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White Sox Minor League Update: June 3, 2021

Charlotte crushed, Birmingham sweeps, Winston-Salem clobbers

By Julie Brady
Micker Adolfo bats at a low-level facility, pic from the open side
Micker Adolfo went deep at the plate and the field, homering and throwing out a runner at third from right field.
Sean Williams/South Side Sox
Knights/Sounds linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score

Box score link

The Knights are on the struggle bus and Félix Paulino was today’s driver. The righty has allowed four or more runs in three innings or less in three of his five starts this year. In fact, this is just his second-worst start, after he allowed seven runs in ⅔ inning in his first of the season. So that’s certainly not encouraging, and it’s hard to say what the reason is — rust? Injury? Outmatched by the competition?

The bullpen — today, Danny Dopico, Jacob Lindgren, Zack Burdi, Tayron Guerrero, and, sure, Matt Reynolds — was not helped by defense’s two errors, but three of the five runs they allowed were still earned (to be fair to Guerrero and Reynolds, they did not give up a run, earned or otherwise, over three innings).

Until the eighth, the newly-Sheetsless Knights were able to muster only two hits, a Blake Rutherford double and a Jake Burger single, with their one run to that point coming on a wild pitch. They mounted a little bit of a rally, though, Burger’s second single and Reynolds’ walk providing two runs for Mikie Mahtook to drive in, which he did with his fifth home run of the season.

Charlotte’s record drops to 8-18.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 44%
    Mikie Mahtook: 1-for-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, K
    (29 votes)
  • 46%
    Jake Burger: 2-for-4, R, 2 K
    (30 votes)
  • 3%
    Blake Rutherford: 1-for-4, 2B, R
    (2 votes)
  • 6%
    Tayron Guerrero: 2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
    (4 votes)
65 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 91%
    Félix Paulino: 2 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 10 R (10 ER), 5 BB, 5 K (L)
    (52 votes)
  • 8%
    Luis González: 0-for-5, 2 K
    (5 votes)
  • 0%
    Marco Hernández: 0-for-4, E
    (0 votes)
57 votes total Vote Now
Barons/Smokies linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score

Box score link

The Barons had trouble finishing the opener in more ways than one, but finally sat down the Smokies after the resumption of yesterday’s rain-suspended game and two further rain delays today. While they were outscored handily today, 1-3, they scored just enough times yesterday that it didn’t matter (4-1). Konnor Pilkington was yesterday’s hero and Micker Adolfo was today’s, the former not allowing a Smoky on base over three innings, the latter hitting his seventh home run to preserve the narrow Barons lead, then the next inning nailing a runner at third base from right field as he tried to stretch a double.

The third inning was brought to you in true minors fashion with three runs scoring in a vastly different way: one by hit (Laz Rivera RBI single), one by double steal/error, and one by GIDP (Romy González). The team only got one out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the fourth, then wrapped up their scoring with Adolfo’s sixth-inning dong. The bottom of the order went 5-for-8 with three runs scored, two RBIs, two walks, two strikeouts, two stolen bases.

Kyle Kubat was tabbed to pick up where Pilkington left off last night, and threw well enough to earn the win, allowing one run over three walkless innings. It was J.B. Olson who wavered, allowing three late runs before the rains came again and brought with them a merciful three-pitch Luis Ledo appearance. Ofreidy Gómez finished this one in relief, throwing just seven pitches for a scoreless ninth.

Poll

Who was the MVP of Thursday’s opener win for Birmingham?

This poll is closed

  • 22%
    Konnor Pilkington: 3 IP, 4 K
    (14 votes)
  • 1%
    Ofriedy Gómez: IP, SAVE
    (1 vote)
  • 72%
    Micker Adolfo: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, K, RF assist at 3B
    (44 votes)
  • 0%
    Craig Dedelow: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (0 votes)
  • 1%
    Mitch Roman: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Joel Booker: 2-for-3, R, RBI, K, 2 LOB, SB, SF
    (0 votes)
  • 1%
    Laz Rivera: 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2 LOB, SB
    (1 vote)
61 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cold Cat in Birmingham’s opener win on Thursday?

