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Up 6-1 and then 8-3 by mid-game, the Knights still found a way to lose this one, as the bullpen caved for eight runs in the last third of the game, dropping Charlotte to 25-36 on the year.
The bullpen being so bad meant tonight’s starter, Jonathan Stiever, had to be good, right? Yeah, but could have been better, which is probably the theme of Stiever’s season. He struggled through five innings (86 pitches), giving up three earned and, thanks to Charlotte’s offense, was in line for a win. The firm of (hey Julie!) Turley, Sadzeck, Medeiros & Dopico managed to bury that hope, combining for just three hits but eight earned, 10 (!) walks, three Ks and two homers.
Ten runs in a loss means the offense was doing something right, right? Yep, 13 hits and nine walks — but also 14 Ks and 19 combined LOB. Two hits apiece for Yermín Mercedes (starting at first base, error), Eloy Jiménez (two singles, three Ks), Blake Rutherford, Luis González and Deivy Grullón (25-year-old catcher just traded to the White Sox from Tampa Bay, for cash).
OVER THE BATTERS EYE!!!!
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 16, 2021
WOW! Deivy Grullón is here and he is perfect!
The 453-foot blast put the Knights ahead 8-3 in the fifth inning! #FunKnights | #ArmorUp pic.twitter.com/ESiCtH746B
Poll
Charlotte scored 10 runs but lost on Thursday. Who was the Knights MVP?
This poll is closed
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4%
Blake Rutherford: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB, LOB
-
12%
Luis González: 2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, K, 3 LOB
-
81%
Deivy Grullón: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K, 0-for-1 CS in White Sox debut
-
2%
Tayron Guerrero: IP, H, 2 K, 14 pitches/11 strikes
Poll
Charlotte scored 10 runs but lost on Thursday. Who was the Knights Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
60%
Nik Turley: IP, H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
-
32%
Connor Sadzeck: 2⁄3 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, HR, BLOWN SAVE, LOSS
-
4%
Kodi Medeiros: 1⁄3 IP, 2 BB
-
1%
Danny Dopico: IP, H, 2 ER, 4 BB, K
-
0%
Zach Remillard: 1-for-5, R, 3 K, LOB
-
1%
Nick Williams: 1-for-5, R, 2B, K, 4 LOB
Rocket City Trash Pandas at Birmingham Barons, suspended, rain
Tonight's game has been suspended due to heavy rain in the area. The game will resume tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. and will be completed as a nine inning game.
— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) July 16, 2021
Game 2 will be seven innings and begin approximately 30 minutes after the end of Game 1. Gates will open at 4:15 p.m.
The ballgame got through just seven scoreless outs when Regions Field was inundated with rain. Konnor Pilkington got the start and had a perfect game through 1 1⁄3 innings.
Left fielder Tyler Nelsony, acquired from the Atlanta Braves on July 11, was making his Barons debut tonight. Nelsony was a ninth round pick in 2016, is 27, is appears to be filling the Zack Granite (retired yesterday) role with Birmingham; unlike Granite, Nelsony has never played above Double-A.
The game segues into a doubleheader tomorrow, with this opener remaining nine innings and the nightcap shortened to seven.
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Just not a great effort from Winston-Salem tonight, and a lot of it came down to starter Kaleb Roper, who just hasn’t been good in a rotation role this season. Roper started two of 14 games with Great Falls toward the end of his draft year of 2019, throwing a combined eight innings with two hits and no runs, and seven Ks against three walks. The loss of the 2020 season, where Roper presumably would have been a pure rotation piece in Kannapolis, might have really hurt the righthander, because he’s not righted himself this season: six starts (seven games), just 23 innings, a 9.00 ERA. The strikeouts to walks are still really good, so there is holdout hope that Roper gets better, but a tuneup in Kannapolis might soon be in order.
Alex Destino was really good for the W-S offense tonight, but otherwise the effort for the Dash in the game was pretty meh.
Poll
The Dash had a lame game on Thursday, but we gotta name an MVP. Who was it?
