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White Sox Minor League Update: June 18, 2021

Let’s look forward to tomorrow!

By Julie Brady
Tim Beckham batting midswing
Tim Beckham is having quite! a! week!
Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights
Jumbo Shrimp/Knights linescore
Batter box score
Pitchers box score
Misc info

Box score link

The Knights only hit two home runs tonight, and it was not enough to overcome the four allowed by starting pitcher Jonathan Stiever. When he struggles, he tends to give up the long ball, and the Knights ballpark is one that lends itself to that kind of thing.

So definitely an outing to forget for Stiever, who didn’t survive the sixth inning; he gave up six runs, walking only one (silver linings!) and striking out six. Will Carter finished the sixth with no further problem. Ofreidy Gómez gave up one run after walking three through two innings, making that the first run he has allowed in three appearances with the team. Tyler Johnson, recently returned from injury, pitched a scoreless ninth.

Second baseman Tim Beckham, who has been doing pretty much literally nothing but hitting home runs, hit a home run, his team-leading 10th and ninth in the month of June alone. He has now hit home runs in four games straight, and has six over those four. For any of you new to baseball, this is considered to be adequate. (Hey kid, you wanna see a small sample size line? .533/.563/1.733. That’s right. Over four games, Tim Beckham is OPS’ing 2.296.)

Marco Hernández also slugged a dong, and Jake Burger (DH-ing after his big day at second yesterday) hit his first professional triple since 2017. Blake Rutherford singled in a run.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 78%
    Tim Beckham: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI
    (48 votes)
  • 21%
    Jake Burger: 2-for-3, 3B, R, BB, K
    (13 votes)
  • 0%
    Marco Hernández: 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI, 2 K
    (0 votes)
61 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 86%
    Jonathan Stiever: 5 ⅓ IP, 8 H, 6 R, BB, 6 K (L)
    (39 votes)
  • 13%
    Seby Zavala: 0-for-4, 3 K, PB
    (6 votes)
45 votes total Vote Now
Barons/Braves linescore
Batter box score
Pitchers box score
Misc info

Box score link

Birmingham scored four late but, as they were trailing 8-0, it didn’t really help. Emilio Vargas got the start and allowed five runs in just two innings. JB Olson allowed a run in one inning, and so did Lane Ramsey. Weirdly, John Parke, who’s typically a starter, pitched four innings in relief in the middle of this game, allowing one hit, one run, and two walks, striking out four.

The Barons picked up five of their eight hits and three of their four walks in the eighth and ninth innings. In fact, they walked to load the bases in the eighth, Joel Booker, Zack Granite, and Jameson Fisher all getting free passes in a row. Xavier Fernández singled the first two in before the inning ended. In the ninth, Ti’Quan Forbes, Mitch Roman, Booker, and Granite all singled, with Booker’s scoring Forbes and Granite’s scoring Roman. That was most of the excitement they had all game; they stranded eight on base and went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 97%
    Joel Booker: 3-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB
    (38 votes)
  • 0%
    Zack Granite: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
    (0 votes)
  • 2%
    Xavier Fernández: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
    (1 vote)
39 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 44%
    Emilio Vargas: 2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K (L)
    (16 votes)
  • 55%
    Micker Adolfo: 0-for-5, 4 K
    (20 votes)
36 votes total Vote Now
Grasshoppers/Dash linescore
Batter box score
Pitcher box score
Misc info

Box score link

Not the most auspicious night on the farm. Davis Martin threw a rare clunker for the Dash, not even able to make it out of the first inning, allowing four runs and only getting two outs. Trey Jeans came on in relief and allowed a solo home run in 2 ⅓ innings. Ryan Williamson was scoreless in his inning of relief, and then — kind of like the weirdness in Birmingham today — starter Isaiah Carranza threw the last five innings of the game, and it was honestly one of his best outings of the year. He walked nobody and allowed one run on four hits, striking out three.

Four hits was one fewer than the Dash totaled as a team. Luis Curbelo reached twice, walking and then tripling and scoring a run when Lázaro Leal grounded out. Their other run scored in a way that makes me wish I was at the ballpark to see it: With Alex Destino and Lenyn Sosa at the corners, Sosa was picked off/caught stealing, and in the ensuing chaos Destino was able to trot home.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Alex Destino: 1-for-4, R, outfield assist
    (2 votes)
  • 6%
    Lenyn Sosa: 1-for-3, BB, K, PO/CS
    (2 votes)
  • 22%
    Luis Curbelo: 1-for-3, 3B, R, BB, K
    (7 votes)
  • 64%
    Isaiah Carranza: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K
    (20 votes)
31 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 81%
    Davis Martin: ⅔ IP, 4 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K (L)
    (22 votes)
  • 0%
    Travis Moniot: 0-for-4, K
    (0 votes)
  • 18%
    Johan Cruz: 0-for-4, 2 K, E
    (5 votes)
  • 0%
    Tyler Osik: 0-for-4, K
    (0 votes)
27 votes total Vote Now
Cannon Ballers/Wood Ducks linescore
Batter box score
Pitcher box score
Misc info

Box score link

Well, the Cannon Ballers winning streak had to end sometime. It’s almost like the universe is punishing them for having the audacity to win multiple games in June, because this one was rough: Kannapolis pitching allowed 19 hits and 15 runs (all earned), walking only four but striking out only six. On the other side of that equation, the Ballers scraped up only two runs on six hits, walking twice and striking out 12 times. Luis Mieses homered for the second time since his move to Kannapolis, and Samil Polanco singled in Harvin Mendoza in the seventh inning. Mieses went 3-for-4.

Jesus Valles had the start today, his first of the season after five appearances in relief. He allowed three runs over three innings, which obviously isn’t good but also wasn’t so insurmountable a lead the Cannon Ballers couldn’t conceivably come back. The problem was pretty much every pitcher after him had an even worse outing. Kevin Folman, who also pitched in Kannapolis in 2019, allowed three runs in two innings. Rigo Fernández, who, when he struggles, really struggles, allowed a grand slam plus two runs while getting only one out, a strikeout. Marcus Evey came in and gave up three runs in 1 ⅔ innings. Congratulations to Brandon Jenkins, a UDFA signee last year, who has sneakily become one of the best weapons in that bullpen. He only walked one en route to a scoreless inning, and on the season, he’s up to 14 ⅓ innings and 1 ER for a 0.63 ERA. He’s struck out 20 but has also walked 14, despite his incredible work in stranding those guys.

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 100%
    Luis Mieses: 3-for-4, HR, R, RBI
    (29 votes)
  • 0%
    Harvin Mendoza: 1-for-4, R, K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Samil Polanco: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Brandon Bossard: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Brandon Jenkins: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
    (0 votes)
29 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 11%
    Jesus Valles: 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, BB, 0 K (L)
    (3 votes)
  • 0%
    Kevin Folman: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K
    (0 votes)
  • 85%
    Rigo Fernández: ⅓ IP, 3 H, 6 R, 2 BB, K
    (23 votes)
  • 3%
    Marcus Evey: 1 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 K
    (1 vote)
27 votes total Vote Now

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