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The Knights romped their way to their fourth straight victory on Friday, dominant at the plate (11 runs, 17 hits, 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position) and a little less dominant on the mound but still pretty good (six hits, seven runs, two walks, 14 strikeouts). Zach Remillard hit his fourth home run in six games, Mikie Mahtook hit his 11th of the year, and Yermín Mercedes kicked it all off with a two-run shot in the first inning, his first back with the team. The Yerminator went 2-for-5 and also had three passed balls behind the plate (two of which directly led to runs scoring, with a wild pitch coming three batters later that also scored a run).
That first inning was one that, in addition to the Mercedes home run, saw the first seven Knights in the lineup hit safely, highlighted also by Blake Rutherford’s 13th double and Matt Reynolds’ 11th. Nick Williams also hit an RBI double in the second. Mahtook reached base five total times with four hits and a walk.
The Good Reynaldo López was on the mound tonight, earning his first W of the season not by mistake: the righty went six strong, allowing just one run on three hits, striking out eight and walking one. The one run came in the second after Isan Díaz doubled and scored on a single by Joe Dunand, who was then thrown out trying to take second by Mercedes. The bullpen faltered a bit, Tyler Johnson allowing one run in one inning and Ofreidy Gómez with four runs in his, but Connor Sadzeck was able to finish it up with no trouble.
Poll
Who was the Knights MVP?
This poll is closed
-
50%
Reynaldo López: 6 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 8 K (W)
(69 votes) -
34%
Mikie Mahtook: 4-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
(47 votes) -
0%
Marco Hernández: 3-for-4, R, RBI
(1 vote) -
10%
Yermín Mercedes: 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K, 3 PB
(14 votes) -
0%
Matt Reynolds: 2-for-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, K
(1 vote) -
1%
Nick Williams: 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI, outfield assist at second base
(2 votes) -
0%
Zach Remillard: 1-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
(1 vote) -
1%
Blake Rutherford: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI
(2 votes)
Poll
Who was the Knights Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
23%
Johan Cruz: 0-for-5, K
(18 votes) -
76%
Ofreidy Gómez: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K, WP, 3 HBP
(58 votes)
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The Barons easily erased a 1-0 deficit to take and keep the lead from the now-17-40 Biloxi Shuckers. Konnor Pilkington threw a good redemption outing after his worst start of the season last week, a 6-run, 3 ⅔-inning affair. Here, the only hit he allowed over five innings was a solo home run. In the bullpen, Zach Muckenhirn continued to impress with a scoreless inning, improving his 2021 stats in 18 ⅓ innings to a 1.96 ERA with eight walks and 22 strikeouts. Jake Elliott also pitched two innings with a single the only blot. Anderson Severino gave up a double, single, and sacrifice fly in the ninth, but picked up two strikeouts on the way to shutting the door.
Romy González is back after a June slump, now 12-for-31 with a home run and three walks in July. He doubled tonight to score the first run of the game, Joel Booker going home after singling, stealing second, and advancing to third on JJ Muno’s single. Micker Adolfo also hit a sacrifice fly in the inning. Adolfo hit a two-run single in the seventh as well, making it to second on 2018 first-rounder Brice Turang’s error at shortstop.
Poll
Who was the Barons MVP?
This poll is closed
-
79%
Konnor Pilkington: 5 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 6 K (W)
(76 votes) -
11%
Micker Adolfo: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, HBP, SF
(11 votes) -
1%
Romy González: 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K
(1 vote) -
0%
JJ Muno: 2-for-5, 2B, R, CS
(0 votes) -
8%
Joel Booker: 2-for-4, 2 R, K, 2 SB
(8 votes)
Poll
Who was the Barons Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
5%
Jameson Fisher: 0-for-4, 2 K
(4 votes) -
92%
Xavier Fernández: 0-for-4, 2 K, E
(62 votes) -
1%
Craig Dedelow: 0-for-4
(1 vote)
The Dash and Eloy Jiménez’s 2021 debut were rained out today, which is pretty sus to me, someone who lives in Winston-Salem and can verify that it was not raining from about 7:30 on. Is it a conspiracy? Is Eloy’s return truly too good to be true? We’ll find out in tomorrow’s doubleheader.
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The Cannon Ballers out-romped even the Knights tonight, somehow scoring 14 runs while going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Bryan Ramos homered! DJ Gladney homered! Caberea Weaver, Harvin Mendoza, Luis Mieses, Samil Polanco, and José Rodriguez all hit doubles! The only innings in which the Ballers did not score were the fourth and ninth. Every starter had at least one hit. Mieses ended up with three, and both Mendoza and Weaver reached four times each, walking twice apiece in addition to their two hits. Non-traditional runs were scored via groundout, error, multiple wild pitches, and a hit by pitch.
