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White Sox Minor League Update: June 13, 2021

Two pitching duels marked finale day, as Jimmy Lambert shined in Charlotte and Birmingham came up big in extras

By Darren Black
Jimmy Lambert has his best start of the season, with five shutout innings.
Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights

A shutout win for the Knights brought out the best of Jimmy Lambert this season, but the bats aside from Gavin Sheets struggled. Lambert went five innings, and only allowed two hits, fortifying his “No. 6 starter” spot in the White Sox organization. Lambert struck out four over that span, and the bullpen was just as good if not better. Matt Tomshaw, Kodi Medieros, and Nik Turley combined for four perfect innings to close out the 1-0 win. It was Turley’s third save of the season, so be on the lookout for a Turley sighting in Chicago if the bullpen needs an arm.

The offense was obviously not as good as the pitching, but Sheets showed some power today at least.

It was Sheets’ sixth homer of the season, and that was all that Charlotte needed for the win. Blake Rutherford also had a hit today, a double. He has been in a slump lately, with his OPS falling below .700. Seby Zavala returned from the injured list yesterday, but he collected his first hit back today. So, a lot of familiar names doing good things during a win, a productive day.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 92%
    Jimmy Lambert: 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K
    (145 votes)
  • 7%
    Gavin Sheets: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
    (12 votes)
157 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 79%
    Jake Burger: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 2 K
    (106 votes)
  • 20%
    Nick Williams: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (27 votes)
133 votes total Vote Now

A true back-and-forth game, with late-inning lead changes and an extra-inning win for the Barons ... because of a seven-run 11th!

The offense for Birmingham was on fire today, with 16 hits and six more walks on top of that. Five players had multiple hits on the day, led by Ti’Quan Forbes (four hits), and everybody in the lineup reached base and was involved in scoring a run. It was a true offensive explosion — and Birmingham really needed it to win.

Jason Bilous has not been doing well since his promotion to Double-A. After not getting out of the fourth inning tonight, he now has a 5.52 ERA, as the improved competition seems to be getting to him. Most of the bullpen was good, but Andrew Perez blew a save to put the game into extras. Perez was only able to get one out in the ninth, but Lane Ramsey came in to save the day. Though two runs scored while Ramsey was on the mound in extras, one came from the extra runner on second, so not really his fault (and unearned), just MLBs. Ramsey was able to shut down Montgomery for the win after the seven-run 11th.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 27%
    Romy González: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 SB
    (27 votes)
  • 65%
    Ti’Quan Forbes: 4-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K
    (65 votes)
  • 7%
    Jameson Fisher: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K
    (7 votes)
99 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 39%
    Jason Bilous: 3 2⁄3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
    (31 votes)
  • 60%
    Andrew Perez: 1⁄3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 K
    (48 votes)
79 votes total Vote Now

A pitching duel came down to the wire with the winning run on base for the Dash, but they come up short in the one-run loss.

Winston-Salem reached base 11 times on the day, but the team was 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They had the opportunities, but just could not find the last piece of the puzzle.

Yolbert Sánchez had three hits, including the only extra-base hit of the game for W-S. One double and nothing better is clearly not a good recipe for run production. Evan Skoug, who is back from his brief move to Charlotte, came back into form with two hits and the lone RBI for the game. That was really it for the offense, but the pitching deserved better with the game they had.

Jerry Burke got the start, and threw another gem. He went five innings and was pounding the zone, with just 19 balls in 61 pitches. Caleb Freeman, Trey Jeans, and Brian Glowicki came in after and kept the Dash in the game.

The loss knocks the Dash under .500.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 53%
    Yolbert Sánchez: 3-for-4, 0 BB, 0 K
    (44 votes)
  • 4%
    Evan Skoug: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K
    (4 votes)
  • 41%
    Jerry Burke: 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K
    (34 votes)
82 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 3%
    Luis Curbelo: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (2 votes)
  • 95%
    Lazaro Leal: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 2 K
    (57 votes)
  • 1%
    E.P. Reese: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (1 vote)
60 votes total Vote Now

It was the Cannon Ballers best week of the season, but it ended on a low point as the lineup and bullpen could not keep pace with starter Bailey Horn.

Horn went four innings without an earned run, but still saw three runs cross the plate in a messy third inning. Lency Delgado started off the inning with an error, and there was a misplayed fielder’s choice only a couple batters later. Both of those miscues ended up scoring, and the Cannon Ballers had a runner (Felix Valerio) steal home against them to cap off a weird, three-run inning.

José Rodríguez was able to make some of that up right away with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning, but Kannapolis would not come fully back.

The bullpen came in to allow three more runs. Jesus Valles went three innings and allowed one run, in his best appearance of the season. Marcus Evey allowed the final two runs in the eighth to officially put the game out of reach.

Before that, though, Chase Krogman crushed a ball to right.

The Cannon Ballers came up short again, but good games from Rodríguez, Krogman, and Horn certainly makes it feel like a win.

In the standings, however, the CBs fall back to 21 games below .500.

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 49%
    José Rodríguez: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 0 K
    (32 votes)
  • 18%
    Chase Krogman: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 K
    (12 votes)
  • 32%
    Bailey Horn: 4 IP, 0 ER (3 R), 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
    (21 votes)
65 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 62%
    Marcus Evey: 1 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K
    (33 votes)
  • 37%
    James Beard: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (20 votes)
53 votes total Vote Now

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