White Sox Minor League Update: July 19, 2019

Pawtucket Red Sox 4, Charlotte Knights 3

Hector Santiago: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP (L, 3-4)
Matt Foster: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Zach Thompson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Luis Robert (CF): 0-for-4, 2 K
Daniel Palka (DH): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K
Zack Collins (1B): 0-for-4, 4 K
Yermin Mercedes (C): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 K **MVP**
Paulo Orlando (RF): 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Danny Mendick (2B): 1-for-3, 1 K.

Yesterday, the Charlotte Knights played the Pawtucket Red Sox, who, as part of Minor League Baseball’s ongoing Diversity and Inclusion initiative, hosted a Pride Night at the ballpark. In a move that’s hard to read as anything other than a homophobic or bigoted middle finger flying directly in the face of the LGBT+ community, the PawSox also had Sean Spicer, famous for lying on the behalf of white supremacists, throw out the first pitch. White supremacist apologist Sean Spicer (actually, I think we just call those “white supremacists”), who spent his tenure as White House Press Secretary parroting lies from a fascistic administration that has in part dedicated itself to attacking the rights of LGBT+ people, likely felt more welcome at the ballpark tonight than any LGBT+ fan did.

Hector Santiago was twirling a shutout until the fifth inning, after which he was twirling a two-run game until the sixth inning, after which he had twirled a four-run game. A two-out, two-run Rusney Castillo single was Santiago’s first stumble, and a two-run Bryce Brentz bromb was his second. Matt Foster pitched a scoreless seventh. Zach Thompson’s back-and-forth season is currently forth, with a scoreless inning of his own.

All three Charlotte runs came bunched together in the seventh. Daniel Palka led off with his 16th double, then Matt Skole and Alcides Escobar both walked to load the bases with nobody out. Zack Collins struck out swinging, part of a golden sombrero day for him. Then Yermin Mercedes, Major League Ready Hitter, singled to right field to drive in two runs. Paulo Orlando followed with an RBI single of his own before Danny Mendick and Luis Robert struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robert, for the first time as a Knight, went hitless. Hitless!!

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Birmingham Barons 4, Tennessee Smokies 2

John Parke: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP (W, 2-0) **Co-MVP**
Alec Hansen: ⅔ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (H, 4)
Hunter Schryver: 1 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (S, 3)
Nick Madrigal (2B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
Luis Alexander Basabe (CF): 2-for-4, 2 K, 1 CS
Blake Rutherford (LF): 0-for-4, 2 K
Gavin Sheets (1B): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 K
Ti’Quan Forbes (3B): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 E
Luis González (DH): 1-for-4, 1 SB
Joel Booker (RF): 3-for-4, 3 RBI **Co-MVP**

John Parke likes Double-A. You can tell, because he’s been pitching very well there. Parke has now started five games for the Barons, two where he’s given up four earned runs, one where he’s given up one, and now two shutout appearances. He’s still not striking a ton of batters out and he’s not going to, but when the defense is working behind him and he’s offering nothing but good junk, he’s clearly capable of outcomes like this. Over 30 ⅓ Birmingham innings, he’s given up just nine runs, a 2.67 ERA. His WHIP is a miniscule 0.99. Vince Arobio, who is pitching in his third level of the Sox minors just this year, gave up a run in his inning of work. The run that Alec Hansen gave up was unearned, all damage done with two outs. Hunter Schryver was his typical dominant self.

The Barons battered 12 hits, but were only able to scrounge up four runs (still enough for the victory). One came on a Luis Basabe single/pitcher error combo in the first, scoring Nick Madrigal from a double. A Joel Booker single scored Ti’Quan Forbes from Forbes’ double in the second, and another one again scored Forbes along with Gavin Sheets in the third. Basabe has obviously had a rough season, the fault not entirely his thanks to injuries, but he did pick up two hits and is batting .286 in four entire July games so far, so it’s something.

