White Sox Minor League Update: April 19, 2019

Charlotte Knights at Norfolk Tides

This game was postponed due to inclement weather, so Dylan Cease’s next start will have to wait. The Knights will play a double-header tomorrow, with the first game starting at 4:05 PM CST.

Birmingham Barons 7, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 2

Sean Nolin (P): 6 IP, 2 R (2 ER), 6 H, 0 BB, 8 K, 5.28 ERA *co-MVP*
Laz Rivera (SS): 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, CS, .196 AVG, .492 OPS *co-MVP*
Luis Gonzalez (CF): 2-for-5, RBI, .224 AVG, .626 OPS
Joel Booker (LF): 1-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 SB, .358 AVG, .865 OPS
Micker Adolfo (DH): 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .152 AVG, .539 OPS
Blake Rutherford (RF): 0-for-4, .106 AVG, .295 OPS

Starter Sean Nolin was sharp tonight, and a big reason for that was his control and command of the strike zone. He threw 71 of his 97 pitches for strikes (73%). Nolin ran into some trouble early on, giving up a home run to the second batter he faced. The other run he allowed was a result of a single, two balks, and a single in the third. But, he retired the next three batters he faced (two via strikeout) to avoid further damage. From there, it was smooth sailing for Nolin, as he struck out eight and walked none en route to a quality start.

The Barons managed ten hits, which is not that large of a total, especially since none of those left the ballpark. However, they put up more than enough runs because many of their hits were timely. They finished the evening 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Though Micker Adolfo had only one hit in the game, it was the biggest one of all. His two-run double in the sixth put the Barons in the lead, and they never looked back. The Barons scored three more times that inning. Alfredo Gonzalez and Joel Booker had RBI singles, and Mitch Roman drove in a run on a forceout. Laz Rivera had the most productive day out of the hitters, going 3-for-5 with a double.

The five-run sixth inning was more than enough offense for the Barons, as Danny Dopico and Connor Walsh combined to throw three shutout innings to shut the door and secure the victory.

The win put the Barons above .500, as they improved to 8-7 on the season. They have won four straight games, as they took four of five in this series against the Jumbo Shrimp. The Barons will come back home for a five-game series against the Jackson Generals, with their next game being Saturday at 6:30 PM CST.

Winston-Salem Dash at Potomac Nationals

Another game that was postponed. The Dash will play a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game starting at 4:00 PM CST. Hopefully, the weather cooperates this time around.

Hagerstown Suns 13, Kannapolis Intimidators 4

Konnor Pilkington (P): 4 ²⁄₃ innings, 3 R (3 ER), 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K, 2.20 ERA
Ian Dawkins (CF): 3-for-4, 2 2B, HBP, .263 AVG, .644 OPS *MVP*
Michael Hickman (1B): 1-for-3, HR, BB, .333 AVG, 1.059 OPS
Logan Sowers (RF): 1-for-3, HR, HBP, .088 AVG, .338 OPS
Gunnar Troutwine (C): 2-for-4, 2B, .364 AVG, 1.000 OPS
Alex Destino (LF): 1-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI, .308 AVG, .785 OPS

Starter Konnor Pilkington had a mediocre outing, as he failed to finish five innings. He also walked four, and though he struck out seven Suns, he ultimately did not put the Intimidators in a good position to win this one. The bullpen, however, fared worse than Pilkington. Johan Dominguez, who replaced Pilkington, gave up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and recorded just two outs. From there, the game got out of hand, and the Intimidators managed very little offensively after that point.

Though these leads evaporated fairly quickly, the Intimidators’ bats stormed out of the gate, as they led 3-0 after two and 4-2 after four. In the first, Ian Dawkins raced home on a passed ball for the first run for either side. Then, left fielder Alex Destino doubled home Gunnar Troutwine. Logan Sowers and Michael Hickman wrapped up the scoring for the Intimidators, as both of them hit their first solo home run of the season.

This was the sixth consecutive loss for the Intimidators, as their record drops to 4-10. They look to avoid getting swept by the Suns tomorrow night, as they play at 6:00 PM CST.