clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

White Sox Minor League Update: May 7, 2021

Birmingham and Winston-Salem finally break into the win column

By Brett Ballantini
Luis Curbelo marched on Rome with some big slugging, pacing the Dash to a first win.
@KCannonBallers/Twitter; all boxes below courtesy of MiLB.com

What can you say about this game other than Matt Reynolds was the best Knights pitcher?

OK, not quite, but on a night where Charlotte tossed 12 walks against nine Ks, and when the Knights held Gwinnett to just 11 earned but 19 total runs, there’s not going to be much good to report.

Starter Felix Paulino did manage to retire two batters — spending seven runs and putting the Knights in a deep hole in the process. Bookending a bizarre night, Matt Reynolds moved to the mound from shortstop (Tim Beckham switching from third to short, and position player already pitching Joe DeCarlo shifting from the rubber to third base) to get the final out in the top of the ninth.

Now, given this was a 19-1 loss, you might guess that Charlotte had a poor offensive night as well. You would be right. With as many errors as hits (three in both cases), this was a game for laying down and avoiding.

Poll

Sure, there shouldn’t be one, but for shits and grins let’s name a Knights MVP.

This poll is closed

  • 11%
    Matt Reynolds: 0-for-3, BB, K, E, induced a fly out to record Gwinnett’s 27th out
    (10 votes)
  • 16%
    Brian Goodwin: 1-for-3, 2B, K
    (14 votes)
  • 54%
    Mikie Mahtook: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, K, LOB
    (46 votes)
  • 16%
    Jacob Lindgren: 2 IP, H, 2 BB, K
    (14 votes)
84 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cold Cat, I mean the ICE COLD CAT, in Friday’s 19-1 Knights drubbing?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Gavin Sheets: 0-for-4, 2 E
    (6 votes)
  • 91%
    Felix Paulino: 2⁄3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, BB, K, 2 HR, LOSS
    (83 votes)
  • 2%
    Tyler Johnson: IP, H, 3 R/1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 4 WP
    (2 votes)
91 votes total Vote Now

Birmingham gets on the board with a win in its fourth game of the season, and two of the three relief amigos played a big role in locking it down vs. Biloxi, 7-3.

Bennett Sousa took the eighth and Will Kincanon the ninth, with no damage and three Ks between them. That chased a middle relief performance by J.B. Olson that was good enough to earn the hold, and a pretty decent White Sox org debut from starter Emilio Vargas, who was rewarded with the win.

Offensively, there was quite a bit of slugging going on, with six of 12 hits for extra bases. Romy González, who apparently has been converted from a left fielder (2019 pro debut) to middle infielder in Birmingham, made his pro debut at second base after two games at short and continues MASHING, with his first double and second homer of the season in the win.

Poll

Who was Birmingham’s MVP in Friday’s 7-3 win over Biloxi?

This poll is closed

  • 38%
    Zack Granite: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, HR, picked off first
    (28 votes)
  • 5%
    Zach Remillard: 2-for-3, R, BB, HBP
    (4 votes)
  • 28%
    Romy González: 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 K, 5 LOB
    (21 votes)
  • 10%
    Ti’quan Forbes: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, 2 K
    (8 votes)
  • 1%
    Ian Dawkins: 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K, picked off first
    (1 vote)
  • 15%
    J.B. Olson: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K, HOLD, 26 pitches/20 strikes
    (11 votes)
  • 0%
    Will Kincanon: IP, BB, 2 K
    (0 votes)
73 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cold Cat in Birmingham’s 7-3 win over the Shuckers on Friday?

This poll is closed

  • 81%
    Micker Adolfo: 0-for-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
    (62 votes)
  • 18%
    Xavier Fernández: 1-for-4, 2 K, 1 LOB, 2 PB, E, 1-for-1 CS
    (14 votes)
76 votes total Vote Now

Like Birmingham, Winston-Salem finally broke into the win column with an 8-3 popping of Rome. The Dash staff allowed just one earned run and chucked 16 Ks in the game, half of them coming from starter Jason Bilous, who threw 49 of 69 pitches for strikes.

