White Sox Minor League Update: May 18, 2019

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 10, Charlotte Knights 8

Justin Nicolino: 6 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
Matt Foster: 2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 HR (L, 1-1)(BS, 2)
Eloy Jimenez (LF): 1-for-6, 0 BB, 0 K
Daniel Palka (RF): 2-for-2, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 0 K **MVP**
Matt Skole (1B): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 1 K
Adam Engel (CF): 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0 K
Zack Collins (DH): 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Ryan Goins (2B): 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K

Charlotte pitching got rocked by the IronPigs. It was like being at a home run derby tonight. Bad home run derby: Knights starter Justin Nicolino allowed two three-run Homers in his six innings. Good home run derby: Centerfielder Adam Engel hit his first homer back with the Knights to get Charlotte on the board in the second.

Both Zack Collins and Alfredo Gonzalez walked in runs in the fifth. while Ryan Goins had an RBI single and Collins scored on a wild pitch in the fifth as well. Nice to see Zack back in the lineup after being on the IL for concussion protocol. And Daniel Palka continues to work himself back to the big leagues with a perfect game, including homers in the sixth and eighth.

Collins’ sac fly in that sixth actually put the Knights up 7-6, but Matt Foster allowed a solo shot in the seventh to tie the game again.

Foster would end up allowing two more homers in the eighth, which put the game away for Lehigh.

Charlotte goes back to work tomorrow afternoon, to end the series with Lehigh Valley.

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Mississippi Braves 4, Birmingham Barons 1

Kyle Kubat: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (L,2-1)
Zack Burdi: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Alec Hansen: 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Luis Robert (CF): 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Luis Gonzalez (RF): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
Yoan Mercedes (C): 1-for-4, 0 K
Gavin Sheets (1B): 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 0 K **MVP**
Blake Rutherford (LF): 1-for-4, 2B, 0 K

Not much to say about Birmingham tonight. Kyle Kubat got the loss for the Barons, allowing three earned runs in five innings. The good news? Relievers Zach (sic) Burdi and Alec Hansen were on the ball, shutting down Mississippi. Unfortunately, their pitching went to waste because the Barons batters couldn’t supply the runs.

Left fielder Luis Gonzalez had a good game, going 2-for-4 and scoring Birmingham’s only run of the game on a Gavin Sheets RBI single — in the bottom of the ninth. Sheets did his job tonight as well, going 3-for-4. Birmingham is just not looking good this season. Tomorrow’s another day, though.

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Winston-Salem Dash 3, Down East Wood Ducks 1

John Parke: 6 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Codi Heuer: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (W, 2-0)
Jose Nin: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (S, 4)
Nick Madrigal (DH): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 K
Steele Walker (CF): 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 K
Carlos Perez (C): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 K
Craig Dedelow (LF): 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 K
JJ Muno (SS): 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K **MVP**

With stellar pitching and clutch hits, the Dash won themselves another ballgame! Starter John Parke went six solid innings allowing only one run, and Codi Heuer took over for Parke and was red-hot on the mound: a scoreless two innings, and the win.

Winston got on the board in the top of the fourth due to a sac fly by center fielder Steele Walker to score Nick Madrigal. Shortstop JJ Muno was the hero, though, with a clutch, two-run double in the eighth to put the Dash Boys ahead for good, 3-1.

Closer José Nin held down shop in the ninth and Winston won a tight match. The Dash have won three in a row. The team believes wearing the eye-black is helping, and we all know the power of baseball superstitions. Hope they keep on winning and playing tough, the way they did tonight.

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Game 1: Delmarva Shorebirds 3 , Kannapolis Intimidators 1

Kade McClure: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K **MVP**
Ian Dawkins (CF): 1-for-4, 1 K
Lenyn Sosa (SS): 1-for-4, 2B, 0 K
Romy Gonzalez (LF): 1-for-3, 1 K
Luis Curbelo (3B): 3-for-3, 1 R, 0 K
Michael Hickman (C): 1-for-3, 1 K
Johan Cruz (DH): 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 K

Kannapolis fell short in game one of the doubleheader against the first-place Delmarva Shorebirds. Starter Kade McClure went the whole seven innings, allowing just two earned runs. He’ s been getting back in the swing of things as he recovers from last season’s knee surgery. McClure looked very good tonight!

Delmarva scored two runs in the third off of a single and would add another run off of a fielding error by third baseman Luis Curbelo. Intimidators had a little spark in the seventh when Curbelo (redeeming himself for the fielding boo-boo with a 3-for-3 day at the plate) scored on a Johan Cruz single to make the score 3-1, but Kannapolis couldn’t keep the rally going.

Tiffany Wintz/ South Side Sox

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Game 2: Kannapolis Intimidators 8, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

Wilber Perez: 2 ¹⁄₃ IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Jason Bilous: 2 ²⁄₃ IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W, 2-1)
Bennett Sousa: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 K
Ian Dawkins (CF): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0 K, SB
Lenyn Sosa (SS): 1-for-4, 1 R, 3K
Alex Destino (RF): 2-for-3, 1 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 0 K **MVP**
Ramon Beltre (2B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 3B, 1 K
Johan Cruz (3B): 2-for-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K

I don’t know what they talked about in the locker room before the game, but the Intimidators were pumped up in the nightcap. Relief pitching by Jason Bilous and Bennett Sousa held down the fort and the Kannap Boys were keeping their eyes on the ball. Kannapolis scored right away in the first off of a throwing error by the pitcher plus an Alex Destino RBI double, putting the I’s up 2-0 early.

Johan Cruz blasted his first homer of the season in the second to extended the assault to 3-0, but Delmarva punched back, scoring all four of their runs in the game in the third due to a single, walk, ground out, and fielding error by shortstop Lenyn Sosa.

Kannapolis wasn’t having it; Destino hit another RBI double in the bottom of the frame and Cruz got himself an RBI single in that inning to reverse the score to 5-4, Kannapolis!

Ian Dawkins came through with an RBI double in the fourth to score newcomer Travis Moniot. Dawkins was killing it again tonight, with a 3-for-4 for the night at the plate! Sac flies in the bottom of the fourth and fifth would push the lead to 8-4, and stellar relief by Bennett Sousa stopped the hot Shorebirds from scoring any more runs. Loving the small ball from the Intimidators in this game. They needed a win like this to keep it rolling!