Trash Pandas Stunned By Pensacola In 6-5 Loss
Despite leading for more than eight innings, the Rocket City Trash Pandas were beaten 6-5 by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos behind a furious ninth-inning rally in the finale of their six-game series on Sunday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Leading 5-2 going to the bottom of the ninth, Rocket City reliever
Despite leading for more than eight innings, the Rocket City Trash Pandas were beaten 6-5 by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos behind a furious ninth-inning rally in the finale of their six-game series on Sunday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Leading 5-2 going to the bottom of the ninth, Rocket City reliever Luis Ledo (L, 2-2) struggled. Griffin Conine led off with a double and scored on Cobie Fletcher-Vance’s single. Bubba Hollins walked, and a wild pitch moved the tying runs to second and third base. Santiago Chavez singled in Fletcher-Vance and another wild pitch allowed the tying run to score with one out. Victor Victor Mesa followed with the decisive swing, a walk-off RBI single to right to cap the four-run rally and give the Blue Wahoos a sweep of the six-game series.
The game began much better than it ended for the Trash Pandas. Livan Soto and Orlando Martinez each walked to start the contest. Braxton Martinez followed by breaking his bat and looping a single to shallow left, allowing Soto to come home from second and open the scoring. Three hitters later, Ryan Aguilar connected on an opposite field three-run homer to left-center for his second home run of the season, putting the Trash Pandas ahead 4-0 after their first turn at the plate.
Pitching with the lead from the start, Rocket City starter Coleman Crow was on top of his game. In the first, a leadoff single was quickly erased by a double play ground out from Ray-Patrick Didder. In the third, a single and a hit-by-pitch put two on with two outs for the Blue Wahoos. Crow got through it by striking out Didder to end the frame.
Pensacola broke through in the fourth on an RBI single from Fletcher-Vance to make it a 4-1 game. But following Crow’s strikeout of Hollins, the rain in Pensacola intensified and the tarp was brought onto the field, leading to a lengthy rain delay of nearly three hours.
The delay brought an end to Crow’s start. In his sixth Double-A start, Crow gave up one run on four hits with six strikeouts over four innings
Once play resumed, Rocket City added to the lead in the fifth when Soto reached with a two-out single and Martinez drove a double to deep center, allowing Soto to come all the way home with the fifth run of the game for the visitors.
In relief for the Trash Pandas, Sean McLaughlin was sharp over two innings, allowing run on two hits with four strikeouts. Kolton Ingram was next out of the bullpen and retired the Blue Wahoos in order in the seventh. Ledo entered in the eighth and quickly set the Blue Wahoos down one, two, three to maintain the 5-2 lead. Pensacola flipped the script in the ninth, scoring four runs off Ledo to hand Rocket City the loss.
Aguilar led the way at the plate for the Trash Pandas, going 2-for-4 with the three-run homer. Soto added a pair of runs for Rocket City in the defeat.
The Trash Pandas (18-15) continue their 12-game road trip with a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons (13-20) starting on Tuesday night. First pitch at Regions Field is set for 6:05 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
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.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
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
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB 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
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring