Know Your Opponent: Chattanooga Lookouts

The Trash Pandas start the second half on the road as they open a six-game series with the Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A, Cincinnati Reds).

This will be the first of three trips the Trash Pandas will make to AT&T Field as part of the teams’ 24 games against each other in the second half.

Rocket City defeated Chattanooga in five of six games at Toyota Field in early June.

Who’s Hot:

• Eric Wagaman: Holds a .396 average with four home runs and nine RBI in the month of June.
• Orlando Martinez: 5-for-19, one home run, four RBI during Trash Pandas last series.
• Mac McCroskey: Hit his first professional home run on Sunday.
• Chase Chaney: Tossed a season-high seven innings on Friday.

Rocket City Trends:

• Wagaman hit for a .647 average with two home runs and five RBI when Rocket City last faced Chattanooga.
• Wagaman holds Trash Pandas longest active hitting streak at five games. The infielder has also reached base in each of his last eight games.
• Caden Dana tossed a career-high eight innings with 10 strikeouts in his first start against Chattanooga.

Lookouts Last Series: 3-3 @ Pensacola

Chattanooga played a part in keeping the Blue Wahoos from clinching a first half division title.

The Lookouts won the first two games of the series before securing a series split in the finale on Sunday.

It was Chattanooga’s first series that didn’t end in a loss since early April vs. Tennessee.

Lookouts Hitting:

Chattanooga held a .215 average in the first half which finished second-worst in the Southern League but belted 57 home runs, a total which was good enough for second-best in the league.

Infielder Nick Northcut ended the half with a league-leading 14 home runs which includes one against the Trash Pandas.

Rocket City struggled to stop Lookouts infielder Ruben Ibarra who hit .364 with a home run and nine RBI during the teams’ last meeting.

Lookouts Pitching:

The Lookouts pitching staff put up a league worst 4.49 ERA and 570 strikeouts in the first half.

Chattanooga received a much needed jolt with the promotion of Rhett Lowder to the Double-A level.

Lowder was dominant in his two starts in Rocket City, allowing just three earned runs in 11 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts.

Kevin Abel has also put up solid numbers in his first five starts, putting together a 1.71 ERA.

Lookouts Prospect Watch:

Chattanooga holds two of the Reds top 30 prospects, both in the starting rotation.

Lowder ranks as the Reds top prospect while Chase Petty sits at No. 6.

Petty leads the Lookouts with six wins while also holding a 5.40 ERA.