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White Sox Minor League Update: May 12, 2021

Kannapolis makes history, falling to 0-8 and leading the charge of affiliate losses

By Joe Resis
Diamond in the rough: It was a slow day as far as offenses are concerned, but Jake Burger hit another home run.
@laurawolffphoto

Old friend Reynaldo López, fresh from surgery to correct both his eyes, started on the mound for the Knights, and like his new vision he was pretty sharp. López struck out eight and allowed only two runs in five innings. But the Charlotte offense had a rough evening, as did all the other White Sox affiliates. Between the offense’s bad night and a big eighth inning for Norfolk, the Tides managed to run away with this one.

The Knights struck first, as they wasted no time in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Matt Reynolds hit a double, and Blake Rutherford immediately drove him in with a single. Unfortunately, after that, Norfolk kept Charlotte off the board until the game was out of reach.

Though López had a strong performance overall, the Tides got a solo home run from Stevie Wilkerson to tie the game in the third. Then, in the fifth, the Tides loaded the bases due to a single and a pair of walks. Rylan Bannon grounded into a force out that scored the go-ahead run, and from there the Tides never looked back.

Leading 3-1 in the eighth, the Tides picked up a few insurance runs. The biggest hit came from outfielder Seth Meijas-Brean, whose double scored a pair to double Norfolk’s lead. The Tides went on to score two more that inning to put the game out of reach.

The biggest highlight of the game for the Knights came in the bottom of the eighth, when 2017 first round pick Jake Burger hit his third homer of the season.

Burger also drew a walk in this game, and despite a .150 batting average, his overall production has been solid (.827 OPS).

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 0%
    Matt Reynolds: 2-for-4, BB, R
    (0 votes)
  • 30%
    Blake Rutherford: 2-for-4, BB, RBI
    (45 votes)
  • 23%
    Jake Burger: 1-for-4, BB, HR
    (34 votes)
  • 45%
    Reynaldo López: 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 8 K
    (67 votes)
146 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 31%
    Seby Zavala: 0-for-4, 4 K
    (37 votes)
  • 15%
    Brian Goodwin: 0-for-4, 3 K
    (18 votes)
  • 5%
    Nick Williams: 0-for-4, 2 K
    (6 votes)
  • 46%
    Tayron Guerrero: 1⁄3 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 0 K
    (54 votes)
  • 1%
    Tyler Johnson: 1 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K
    (2 votes)
117 votes total Vote Now

The Barons are the only winning team among the affiliates during the young season. In fact, they have had the best results by a wide margin, but even their prodigious early offense this season could not buck tonight’s trend of limited offense.

Starter Kade McClure had another strong performance on the mound, as he allowed only one run on three hits in five innings. The only blemish on McClure’s evening was the home run he surrendered to JJ Bleday, who was the No. 4 overall pick in 2019.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth, when Romy González stepped up to the plate with the bases empty and one out. González smacked his third home run, as he is on fire to begin the season. After his 2-for-4 performance tonight, González has a .407 batting average and a 1.389 OPS.

However, Pensacola rallied for the only crooked number of the game for either side. Reliever Jake Elliott struggled during his inning of work, as he allowed three runs (all earned) on two hits and a walk. After pitching around Bleday, which resulted in a walk, Pensacola had runners on first and second with one out. Then, Jerar Encarnación launched a three-run homer to give his team a lead that did not relinquish.

The Barons finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 24%
    Romy González: 2-for-4, HR
    (21 votes)
  • 75%
    Kade McClure: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K
    (64 votes)
  • 0%
    Anderson Severino: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K
    (0 votes)
85 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 52%
    Zack Granite: 0-for-4, 3 K
    (39 votes)
  • 2%
    Ian Dawkins: 0-for-3, 2 K
    (2 votes)
  • 44%
    Jake Elliott: 1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K
    (33 votes)
74 votes total Vote Now

With the exception of one inning by starter Johan Dominguez, it was a strong day for Winston-Salem pitching. However, like the Barons, the offense only put one run on the board, and it was not enough.

Dominguez did not allow any hits in his first two innings of work, but the third inning was a different story. With one out and nobody on base, Miguel Aparicio hit a solo home run to break the scoreless tie. Then, Jonathan Ornelas doubled, and Frainyer Chavez followed with an RBI single to double Hickory’s lead. After a two-out single, the Crawdads had a three-run lead.

The Dash tried to rally in the top of the fourth. Yolbert Sánchez singled, and Luis Curbelo drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Then, Harvin Mendoza singled to drive in the first Dash run of the game. Unfortunately, Mendoza was thrown out trying to advance to second trying to stretch his single into a double. That was the only time Winston-Salem scored. Besides that Mendoza RBI single, the Dash had limited opportunities with runners in scoring position, and they went 0-for-3 in such situations.

On the plus side, the bullpen was excellent. Cooper Bradford, Declan Cronin, and Indiana Hoosier Pauly Milto combined for five shutout innings. The trio only allowed two hits, struck out five, and issued zero walks.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 69%
    Harvin Mendoza: 2-for-3, RBI
    (39 votes)
  • 23%
    Cooper Bradford: 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K
    (13 votes)
  • 0%
    Declan Cronin: 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
    (0 votes)
  • 7%
    Pauly Milto: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
    (4 votes)
56 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 32%
    Lenyn Sosa: 0-for-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
    (18 votes)
  • 27%
    Bryce Bush: 0-for-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
    (15 votes)
  • 1%
    Alex Destino: 0-for-4, 2 K
    (1 vote)
  • 38%
    Johan Dominguez: 3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K
    (21 votes)
55 votes total Vote Now

Once again, today was not the day for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, who failed to get their first win of the season.

Fayetteville wasted no time, as Kanny starter Chase Solesky struggled to fool the Woodpeckers during his one inning of work. Solesky retired the first two batters he faced, but that was as good as it got for Kannapolis. Fayetteville’s next five batters reached base safely (a walk and four hits). The biggest of those hits was a three-run homer by Zach Daniels, which gave the Woodpeckers a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the second, the Cannon Ballers set themselves up for a big rally. With no outs, Sam Abbott walked, AJ Gill singled, and Iván González loaded the bases with a single of his own. However, the Cannon Ballers only got one run that inning, on a ground ball by José Rodriguez that resulted in a force out.

Fayetteville went right back to business in the bottom of the second, as they used three hits, two walks, and an error to put up another three runs.

Kannapolis answered another three-run inning with one run in the top of the third, as Gill drove in a run with a single. But, that was the last time the Cannon Ballers scored, as they lost handily, 9-2.

One of the few bright spots from this game was reliever Brandon Jenkins, who struck out five in 2 1⁄3 shutout innings. Jenkins accounted for nearly half of the Cannon Ballers’ 11 strikeouts on the evening.

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 9%
    AJ Gill: 2-for-4, RBI, fielding error
    (5 votes)
  • 18%
    Jagger Rusconi: 2-for-5
    (10 votes)
  • 72%
    Brandon Jenkins: 2 1⁄3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 5 K
    (40 votes)
55 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 21%
    James Beard: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, fielding error
    (12 votes)
  • 27%
    Chase Solesky: 1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K
    (15 votes)
  • 12%
    Trey Jeans: 2⁄3 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K
    (7 votes)
  • 38%
    Ty Madrigal: 1 1⁄3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K
    (21 votes)
55 votes total Vote Now

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