This poll is closed

  • 75%
    J.B. Olson: 1 2⁄3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, HR
    (28 votes)
  • 24%
    Romy González: 0-for-4, K, 3 LOB, GIDP
    (9 votes)
  • 0%
    Carlos Pérez: 0-for-4, K, LOB,
    (0 votes)
37 votes total Vote Now
Smokies/Barons linescore game 2
Batter box score
Pitching box score

The nightcap was also a close one, lefty John Parke bouncing back from a pair of subpar outings to spin one of the best starts of his career, six innings of one-hit baseball in which he allowed a single, a walk, and a hit batsman, taking just 73 pitches (50 strikes) to do so. He was relieved in the seventh (a “doubleheader ninth”) by Bennett Sousa, who engineered his way into a spectacular save. Sousa allowed the first two runners to reach base and for his next trick, he induced two fly balls and a strikeout to slam the door.

While Parke and Sousa were working on their two-hit-total game, their Smokies counterpart Peyton Remy was busy with a two-hitter of his own. The only run in this ballgame came in the bottom of the second, Laz Rivera singling and reaching second on an error, then JJ Muno singling him in. These and Gunnar Troutwine, who drew a sixth-inning walk, were the only Barons baserunners. Still, though, it was enough, and the Barons are now 18-9, good for first in the division by two games.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP in Thursday’s 1-0 night cap win?

This poll is closed

  • 5%
    Bennett Sousa: IP, H, BB, K, WP, SAVE
    (3 votes)
  • 94%
    John Parke: 6 IP, H, BB, 6 K, HBP, WIN
    (55 votes)
  • 0%
    JJ Muno: 1-for-2, RBI, E
    (0 votes)
58 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat in Thursday’s 1-0 nightcap win?

This poll is closed

  • 60%
    Ti’quan Forbes: 0-for-3, 2 K, LOB
    (24 votes)
  • 12%
    Joel Booker: 0-for-2, 2 K, LOB
    (5 votes)
  • 27%
    Romy González: 0-for-3, 2 K, LOB
    (11 votes)
40 votes total Vote Now
Dash/Grasshoppers linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score

Box score link

The bats are waking up in Winston-Salem. They’re on a three-game winning streak, with hit totals of 11, 15, and today nine en route to a 8-6 victory over the neighboring Greensboro Grasshoppers. They trailed early in this one due to an uncharacteristically poor start by lefty Taylor Varnell, who started the season by giving up zero runs in his first 12 innings, but now has consecutive four-inning, three-run outings. Then, with two outs in the fifth and down three, Dash hitters had them right where they wanted them: Johan Cruz walked, Lázaro Leal doubled him in, then the still-fresh-from-Birmingham Ian Dawkins hit his second home run in three games since coming down. Lenyn Sosa followed with a single, then Alex Destino knocked him in with his second triple of the year. Luis Curbelo walked before Yolbert Sánchez struck out to end the inning.

The team added two more in the sixth on Duke Ellis’ second home run of the year and another two in the seventh when Destino and Curbelo went deep in back-to-back at-bats. It was Destino’s sixth and Curbelo’s Sox-minors-leading eighth.

The normally reliable pitching was a little shaky from Varnell onwards, as each of Wilber Perez, Caleb Freeman, and Lane Ramsey gave up a run, although Freeman did notch a strikeout for all four outs he attained tonight. Ramsey allowed the Grasshoppers to put the potential winning run at the plate with one out in the ninth before inducing a double play ball, and the Dash improve to 15-12 on the season.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 84%
    Alex Destino: 2-for-5, HR, 3B, R, 2 RBI, BB
    (39 votes)
  • 6%
    Luis Curbelo: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB, K
    (3 votes)
  • 2%
    Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K
    (1 vote)
  • 6%
    Ian Dawkins: 1-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 K
    (3 votes)
46 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 15%
    Taylor Varnell: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 5 K, HBP
    (6 votes)
  • 84%
    Yolbert Sánchez: 0-for-5, K
    (32 votes)
38 votes total Vote Now

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