CHATTANOOGA – Behind a record-setting performance from shortstop Denzer Guzman, the Rocket City Trash Pandas cruised to an 8–2 win Sunday afternoon over the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The victory secured a series split and gave the Trash Pandas (6–12, 30–56) back-to-back wins heading into the All-Star break.
Rocket City’s offense stayed hot, racking up 12 hits Sunday and 37 total over the final three games of the series.
Guzman delivered the first five-hit game in Trash Pandas history and fell just a triple short of the cycle, finishing 5-for-5 with three doubles, a home run, and four RBIs.
He opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI double that drove in Nelson Rada. After Chattanooga (8–9, 46–37) briefly took a 2–1 lead in the second, Guzman responded with a bloop two-run single that gave Rocket City the lead for good. Sam Brown capped the four-run frame with an RBI double, pushing the lead to 5–2.
In the fourth, Guzman blasted his 10th homer of the season — a solo shot off the left-field scoreboard — to extend the lead to 6–2. He added doubles in the sixth and ninth innings, including a ground-rule double down the right-field line that might have been stretched into a triple had it stayed in play.
His three-double outing was the first by a Trash Panda since David Mackinnon had three doubles on July 3, 2021 at Tennessee. Guzman now has 21 doubles on the year, second in the Southern League behind Biloxi’s Luis Lara (23).
Making his return from the Angels, lefty Sam Aldegheri battled through five innings in his first start back. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked five, and struck out six — working out of multiple jams and stranding eight runners.
AJ Block followed with two scoreless innings, and Sam Ryan and Brady Choban each tossed clean frames to close out the win.
Guzman enters the All-Star break on a 13-game on-base streak, hitting .341 with seven doubles, a triple, two homers, 11 RBIs, 11 walks, and a 1.174 OPS during that stretch. Joe Redfield extended his own on-base streak to 11 games. Brown recorded his third straight multi-hit game and went 8-for-18 with six RBIs in the series. Rada and Mac McCroskey added two hits apiece in Sunday’s series finale.
The Trash Pandas return home to Toyota Field after the All-Star break, for a three-game homestand this weekend against the Columbus Clingstones. Game one of the three-game series on Friday night will feature RHP George Klassen (2-7, 6.49) throwing for Rocket City. Columbus has not announced a starter.
The weekend will feature Tennessee Titans Night, two fireworks shows, Margaritaville Night, and a return of Lunaticos de Rocket City. Single-game tickets for Trash Pandas games start at $8 and can be purchased at TPTix.com.
Fans can book their group outings for the 2025 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or calling the group sales department at 256-325-1403, option 2.
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