White Sox Minor League Update: April 9, 2018

Charlotte Knights 4, Norfolk Tides 1

Ryan Cordell: 0-for-5, 1 K

Jose Rondon: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3B, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB ***MVP***

Patrick Leonard: 1-for-4, 3B, RBI, R, BB

Casey Gillaspie: 1-for-4, RBI

Michael Kopech: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K

S: Thyago Vieira (1), 1.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

The Knights improved to 3-1 behind four dominant innings from Kopech, who struck out eight over four shutout innings, throwing 77 pitches (51 for strikes). Four Knights pitchers combined to strike out 17 Tides hitters. Rondon flashed power and speed with a homer, triple and stolen base. Palka extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games, dating back to August 26, 2017. Cordell’s 0-for-5 night drops his batting average to .118 on the young season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts 5, Birmingham Barons 2

Tito Polo: 1-for-4, 3B, R

Jameson Fisher: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, BB ***MVP***

Trey Michalczewski: 2-for-3

Keon Barnum: 0-for-4, 4 K

Courtney Hawkins: 0-for-4, 4 K

L: Matt Tomshaw (0-1), 3.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R (3 ER), 2 K

Jorge Rondon: 1.2 IP, H, 2 K

The Barons committed a season-high four errors, their third straight game with more than one error. Fisher continued his red-hot start to the season with a leadoff double in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to four games. He also walked and added a sacrifice fly to score Birmingham’s final run.

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Winston-Salem Dash 6, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4

Luis Alexander Basabe: 2-for-5, RBI, R, SB

Blake Rutherford: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R ***MVP***

Gavin Sheets: 1-for-4, R

Micker Adolfo: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI

Nate Nolan: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB

Ricardo Pinto: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, K

Luis Martinez: 5.1 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Basabe delivered an RBI single in the ninth inning to give the Dash the lead. Rutherford followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead, he also had three hits, including a double and finished with a pair of RBI. Adolfo (.389) and Rutherford (.375) continue to sizzle at the plate. Pinto couldn’t get out of the second inning, but Martinez picked up the slack with 5.1 innings of quality relief work.

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Asheville Tourists 7, Kannapolis Intimidators 6 in 10 innings

Craig Dedelow: 3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R

Evan Skoug: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K

Tate Blackman: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K

Michael Hickman: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB

Tyler Frost: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R, SB ***MVP***

Parker Rigler: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K

L: Yosmer Solorzano (0-1), 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, K

Rigler cruised through his five innings of work, but the bullpen couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead when he departed. However, Intimidators pitchers struck out 12 Tourists on the night. After Asheville plated a run in the top of the ninth, the I’s responded in the bottom half when Frost drove in Hickman to send the game into extra frames. With the new MiLB extra inning rules placing the last out of the ninth inning on second base to start extra innings, both teams capitalized, with Asheville knocking in two runs in the top of the tenth. But, after scoring a run in the bottom half to cut the lead to one, Frost grounded out to first base with the bases loaded to end the game.