Lane Ramsey swooped in and vultured the win, while Taylor Varnell threw two strong (five Ks) for a hold.

Offensively, the doble Luises, Curbelo and Mieses, carried the day. Curbelo had two hits and made them count (double and homer, getting off to .444 start with an 1.833 OPS), while Mieses tapped “just” two hits but scored three times.

Poll

Who was the MVP of the 8-3 Dash win on Friday vs. Rome?

This poll is closed

  • 71%
    Luis Curbelo: 2-for-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K, 2 LOB
    (50 votes)
  • 5%
    Luis Mieses: 2-for-5, 3 R, 2B, K, LOB, E
    (4 votes)
  • 12%
    Jason Bilous: 4 2⁄3 IP, 4 H, 3 R/1 ER, BB, 8 K, WP, 69 pitches/49 strikes
    (9 votes)
  • 10%
    Taylor Varnell: 2 IP, BB, 5 K, HOLD
    (7 votes)
  • 0%
    Lane Ramsey: 1 1⁄3 IP, BB, 3 K, WIN
    (0 votes)
70 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cold Cat of Winston-Salem’s 8-3 win over Rome on Friday?

This poll is closed

  • 84%
    Harvin Mendoza: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K, 4 LOB
    (45 votes)
  • 15%
    Bryce Bush: 1-for-4, BB, K, SB
    (8 votes)
53 votes total Vote Now

Kannapolis entered the season as the most highly-touted of all the White Sox affiliates, and yet it is the lone winless team in the organization. The new Kanny ballpark is proving a dud so far, starting its hosting career at 0-4.

This was a bit of a heartbreaker vs. Down East, as the Cannon Ballers spotted their visitors four runs, then fell short in two late rallies to lose, 4-2. Also notable, Wood Ducks shortstop Keithron Moss stole home on a double steal in the second inning to give Down East its first run of the game.

Wearing his shits crazy-high, Matthew Thompson’s full-season debut went better than Jared Kelley’s, pitching four solid innings despite taking the loss. At least he’ll always have this delightful behind-the-back stab for an out in the second:

In the eighth, Kanny avoided a big inning despite Caberea Weaver leading off with a walk and then José Rodríguez getting with a walk. Sandwiched between a double play grounder from Bryan Ramos and an inning-ending K from DJ Gladney, Weaver came home on a wild pitch.

The ninth was rough as well, with Weaver this time wearing the horns. Benyamin Bailey led off the inning with his first Stateside home run, and two outs later an Iván González single and James Beard walk put two on before Caberea’s game-ending K.

Real good news from the pen, though, as both family ties flingers Ty Madrigal and Garvin Alson Jr. recovered nicely from very rough season debuts on opening night. But the offense could muster just three hits in the first seven innings, and went 0-for-10 with RISP, to keep Kanny winless.

Poll

Who was the Kannapolis MVP of Friday’s 4-2 loss to Down East?

This poll is closed

  • 16%
    José Rodríguez: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, LOB, SB
    (9 votes)
  • 26%
    Iván González: 2-for-4, 2B, LOB, 1-of-4 CS
    (15 votes)
  • 3%
    James Beard: 1-for-3, BB, LOB
    (2 votes)
  • 53%
    Ty Madrigal: 2 IP, H, 4 K
    (30 votes)
56 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cold Cat of Friday’s 4-2 loss by Kannapolis?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Caberea Weaver: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K, 4 LOB
    (3 votes)
  • 14%
    Bryan Ramos: 0-for-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
    (7 votes)
  • 64%
    DJ Gladney: 0-for-4, 4 K, 2 LOB
    (32 votes)
  • 8%
    AJ Gill: 0-for-3, 3 K
    (4 votes)
  • 8%
    Martin Carrasco: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 K, HR
    (4 votes)
50 votes total Vote Now

More From South Side Sox