known for producing arms, with some pop
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pirates’ strength in pitching is obvious. This is the organization that drafted Paul Skenes after all and saw him become the National League All-Star starter one year later. Jared Jones and Mitch Keller serve as more developmental success stories on the bump, and Top 100 prospects
New Rays prospect additions fitting right into the organizational mold
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Thirteen members of the Rays’ Top 30 prospect list weren’t in the organization at this time last year. Two arrived in the 2024 Draft, one was a 2025 international signee and a whopping 10 have come over in trades since last March. Normally with that level
Headlined by big-name bats, Mariners' system strong on pitching depth, too
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Mariners placed fifth in MLB Pipeline's new farm system rankings, thanks in large part to their seven Top 100 Prospects. That total ties them with the Cubs for the most in baseball, and all seven of them are hitters. Don't get the impression that the organization
All eyes turn to hurlers Sykora, Susana in Nats camp
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Last year in Spring Training, Nationals manager Dave Martinez named the section of young hitting prospects in big league camp led by James Wood and Dylan Crews "Hope Row." While Robert Hassell III and Brady House are still prospects, Wood has graduated and Crews will
Here are the prospects with the best tools in Spring Breakout
The inaugural edition of Spring Breakout was a rousing success last year. Sixteen games showcased not only many of baseball's best prospects but also some of the most jaw-dropping tools in the Minors. Of the 10 best individual attributes we highlighted a year ago, nine belonged to players who reached
Boston's 'Core Four' hitting principles breeding prospect success
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Boston was built to be a shining city on a hill, according to John Winthrop. Four centuries later, the Hub’s top three baseball prospects are meant to be a shining example atop the Red Sox farm system. Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer – the
Phils' teen catching prospect using ABS challenge experience to his advantage
CLEARWATER, Fla. – One of the storylines of Spring Training has been the implementation of the ABS challenge system in select ballparks across Arizona and Florida. But those in the Sunshine State might be a little more familiar with the tech than their southwestern counterparts. The Florida State League first
Texas' exciting crop of pitching prospects looks to spin the narrative
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers haven't signed a fully homegrown pitching All-Star since Martín Pérez in 2007 and have ranked better than the Major League average in run prevention just once in the last 11 seasons. Not coincidentally, they won 90 games and the World Series when that happened in
The 10 best 2025 Spring Breakout rosters, ranked
Ding, ding, who’s ready for Round 2? Last year’s inaugural edition of Spring Breakout gave fans early looks at Paul Skenes, Jackson Chourio, Pete Crow-Armstrong, James Wood, Jackson Holliday, Ceddanne Rafaela and many other young stars who graduated off prospect lists in 2024. Not only does it serve as a
Yankees' prospect gains coming up long at short
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have a fascinating shortstop decision on their hands. You could say it’s the most interesting one since you-know-who retired in 2014. New York is battling going with a veteran presence in Isiah Kiner-Falefa or a prospect in Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza. It’s still too
Mets looking for top prospects to complement veteran stars
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The last time Juan Soto played in a Minor League game was back in 2018, when in the span of 39 games at age 19 he went from A ball to High-A to Double-A and then to the big leagues with the Nationals and never
'Eephus' director Lund talks movie on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors radio legend exits the booth in Birmingham
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MLB's 2025 farm system rankings -- with a new No. 1
It’s time to crown a new king. After a three-year run for the Orioles atop our preseason farm system rankings, they’ve stepped off the throne, making way for the Tigers. The O’s had slipped from the top spot in our 2024 midseason rankings as they’d graduated a number of prospects