Bullpen slams door on Barons in 3-2 win on Tuesday

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (17-17) began the second leg of their two-week road trip on Tuesday night at Regions Field, knocking of the Birmingham Barons (14-20), 2-1, to take the opener of the six-game series. The win improves Rocket City's record to .500 again overall, and 5-2 on the road trip.

Coming off the series win in Pensacola, the Trash Pandas scored first in the Magic City on Tuesday night. Raudi Rodriguez had his 22-game on-base streak snapped on Saturday, but started a new one on Tuesday with a leadoff single in the top of the second inning. Two batters later, Tucker Flint drove a double to the left-center gap, scoring Rodriguez, and it was 1-0.

Gustavo Campero opened the top of the fourth inning with a double, moved to third on a groundout, and scored when Matthew Lugo hit a ground ball to second in a drawn-in infield. Colby Shelton's throw home was wild, allowing Campero to score, and it was 2-0.

Trash Pandas starter Jose Gonzalez breezed through the first three innings without allowing a hit. Shelton got the Barons' first hit with a double to start the bottom of the fourth, but Gonzalez worked out of the jam, receiving an inning-ending double play.

In the fifth, Gonzalez got the first out, then three straight Barons reached, including an RBI double from ninth-place batter Jordan Sprinkle. Gonzalez exited for Carlos Espinosa, who walked the first batter he faced, and a passed ball let Calvin Harris score to tie the game. Gonzalez logged 4.1 innings, allowed two runs, one earned on three hits, walked three, and struck out two in the no-decision.

Birmingham starter Jake Palisch also came away with a no-decision while tossing 6.0 innings, also allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits, walking one, and striking out five.

The bullpen remained flawless over its last seven games, Espinosa tossing 1.2 scoreless, striking out three and walking two, and Leonard Garcia following with a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Chris Cortez (W, 1-0) got into some trouble in the eighth, but worked around a hit and a walk by striking out two.

In the top of the ninth, Raudi Rodriguez opened with a walk and moved to second base on a Lugo sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch by Barons reliever Jairo Iriarte (L, 2-2) pushed Rodriguez to third, which set up Flint's RBI single to give Rocket City a 3-2 lead.

Kenyon Yovan (S, 4) dealt a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning, striking out two to seal the Pandas' second straight one-run victory.

Rocket City's bullpen hasn't allowed an earned run over the first seven games of the road trip, which encompasses 26.0 innings. They have given up just one earned run over their last 32.2 innings since May 2.

Flint and Campero paced the offense, both finishing with two hits, plus a double. Nick Rodriguez was 0-for-4, which ended his team-leading 19-game on-base streak.

The Trash Pandas continue a six-game series against the Barons on Wednesday morning at Regions Field, with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 am. Rocket City will start RHP Bryce Osmond (1-2, 7.71) against LHP Lucas Gordon (2-3, 5.35) for the Barons. The game can be seen on Bally Sports Live and MiLB.tv and heard on Talk Radio WZZN 97.7 FM HD-2 and ESPN The Zone 97.7 FM.

Rocket City returns to Toyota Field for a six-game homestand against the Chattanooga Lookouts from May 19-24. Highlights of the homestand include Halloween Night and postgame fireworks on Friday, May 22, along with Harry Potter Weekend on May 23-24.

Tickets are available starting at just $8 for general admission and $16 for field-level seats. They can be purchased online HERE. Fans can book a group outing for the 2026 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or by calling the group sales department directly at (256) 325-1403 option 2. A complete promotional schedule for the season can be found HERE.

Fans are reminded that Toyota Field follows MiLB's clear bag policy. Guests are allowed one clear bag no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag. Small, clear clutches are also permitted. Exceptions will be made for medical needs and parents with infants (diaper bags). Learn more about this policy here.

ABOUT THE ROCKET CITY TRASH PANDAS

Owned and operated by BallCorps, LLC, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are the proud Double-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Southern League. The Trash Pandas play at state-of-the-art TOYOTA Field in Madison, Alabama. The organization's mission is to unite our communities by creating positive and lasting memories one experience at a time.