White Sox Minor League Update: July 8, 2019

Birmingham Barons 2, Pensacola Blue Wahoos 1

Matt Tomshaw: 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K **Co-MVP**
Kodi Medeiros: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (W, 3-8)
Joel Booker (LF): 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB
Welington Castillo (DH): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Luis González (CF): 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
Gavin Sheets (1B): 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Ti’Quan Forbes (3B): 1-for-4, 1 3B
Damek Tomscha (RF): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI **Co-MVP**

Both teams picked up seven hits and made one error in this game, but the Barons’ were just a little bit better timed. It was the Tomshaw and Tomscha show all the way home: Tomshaw has been starting exclusively for about a month now this season, and he’s had a couple of jaw-dropping lines. He already walks a pretty minuscule number of batters, and he did not add to that today. He threw 96 pitches — 72 strikes — and got the Barons to the eighth, where Kodi Medeiros gave up a triple and sac fly to the first two batters for a 1-0 Blue Wahoos lead.

Luckily, Joel Booker is a one-man run factory, and he led off the home half of the eighth with a single, stealing second and advancing to third on an error. Luis González’s ground ball drove him in, tying it up at one. The ninth inning was Damek Tomscha Time: he walked it off with a home run on the very first pitch of the inning.

Winston-Salem Dash 3, Frederick Keys 2

Jorgan Cavanerio: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (W, 5-0) **Co-MVP**
Tyler Frost (CF): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 K
Mitch Roman (3B): 1-for-4, 1 3B
Steele Walker (DH): 0-for-4
Jameson Fisher (1B): 1-for-4, 3 K
Zach Remillard (SS): 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 SB
Craig Dedelow (RF): 1-for-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Carlos Perez (C): 2-for-3, 1 RBI
Tate Blackman (2B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K **Co-MVP**

Jorgan Cavanerio had one of his best starts of the year, giving up just one run on a truly incredible dong, the kind that you know is gone the instant you hear the bat connect. A shadow passed over the sun; birds took flight from nearby trees; children fled. It was cool, though, because other than that, Cavanerio was lights-out unhittable, giving up only four runs total and walking just one on a borderline call. He was backed by a defense at the top of its game, most notably Zach Remillard at shortstop.

It was Carlos Perez, Craig Dedelow and Tate Blackman supplying the power today. Perez knocked in an early run on a single in the second, and for a while, it seemed like that was going to be the only scoring in the game. In the bottom of the seventh and with the game tied at one, Dedelow smashed a triple, scoring Remillard and giving the Dash the 2-1 lead. Blackman added the insurance with a massive shot to left in the eighth inning, and it was a policy that the Dash cashed in on (is that how insurance works? Instructions unclear) when closer Will Kincanon gave up a run in a tightrope-act ninth. He was able to retire the side, though, and the Dash go into their last game of the homestand fresh off the 3-2 victory.

You may be wondering, Julie, are you absolutely kicking yourself that the Tate/tater pun didn’t even occur to you? The answer is yeah, yes, I am

Idaho Falls Chukars 2, Great Falls Voyagers 0 (rain-shortened to 5 ½ innings)

Sean Thompson: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (L, 1-3) **MVP**
Luis Curbelo (DH): 0-for-2, 1 K
Luis Mieses (RF): 0-for-2
Sam Abbott (1B): 1-for-2, 1 E
Caberea Weaver (CF): 0-for-2, 1 K

Rain shortened Sean Thompson’s best start of the year, but even so, it was still his best start of the year as he allowed just four hits over his six innings and gave up two runs. The 6’3” righty has had starts of varying quality over the five games he’s thrown, and hopefully this gets him into a groove. Both runs off of him scored in the second, on a walk and single that double-stole their way into second and third, then both of whom scored on another single.

Nothing else really happened here. The Voyagers were one-hit. That one was off the bat of Sam Abbott in the second inning. Nobody walked. Not a great day. A scheduled doubleheader game two was also rained out.

This game also has the lowest attendance number I’ve ever seen in a box score, if not in person: 37. At least they’re honest! Not that I’m naming names!!

AZL White Sox 8, AZL San Diego Padres 2, also 2

Jacob Lindgren: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Vladimer Nuñez, Jr.: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Samil Polanco (SS): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
DJ Gladney (DH): 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 HBP **MVP**
Bryan Ramos (3B): 2-for-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Ivan González (C): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 PB
Tyler Osik (1B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB, 1 HBP
Josue Guerrero (RF): 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K

The AZL Sox pounded out a no-doubt win over the rival “AZL Padres 2,” a team with a dumb name that should feel bad. Jacob Lindgren’s rehab stint continues seemingly smoothly. Vladimir Nuñez, Jr., an undrafted free agent signing, threw well out of the bullpen, striking out four over two scoreless innings.

DJ Gladney, who I hope makes the majors for many reasons, one of which is that my keyboard still has text replacements set up from when I was outlining for finals, so he will always be known to me as “DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT Gladney,” hit his fifth home run of the season. The teenager, who turns 18 on Sunday, is batting .324/.366/.620, and has also hit four doubles and a triple over his 18 games played. Bryan Ramos, who turns 18 in March, picked up another two hits, including a double, and is batting .375/.463/.625 over 16 games. Ivan González, this year’s eighth rounder, also had a double in addition to a couple of walks, and is batting .421/.577/.579.

DSL Blue Jays 6, DSL White Sox 4

Dionicio Jiménez: 4 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (L, 1-4)
Anthony Espinoza (2B): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 K, 1 CS, 1 E
Johnabiell Laureano (CF): 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 K
Benyamin Bailey (LF): 2-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB **MVP**
Lazaro Leál (1B): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Jefferson Mendoza (C): 0-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 E
Edwin Peralta (3B): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
Wilber Sánchez (SS): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB

The DSL Sox scored two in the top of the ninth, but they would have needed two more to tie it, so instead of winning the game, they lost it. Four of the runs their pitching staff gave up were unearned on the strength of the four errors made (two by catcher Jefferson Mendoza, one apiece by second baseman Anthony Espinoza and pitcher Cristopher Valdez). Starter Dionicio Jiménez has overall been consistent for the team, minus a seven-run clunker from early June; apart from that, he’s only ever given up zero, two, or one time three earned runs in a start.

Two runs scored for the DSL Sox in the seventh, in typical DSL fashion — first an Edwin Peralta walk, then a wild pitch advancing him to second, then a single to get him to third, then a single by Laureano to drive him in. Benyamin Bailey was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the second run of the inning. Both ninth-inning runs came on a Lazaro Leál double, scoring Wilber Sánchez and Bailey from their walks. Bailey, who will be 17 years old all season, reached base four times and is leading the DSL in batting average at .404.