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White Sox Minor League Update: September 23, 2021

Two teams, two split doubleheaders, with the Charlotte Knights putting on a show in game two

By Julie Brady
Jake Burger, #78, in a White Sox uniform batting from behind, looking left
Burgers and Mash: Jake Burger lofted his 18th dong of the year to secure a comeback victory for the Knights
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Tides/Knights linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc info

Box score link

The Tides overwhelmed the Knights in seven innings, falling 8-2 in game one of a doubleheader. Kyle Kubat couldn’t get out of the third or even an out in the third after he allowed three runs in the first; he exited with two runs in, the bases loaded, and nobody out. That brought in Lane Ramsey, who threw a run-scoring wild pitch during the first batter faced, whom he then hit with a pitch. However, it was only the one inherited run that scored as Ramsey induced two swinging strikeouts and a ground out by top Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman.

Hunter Schryver struck out three and allowed a solo home run over two innings of work, and Kaleb Roper, pitching above High-A for the first time, also pitched two innings and also allowed one run. It could have been worse, as two walks and a single loaded the bases with nobody out to start Roper’s Triple-A career, but he was able to whiff a batter, get a sacrifice fly, and induce a pop out for the third out of the inning.

The Knights trailed early and were only able to claw back a little, including a hashtag Seby Bomb in the bottom of the second inning. Carlos Pérez, another guy bumped up to the level for the end of the season, doubled to lead off the fourth for his first hit as a Knight, then scored when Micker Adolfo drove him in with a single. Two more runs scored in the ninth, Jake Burger taking a leadoff walk, Adolfo doubling him to third, then Blake Rutherford hitting a two-run single with one out. Zach Remillard would draw a walk to extend the inning, but that would be it for Charlotte.

Poll

Who was the Knights game one MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 16%
    Seby Zavala: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, K
    (9 votes)
  • 64%
    Micker Adolfo: 2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, K, SB
    (35 votes)
  • 18%
    Blake Rutherford: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, K
    (10 votes)
54 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights game one Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 91%
    Kyle Kubat (L): 2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K
    (42 votes)
  • 4%
    Mikie Mahtook: 0-for-3, 2 K
    (2 votes)
  • 4%
    Jake Burger: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
    (2 votes)
  • 0%
    Zach Remillard: 0-for-2, BB, GIDP
    (0 votes)
46 votes total Vote Now
Tides/Knights linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc info

Box score link

Game two was a thrilling back-and-forth, so close it’s almost a shame it wasn’t a full nine innings to let the drama play out a little more. The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one, courtesy of Micker Adolfo’s 10th Charlotte home run, scoring Danny Mendick and Carlos Pérez from their inning-starting walks. Norfolk answered by taking a 4-3 lead in the third on a sacrifice fly and an Adley Rutschman three-run blast off Johan Dominguez. The Knights bit right back in the bottom of the inning, Burger drawing another leadoff walk, advancing to second on Zavala’s single and to third when Rutherford walked; two runs scored, one on Ti’Quan Forbes’ ground out, the next on a wild pitch, giving them a 5-4 lead.

It was not to last; Nik Turley entered after Peter Tago struck out three in one scoreless inning and retired Rutschman easily enough, but walked the next batter, allowed a single to the next, and then gave up a homer that put the Tides up 7-5.

Bennett Sousa struck out the side swinging in the top of the sixth, needing just 13 pitches to do it (11 strikes). In the bottom, Mendick singled to lead the inning off, Mikie Mahtook walked, and Jake Burger continued to have the season he’s had, his 18th home run of the year putting the Knights up 8-7. That was the final score, Carl Edwards walking one but not allowing a run to score in the seventh.