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Winston-Salem Dash 9, Wilmington Blue Rocks 3

Jorgan Cavanerio: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W, 6-0)
Tyler Frost (RF): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
Mitch Roman (3B): 3-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 K, 1 CS
Steele Walker (CF): 2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 K **MVP**
Zach Remillard (SS): 2-for-3, 1 R
Jameson Fisher (1B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 E
Tate Blackman (2B): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 K
Evan Skoug (C): 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Yeyson Yrizarri (DH): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K

Jorgan Cavanerio has been dominant lately for the Dash, and the dominance continued today through seven innings that saw a scant handful of baserunners allowed. Cavanerio has thrown 32 innings over his last five starts, and has allowed just six earned runs in that time while walking four total. It was the same story tonight. The one run he allowed came on a play initially scored an error, as Zach Remillard had some trouble picking up the ball from the dirt at short (a problem that several players had over the game), but was changed to a hit. Kevin Escorcia gave up an unearned run in two-thirds of an inning, and Will Kincanon allowed a solo home run in the ninth but a couple of hits but nothing else.

The offensive outbursts have been few and far between lately in Winston, but they’re nice when they happen. This one happened almost entirely in the eighth, a six-run inning. The highlight was a Steele Walker double, his 14th with the Dash and second of the night, to clear the bases from their previously loaded state. Overall, Tyler Frost, Steele Walker, Remillard, and Tate Blackman each had two hits; Mitch Roman led the way with three. Evan Skoug was the only hitless member of the lineup, but he did draw a bases-loaded walk in that eighth inning.

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Lakewood BlueClaws 9, Kannapolis Intimidators 6

Kevin Folman: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP (L, 0-2)
Ian Dawkins (CF): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 K
Johan Cruz (SS): 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 E
Andrew Vaughn (1B): 2-for-5, 1 H, 2 2B, 1 RBI **MVP**
Alex Destino (RF): 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
Romy González (LF): 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Corey Zangari (DH): 1-for-4, 1 3B, 1 BB, 3 K

An undrafted free agent signing last season, Kevin Folman had one hell of an outing, giving up six hits and six runs, all six earned. This is his first foray into full-season ball, and this was just his second start after seven relief appearances. Take out those two starts, and he’s given up seven earned runs in 23 ⅔ innings — a 2.66 ERA — with 28 strikeouts and eight walks. Five of those six runs from tonight came in the third, an inning that saw four singles, a walk, a wild pitch, a stolen base, and a double. Devon Perez and Lane Ramsey both gave up earned runs in their two respective innings of relief.

It wasn’t really a bad day at the plate for the Intimidators, unless you count going 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position as “bad.” They answered the BlueClaws in the third with three runs of their own, Johan Cruz doubling in two and Andrew Vaughn grounding in another, but wouldn’t score again until the seventh, when Vaughn grounded into an RBI double play, a painful joy. Their last two runs came in the ninth, Johan Cruz singling and scoring on Alex Destino’s groundout, Vaughn doubling and scoring on Romy Gónzalez’s single. Corey Zangari hit a triple and it was an event.

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Missoula Osprey 6, Great Falls Voyagers 5

Dan Metzdorf: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Kelvin Maldonado (2B): 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
Luis Curbelo (3B): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K **MVP**
Lency Delgado (SS): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 CS
Luis Mieses (RF): 1-for-4, 2 K
Anderson Comas (LF): 1-for-4, 1 R
Caberea Weaver (CF): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K

The Voyagers lost a gut-wrencher on Friday night, blowing a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning and losing 6-5. Fifth-round draft pick Dan Metzdorf had a good outing, making that five out of six good outings for him. Kaleb Roper pitched three innings without giving up a walk or hit, and Karan Patel added two scoreless of his own. In the ninth, Nick Johnson (21st round in 2018) gave up a walk and three straight singles (two runs), then was removed for Brayan Herrera, an international signee in 2016. Herrera got a strikeout, but then gave up a three-run home run, two of those credited to Johnson. Herrera gets the blown save and the loss.