This poll is closed
-
97%
Alex Destino: 2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, K
-
2%
Edgar Navarro: IP, K, 13 pitches/nine strikes
Poll
The Dash had a lame game on Thursday, but you can only pick one Cold Cat. Who was it?
This poll is closed
-
88%
Kaleb Roper: 3 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, LOSS
-
4%
Luis Curbelo: 0-for-3, 2 K, LOB
-
4%
Evan Skoug: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K, LOB, PB, 1-for-3 CS
-
2%
Ian Dawkins: 0-for-4, K, LOB
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Speaking of meh, it’s the 2021 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, mehing White Sox org fans since early May! I want to say this is a season-worst 24 games under .500, but I’m new here and it might have been worse a couple of weeks ago.
Kevin Folman saw his ERA jump almost two runs with this abysmal effort tonight. If there was good news, it comes in the form of newly-promoted Karan Patel getting a strong Kanny debut under his belt, solid work from McKinley Moore, and a killer effort from Sammy Peralta, eating four innings up tonight with just two hits of damage, no runs, and six Ks.
Samil Polanco was a monster at the plate tonight, and Chase Krogman continues to flash a swell batting eye. That is all.
Poll
Amazing, but Kanny lost again. Who was their MVP on Thursday?
This poll is closed
-
2%
Karan Patel: 1 1⁄3 IP, BB, K
-
58%
Sammy Peralta: 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K
-
39%
Samil Polanco: 3-for-5, R, RBI, 2B, E
Poll
Sorry guys, but Kanny lost again. Who was their Cold Cat on Thursday?
This poll is closed
-
85%
Kevin Folman: 2 2⁄3 IP, 9 H, 7 R/6 ER, 2 K, HR, LOSS
-
2%
Lency Delgado: 0-for-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
-
12%
James Beard: 0-for-4, K, 6 LOB
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Forgive the Complexions, they know not what it means to lose to the Cubs. Jared Kelley was ... all right (?) ... in two innings of a rehab start. The more seasoned Dilmer Mejía was excellent in relief. And, well, the offense was ... awful (four hits, four walks, somehow 17 combined left on base, no runs). I think the LOB number is an error from a past box score that an Arizona intern simply failed to zero out before inputting tonight.
Poll
The ACL White Sox lost, 1-0, to the Cubs on Thursday. Who was their MVP?
This poll is closed
-
87%
Dilmer Mejía: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K
-
4%
Wilber Sánchez: 2-for-4, 4 LOB
-
8%
Misael González: 1-for-2, BB, HBP
Poll
The ACL White Sox lost, 1-0, to the Cubs on Thursday. Who was their Cold Cat?
This poll is closed
-
7%
Jared Kelley: 2 IP, H, ER, BB, 2 K, HR, LOSS
-
23%
Elijah Tatís: 0-for-4, K, 2 LOB, GIDP
-
69%
Benyamin Bailey: 0-for-4, 3 K, 4 LOB
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Bless the DSL, which kept my Update debut this year from going winless. Keep an eye on this Carlos Hinestroza fella, he’s been lights-out in his pro debut, two appearances in three games, he was warming for his second save but his teammates had to go and put a crooked number up in their last bats. Sloppy play, as is to be expected among these prep-age players, but the offense for WSDSL was really clicking today.
Poll
Hooray! The DSL White Sox won their game today! Who was their MVP?
This poll is closed
-
10%
Carlos Hinestroza: IP, H, 2 K
-
0%
Adrian Gil: 3 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 K
-
71%
Emerson Talavera: 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K, pickoff at 1B, WIN
-
0%
Layant Tapia: 0-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB, K, SB
-
17%
Luis Pineda: 1-for-3, R, RBI, HR, K, 2-for-2 CS
Poll
Hooray! The DSL White Sox won their game today! You still have to pick a Cold Cat.
This poll is closed
-
80%
Alberto Bernal: 0-for-3, K, E
-
5%
Carlos Gomez: 0-for-2, K, LOB
-
14%
Javier Mora: 1-for-3, K, 2 LOB, picked off 1B