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White Sox Minor League Update: April 19, 2022

Yoelqui Céspedes hits his third homer to go along with great pitching performances out of Birmingham and Kannapolis.

By Darren Black
/ new
Scottsdale Scorpions v Glendale Desert Dogs
Yoelqui Céspedes has found his power stroke.
Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Not a great showing for Charlotte, as they get shut out and fall to 6-7 on the season. The bats were only able to earn five hits, and three of them were from Blake Rutherford. He also had the only extra-base hit for the team, as he increased his batting average to .310. Maybe it took being removed from the 40-man to unlock that lost potential, but it probably is just a fun start to his season.

Emilio Vargas started but did not last long, as he allowed four runs in just eight outs recorded. JB Olson entered the game earlier than planned, and it showed with three more runs on the board for Nashville. The latter half of the game is when the pitching settled down, with Tyler Johnson and Brandon Finnegan combining for four shutout innings. Finnegan was not all good, with three walks, but it is good to see Johnson in a groove.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 14%
    Tyler Johnson: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K
    (8 votes)
  • 85%
    Blake Rutherford: 3-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (47 votes)
55 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 84%
    Emilio Vargas: 2 2⁄3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K
    (37 votes)
  • 15%
    Dwight Smith Jr. 0-for-4, 0 BB, 3 K
    (7 votes)
44 votes total Vote Now

Outstanding pitching performances and just enough run production get Birmingham back in the win column. Davis Martin led the charge for the pitching side, going five innings of one-run ball. It is a bit surprising that only one run scored given Martin’s five walks, but his seven strikeouts helped him work out of it. The bullpen was even better, with two shutout innings each from Yoelvin Silven and Lincoln Henzman. Henzman is an interesting story so far; he is a converted starting pitcher who did not pitch at all last season; his start is something to monitor, as he is getting late innings.

The offense, again in a 2-1 win, did just enough, with a run coming with one swing of the bat.

It was Céspedes’ third homer of the season and only hit of the game. Raudy Read had the second RBI in the fourth, which ended up being the winning run.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 49%
    Davis Martin: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 7 K
    (26 votes)
  • 20%
    Yoelvin Silven: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
    (11 votes)
  • 30%
    Yoelqui Céspedes: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K
    (16 votes)
53 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 90%
    Craig Dedelow: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 K
    (38 votes)
  • 9%
    Lenyn Sosa: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 0 K
    (4 votes)
42 votes total Vote Now

Through five innings, the Dash were down 3-0 and not showing much of an offense, but they poured on four runs in the sixth inning thanks to a grand slam from Luis Mieses.

Unfortunately, Winston-Salem lost the lead in the next half-inning, and then lost on a walk-off homer on the first pitch in the ninth.

The grand slam was Mieses’ only hit, but the top prospects were the ones in the lineup to show something tonight. Bryan Ramos had two hits to keep his hot start going, and Oscar Colás had a single and walk to his name.

The pitching was mediocre overall, as three of the four arms allowed a run. Karan Patel allowed three over 4 2⁄3 , Zach Cable was responsible for the tying run and Gil Luna Jr. served up the walk-off. Theo Denlinger was the only reliever who had a successful outing, and he did that over the seventh and eighth innings; he struck out four of the seven batters he saw.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 12%
    Bryan Ramos: 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K
    (6 votes)
  • 76%
    Luis Mieses: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K
    (38 votes)
  • 12%
    Theo Denlinger: 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K
    (6 votes)
50 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 31%
    Shawn Goosenberg: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 2 K
    (13 votes)
  • 53%
    Karan Patel: 4 2⁄3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K
    (22 votes)
  • 14%
    Gil Luna Jr. 0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K
    (6 votes)
41 votes total Vote Now

Wow, Kannapolis, this is really a different team than last year, with another offensive eruption and great pitching performance. Everybody in the lineup had a hit, with three getting multiples. Terrell Tatum had the most, with three, but DJ Gladney added two doubles today. He has had a nice start to the year, with an .899 OPS. Wes Kath followed up with two singles, as he tries to right his rough early start. James Beard had a pretty good game as well, reaching base four times with one hit and three walks, and stole two bases. Beard already has nine stolen bases on the year, and the bat is looking a bit better this year.

Overall the lineup was probably better, but the pitching was very close with two runs allowed, all by one pitcher, Christian Edwards. For the good, Noah Owen started the game and was fantastic with five shutout innings; he has a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. Everhett Hazelwood went in for the next two innings to keep the 12-run lead. He has not allowed a run through six innings over three games.

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 72%
    Noah Owen: 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K
    (36 votes)
  • 14%
    Terrell Tatum: 3-for-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
    (7 votes)
  • 8%
    DJ Gladney: 2-for-6, 1 R, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
    (4 votes)
  • 6%
    James Beard: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 SB
    (3 votes)
50 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 100%
    Christian Edwards: 2⁄3 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 K
    (29 votes)
29 votes total Vote Now

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