Poll

Who was the Knights game two MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 84%
    Jake Burger: 1-for-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, K
    (45 votes)
  • 13%
    Micker Adolfo: 1-for-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, K
    (7 votes)
  • 1%
    Blake Rutherford: 2-for-3, BB
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Danny Mendick: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
    (0 votes)
53 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights game two Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 47%
    Johan Dominguez: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 3 K
    (20 votes)
  • 47%
    Nik Turley (BS): 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, 0 K
    (20 votes)
  • 0%
    Mikie Mahtook: 0-for-3, R, BB, K
    (0 votes)
  • 4%
    Ruben Tejada: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K, E
    (2 votes)
  • 0%
    Carlos Pérez: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
    (0 votes)
42 votes total Vote Now
DSL Dbacks/Sox linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc info

Box score link

Doubleheader game one eventually ended in victory for the DSL Sox, the resumption of a game previously suspended due to rain. This was good news for the Sox, who were able to throw in a fully rested Norge Vera to go 3 ⅓ innings in relief from Manuel Veloz, who allowed one run in ⅔ of a soggy inning. Vera did give up four hits, including a double, and walked one batter, but struck out seven and did not give up a run. The top prospect’s season line is 19 IP, 9 H, 2 R (0 ER), 5 BB, 34 K (!!!). His ERA is 0.00. Miguel Toribio entered in relief behind him and pitched three scoreless innings of his own.

All three DSL Sox runs scored post-resumption; with one out in the second inning and the bases loaded, Luis Pineda hit a single that scored Juan Mercedes from a single, but was not quite enough to score Victor Quezada as well, who was thrown out at the plate. Another run scored in the fourth, Godwin Bennett singling, stealing second, moving to third on the catcher’s throwing error, then scoring on Cesar Jiménez’s single. The final run came in the sixth, a Juan Mercedes force out plating Javier Mora from a single.

Poll

Who was the DSL Sox game one MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 95%
    Norge Vera (W): 3 ⅓ IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K, WP
    (43 votes)
  • 0%
    Juan Mercedes: 1-for-3, R, RBI
    (0 votes)
  • 2%
    Cesar Jiménez: 1-for-1, RBI, BB, PO/CS
    (1 vote)
  • 2%
    Luis Pineda: 2-for-2, RBI, CS
    (1 vote)
45 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the DSL Sox game one Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 92%
    Alvaro Aguero: 0-for-3, K
    (23 votes)
  • 4%
    Manuel Guariman: 0-for-3
    (1 vote)
  • 4%
    Victor Quezada: 0-for-3
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Carlos Gomez: 0-for-2, K
    (0 votes)
25 votes total Vote Now
DSL Dbacks/Sox linescore game two
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc info

Box score link

Game two did not go as well, although no fault of the pitching; Emerson Talavera and Carlos Hinestroza have cruised all year and between them they allowed two total runs, Talavera one over five innings and Hinestroza one over two. They are both 18 years old.

It was the bats that fell silent, no runs and four hits total for the whole team; two of those came off the bat of 17-year-old Victor Quezada, third baseman and wunderkind, who hit a single and a double to bring his season slash line to .263/.375/.481. Manuel Guariman, 17-year-old catcher and wunderkind, was responsible for another hit and is now slashing .312/.379/.355. Juan Mercedes singled in the ninth and also walked. Carlos Jiménez and Fernando Vargas walked as well. Combined, the team had 10 hits in 13 doubleheader innings (they did not play the bottom of the ninth in game one).

Poll

Who was the DSL Sox game two MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 37%
    Victor Quezada: 2-for-3, K
    (10 votes)
  • 0%
    Manuel Guariman: 1-for-3, GIDP
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Carlos Jiménez: 0-for-2, BB
    (0 votes)
  • 3%
    Juan Mercedes: 1-for-2, BB, E
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Fernando Vargas: 0-for-2, BB, K
    (0 votes)
  • 59%
    Emerson Talavera (L): 5 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 5 K
    (16 votes)
27 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the DSL Sox game two Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 9%
    Alvaro Aguero: 0-for-3, GIDP
    (2 votes)
  • 90%
    Cesar Jiménez: 0-for-3, 2 K, 2 E
    (19 votes)
  • 0%
    Layant Tapia: 0-for-3, K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Godwin Bennett: 0-for-3
    (0 votes)
21 votes total Vote Now

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