Brian Kice
KNOXVILLE, TN — After a nine-game road trip, the Smokies return home to face a Pensacola team that is still fighting for a playoff spot. After a series sweep at the hands of the Biscuits in Montgomery and a split series with the Trash Pandas, the Smokies will look to fare better than they did versus the two teams from the heart of Dixie.
First pitch for the series is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
In what has been a tough stretch of baseball for the Smokies, they will look to end a tough month of July and begin a new month on the right foot.
Since their time away from the Volunteer State, the Smokies have only managed a .227 batting average and have plated just 27 runs. A large part of that is due to their inability to hit with runners in scoring position. During the road trip, the Smokies went 10-69 (.145) with runners on second and third, a mark that has them second to last in all of Minor League Baseball. Despite that, the Smokies still sit atop the Southern League North at 14-13 in the second half.
Pensacola, on the other hand, is trying to catch their saltwater rivals in the Biloxi Shuckers, and are just a game and a half back of first place in the Southern League South. Their record stands at 15-11.
Despite this, neither their offensive nor defensive numbers jump out of the water at you. A 5.11 team ERA and a .247 batting average during the month of July are both towards the bottom of the league in those categories. The home run ball has been keeping them afloat, with 29 during the month, a rank good for third in the Southern League.
The Blue Wahoos arrive in town following a homestand where they took five of six from Columbus. After Sunday’s late-inning heroics for the Smokies, both teams are eager to put together win streaks as the playoff race heats up.
Players to Watch
Andy Garriola has returned to his early-season ways coming out of the All-Star break. Since that time, the outfielder has hit a high gear, going 11-29 (379 BA), a pair of doubles, a long ball and five runners driven in over the last night games, which has his OPS over a thousand at 1.011. There are no better Smokies hitters during that stretch, and Garriola sits tenth in the Southern League in average.
On the mound, Luis Martinez-Gomez had a career night in Rocket City on Friday. His 12 strikeouts set a new career high and were the most by a Smokies pitcher since May of 2024. His forkball has been his secret weapon, and in his two starts since returning to Knoxville after injury, he has posted a 1.80 ERA with just two earned runs allowed and 14 strikeouts. He has also walked two batters this month, which is the second-fewest among starters for the Smokies in July.
The power in the Pensacola lineup has been supplied by Brandon Compton, whose five home runs since the All-Star break are tied for second in Double-A. Compton has been torching Double-A pitching in 20 games to the tune of a .342 batting average and an OPS of 1.229. Despite those eye-popping numbers, Compton struggles with plate discipline at times, collecting 29 strikeouts to only seven walks during his time at the Double-A level.
Pensacola’s pitching staff has not been stellar this month. Their 5.11 team ERA is the seventh worst in all of Double-A, but Luis Palacios has looked sharp in July. The 26-year-old has not let up a run in three appearances in July, and has lowered his ERA to 3.02 on the year. He has split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation in 23 appearances for the Blue Wahoos this season, but has done well in nine games as a starter. With 32.0 innings under his belt, he has a 2.25 ERA as a starting pitcher and has given up only eight runs in that role all year.
Probable Pitching Matchups
7/28 Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. ET - Taco TuesdayRHP Connor Schultz vs. LHP Luis Palacios
7/29 Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. ET – All You Can Eat WednesdayRHP Dawson Netz vs. RHP Luis Moreno
7/30 Thursday, 7:00 p.m. ET – Thirsty Thursday, Knoxvegas Night, College NightRHP Brody McCullough vs. RHP Eliazar Dishmay
7/31 Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET – Paint the Park Pink, Friday Night FireworksRHP Luis Martinez-Gomez vs. LHP Christian MacLeod
8/1 Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET – Knoxville Giants Night, Saturday Night FireworksRHP Brooks Caple vs. RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr
8/2 Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ETRHP Kevin Valdez vs. LHP Joey Volini
With the Blue Wahoos still on the hunt for a playoff spot in the Southern League South, this series could go a long way towards helping their chances in the postseason. However, Knoxville returns to their den at Covenant Health Park, where they have felt comfortable all season long. 100 days separate the last meeting between these two teams, where the taste of a split series still looms. Games six through 12 of this matchup start at Covenant Health Park on Tuesday at 7:00 PM EST.
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