White Sox Minor League Update: June 7, 2019

Charlotte Knights 4, Louisville Bats 3

Ross Detwiler: 5 IP, 4, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Zach Thompson: 1 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (BS, 1)
Caleb Frare: 1 ⅓ IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (W, 2-0)
Thyago Vieira: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (S, 4)
Adam Engel (CF): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
Jon Jay (RF): 2-for-4, 1 SB
Alcides Escobar (SS): 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
Seby Zavala (C): 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Zack Collins (1B): 0-for-4, 1 E
Ryan Goins (2B): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K **MVP**
Joel Booker (LF): 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 CS

Charlotte was the only stateside team to play a full nine today, somehow avoiding the rain that swept through Winston-Salem and Kannapolis. Ross Detwiler continued to be a strong veteran presence in the rotation with a solid five innings. He didn’t sign until May, so this was only his fifth start of the year; he’s a real major-league possibility at the back end of the Sox rotation, depending on, you know, a lot of things. Baseball things!

Bullpen arms Zach Thompson and Caleb Frare both appeared, with Frare’s inning-plus of work much stronger than Thompson’s. Thompson gave up three straight hits, including a leadoff triple, to start the sixth inning, before retiring the next three. Frare’s four outs included three strikeouts, all swinging, and an infield popup. This was his third game back from a mysterious two-week IL stint, and I declare him healed. Thyago Vieira toyed with danger in the ninth by giving up a leadoff home run and a double, but managed to hang on for the one-run save.

Jon Jay is flying through the White Sox minor league system at an unprecedented rate. His rehab stint with the Barons has ended, and his rehab stint with Charlotte has begun. He had two hits today, stole third base, and made a wonderful, completely planned catch in center. This kid might even see the bigs soon.

Ryan Goins was in a mini-slump, but broke out of it in a big way with three extra-base hits. The first was a solo dong in the fourth, the second was a go-nowhere leadoff double in the sixth, and the third was also a double (his 15th) with one out in the eighth. This hit advanced Seby Zavala, who had walked for the second time, to third; Zavala scored on an Iván de Jesús Jr. sacrifice fly, and Goins scored on a Joel Booker single.

Birmingham Barons/Mobile BayBears — postponed due to rain

Winston-Salem/Myrtle Beach Pelicans — postponed due to rain

Kannapolis Intimidators/August GreenJackets — suspended due to rain after 1.5 innings

Jorge Alfaro is responsible for the 1-0 I’s lead on a solo home run in the second. Ian Dawkins has already walked twice. This game will be resumed on Saturday.

DSL Padres 5, DSL White Sox 1

Luis Rodriguez: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 2 WP (L, 0-1)
Anthony Espinoza (2B): 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 PO
Wilber Sánchez (SS): 1-for-4, 1 K, 1 E
Alberto Bernal (1B): 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Benyamin Bailey (LF): 1-for-4, 2 K
Juan Mercedes (RF): 2-for-3
Roberth Gutierrez (CF): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 K, 1 PO **MVP**

Luis Rodriguez, who stands six feet, six inches tall at age 19, pitched well but was still hung with the loss for the Dominican Summer League team. Rodriguez has now pitched the equivalent of one complete game this season — nine full innings — and it would be a gem if all in one: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. Unfortunately for him, baseball doesn’t concatenate stats between days in quite that way and he’s stuck with an 0-1 record for now.

The sole DSL Sox run came in anticlimactic fashion; Roberth Gutierrez, who was born in November 2001, hit a one-out triple in the fifth and scored on an Anthony Espinoza (born September 2001) sacrifice fly. Lazaro Leál went hitless for the first time this season, dropping his batting line to .381/.500/.667/1.167 (he’s 22 in a league of teenagers, but it’s still fun!). The DSL Sox are 3-3, which already seems like a vast improvement over last year’s 18-54.