Luis Curbelo and Lency Delgado both homered for the Voyagers, Delgado’s first and Curbelo’s fourth. They scored three in the second on Caberea Weaver’s double, Kelvin Maldonado’s single, and Curbelo’s sacrifice fly.

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AZL White Sox 13, AZL Reds 6 (10 innings)

Cooper Bradford: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Samil Polanco (SS): 2-for-6, 1 R
Bryan Ramos (3B): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
DJ Gladney (DH): 4-for-6, 2 R, 1 3B, 2 K
Tyler Osik (1B): 2-for-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Ivan González (C): 4-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 1 E **MVP**
Logan Glass (RF): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K
Josue Guerrero (LF): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
James Beard (CF): 1-for-5, 1 R

Yeesh.

My editor is telling me I have to write more than the word “Yeesh.” So, here’s what happened: Cooper Bradford’s very decent start was a distant memory by the time this game entered the 10th inning (although he did give up a home run to Fidel Castro, which is incredible), and was preserved only by several generations of oral history and glyphic writing by the time the 10th inning ended. Many things happened in this game, most in the 10th, but some, in fact, before then. Tyler Osik hit an RBI double and Ivan González an RBI single in the first. González, this year’s eighth rounder repeated this feat in the third, then went one better and hit an RBI double in the fifth.

The Sox entered the ninth with a 5-4 lead, which 15th-rounder Caleb Freeman blew with a HBP and a double. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to send the game to the 10th inning, where your team then scores eight runs.

Here is a faithful recreation of that eight-run 10th. Harold Díaz, who spent last year in the DSL, was placed on second as the automatic runner. Bryan Ramos led off and was hit by a pitch. DJ Gladney singled to load the bases with no outs. Tyler Osik singled, scoring Díaz and keeping the bases loaded. Ivan González reached on the shortstop’s error, scoring Ramos and Gladney. Logan Glass singled, scoring Osik. Josue Guerrero doubled, scoring González. James Beard reached on the third baseman’s error, scoring Glass. Samil Polanco reached on the first baseman’s error (the second baseman must have been nervous after this), scoring Guerrero. Harold Díaz came up and hit a fly ball that dropped in, but wasn’t deep enough to score anyone, and resulted in Polanco thrown out at second. Bryan Ramos hit a sacrifice fly to score Beard. Tyler Osik grounded out.

Vladimir Nuñez, Jr. gave one run back in the bottom of the 10th (unearned), but somehow, I don’t think anyone really minded.

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DSL Blue Jays 6, DSL White Sox 4

Ronaldo Guzman: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Elijah Tatís (2B): 1-for-5, 1 K, 1 E
Yolbert Sánchez (SS): 0-for-4, 1 K
Benyamin Bailey (RF): 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SB
Johnabiell Laureano (CF): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB **MVP**
Jefferson Mendoza (DH): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Ruben Benavides (C): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 K

The DSL Sox led 4-2 into the ninth inning, but a four-run top half led to a late DSL Blue Jays victory (booo, DSL Blue Jays). It was Jesus Rondon who earned the loss, his first of the year, in addition to his first blown save. Rondon allowed a walk, double, single, and triple, and Elijah Tatís’s error at second base led to the final run of the inning scoring. Sixteen-year-old starter Ronaldo Guzman’s good year continues, putting up another five-inning, two-earned-run, three-walk outing (his second straight).

Lazaro Leál starting off scoring with the worst kind of RBI, a double play ball that scored Benyamin Bailey from (what else?) a walk, Bailey’s 16th in his last 10 games played and 37th overall, up against 23 strikeouts. Here’s the obligatory line update for him: .364/.523/.482 in 34 games; the power isn’t quite there yet, probably because Bailey is only 17 years old, but he does have six doubles, two triples, and one home run. Yes, this is the DSL. Yes, it’s still exciting.

Jefferson Mendoza and Edwin Peralta drove in a run each in the seventh on their doubles, and Johnabiell Laureano added a double of his own in the eighth, scoring Bailey from a single, actually, thank you. Laureano also singled and walked.