The Ballers even out-pitched the Knights (not to mention the Fredericksburg Nationals, their opponents); this game was the resumption of last night’s rain suspension that made it through one inning, so it was a little wacky, but after Kevin Folman’s aborted one-scoreless-inning start, Jesus Valles pitched five strong innings of technically relief, allowing one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out none. Ty Madrigal went two innings and allowed an unearned run due to catcher Victor Torres’ error, then McKinley Moore handily struck out the side in the ninth.
This was supposed to be game one of a doubleheader, but because of a nearly three-hour rain delay meaning game two would have started at 11 pm, that game was postponed until Saturday.
Poll
Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?
This poll is closed
-
31%
Luis Mieses: 3-for-6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 K
(21 votes) -
16%
Bryan Ramos: 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, PO/CS
(11 votes) -
2%
José Rodriguez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
(2 votes) -
26%
Caberea Weaver: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, HBP, SB
(18 votes) -
2%
DJ Gladney: 1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, K, HBP
(2 votes) -
4%
Harvin Mendoza: 2-for-3, 2B, 3 R, 2 BB
(3 votes) -
14%
Jesus Valles: 5 IP, 4 H, R, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP (W)
(10 votes)
Poll
Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
51%
No cat was cold enough to qualify
(29 votes) -
1%
Samil Polanco: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 K, HBP
(1 vote) -
14%
Chase Krogman: 1-for-5, R, 3 K
(8 votes) -
32%
Victor Torres: 1-for-5, 2 K, E
(18 votes)
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They made it close, but the ACL Sox weren’t quite able to overthrow the ACL Reds, falling 10-8 in a full nine-inning game. The Sox found themselves down 6-0 fairly early, starter Dilmer Mejia scorched for five runs over two innings and reliever Erick Bello allowing a run in two innings, the first earned run he’s allowed this year in four appearances spanning 7 ⅓ innings (seven walks, seven strikeouts). Corey Stone, who has bounced around levels this season, pitched two scoreless innings, at which point the game was tied; Cam Beauchamp, though, was responsible for four runs in an eighth inning that had a little bit of everything: two hit by pitches, an error, a bunt single, an infield single, a stolen base, a passed ball, a double, and of course, Fidel Castro striking out swinging. Keiter Perez finished the inning (after letting in an inherited runner), but it was too late.
It took until the sixth inning for the Sox to get on the board, Jagger Rusconi singling off the pitcher, making second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch, then scoring on a wild pitch (Benyamin Bailey, who drew a walk in that at-bat, advanced to second on a wild pitch as well). It was the eighth, though, where patience and luck broke the Sox’s way: five of the first six batters walked, then one run scored on catcher’s interference and the next two on the catcher’s throwing error on… a bases-loaded pickoff attempt, tying the game 6-6. The only hit of the inning, EP Reese’s single, scored nobody, and he did not score.
They made it interesting in the ninth, trailing 10-6: Misael Gonzalez came through with a clutch two-out, two-run bases-loaded single, scoring Jagger Rusconi and Logan Glass after they had walked. That was all they had in them, though. Elijah Tatís struck out twice but also walked once, his first time reaching base this season, and scored his first run. He is 0-for-21 on the season with 15 strikeouts.
Let’s appreciate the absolute ACL-ness of this one: the Reds scored 10 runs on 16 hits but made four errors. The Sox scored eight runs on just five hits, making one error; they walked 10 times and struck out 18. There were six wild pitches between the two teams. Passed balls and errors from both catchers. Catcher interference from one. One total unearned run between teams. All seven inherited runners scored. Gametime of 4:05. Baseball as it was meant to be played.
Poll
Who was the ACL Sox MVP?
This poll is closed
-
69%
Jagger Rusconi: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K
(27 votes) -
0%
Logan Glass: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
(0 votes) -
30%
Misael Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 K
(12 votes) -
0%
Benyamin Bailey: 0-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
(0 votes) -
0%
Jefferson Mendoza: 0-for-2, R, RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, E, PB
(0 votes)
Poll
Who was the ACL Sox Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
34%
Dilmer Mejia: 2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K
(15 votes) -
27%
Cam Beauchamp: 1 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K
(12 votes) -
37%
Elijah Tatís: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
(16 votes)