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White Sox Minor League Update: April 21, 2022

Everyone Wins Except Kannapolis

By Julie Brady
/ new
Colson Montgomery’s two-run blast was, alas, not enough for the Ballers to win... but only just
Sean Williams/South Side Sox
Knights/Sounds linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc game info

Box score link

Take away the sixth inning and this game is still being played right now, a scoreless tie spiraling eternally into nothingness. Luckily, that’s not how baseball works, so the sixth inning remains and turns a scoreless game into a 5-1 Knights victory. Wes Benjamin was masterful on the mound, rightfully earning the win with seven innings of one-run ball in his third start of the season; his numbers to date are 17 IP, 11 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5 BB, 17 K. Will Carter and Zack Muckenhirn were able to hold it down in relief despite one hit allowed apiece (both singles).

Six of Charlotte’s nine hits came in that big sixth inning, one in which the Nashville Sounds changed pitchers twice. Mark Payton and Romy González both singled to start the inning; González stole second and then Payton scored on a Carlos Pérez single. Ryder Jones sacrificed in the inning’s first run, Blake Rutherford singled, and Seby Zavala walked to load the bases for Dwight Smith Jr., who hit a one-run single. Jameson Fisher singled directly behind him, making that four runs scored, and Laz Rivera drew a bases-loaded walk for the fifth run. Payton came up for the second time with the bases loaded, but then lined directly into an unassisted double play.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Mark Payton (CF): 2-for-5, R, K
    (4 votes)
  • 0%
    Romy González (SS): 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Carlos Pérez (C): 1-for-5, R, RBI, pickoff at first
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Ryder Jones (3B): 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 K, SF
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Laz Rivera (2B): 1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB, CS
    (0 votes)
  • 93%
    Wes Benjamin (W): 7 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 5 K, WP
    (55 votes)
59 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 9%
    Blake Rutherford (RF): 1-for-4, R, 2 K
    (4 votes)
  • 68%
    Seby Zavala (DH): 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K
    (28 votes)
  • 0%
    Dwight Smith Jr (LF): 1-for-4, RBI, K
    (0 votes)
  • 21%
    Jameson Fisher (1B): 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
    (9 votes)
41 votes total Vote Now
Shuckers/Barons linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc game info

Box score link

Sammy Peralta was just a hair away from letting the Biloxi Shuckers take it to extras in the ninth, but he pitched his way around a one-out double and balk to complete a one-run, two-inning save for the Barons. Following what seems to be a professional-baseball-wide trend, Birmingham scored four runs on just six hits, one-third of which were off the bat of Yolbert Sánchez.

José “Popeye” Rodríguez struck first; the 20-year-old second baseman started the season 0-for-12, but in the seven games between then and the start of play today, he’s been on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .310/.355/.448 in that time. He added to that today, a solo blast to open the second inning his first dinger of the season and tying the game 1-1.

The rest of the Barons scoring all came in the third inning, Evan Skoug kicking it off with his best Popeye impression, his second home run of the year also coming to lead off the frame. Sánchez singled, Lenyn Sosa grounded him to third, and Tyler Neslony knocked him in with his fourth double of the season. Neslony made it to third on a wild pitch and scored when Popeye reached on a throwing error.

Jason Bilous was steadfast as always on the mound, lowering his ERA to 2.57 as he went 5 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 6 K (with a wild pitch and HBP to boot). Taylor Broadway wavered with a two-run bomb allowed in the sixth, but Yoan Aybar and Peralta were able to hold on for the win.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 27%
    Yolbert Sánchez (3B): 2-for-4, R
    (14 votes)
  • 0%
    Tyler Neslony (LF): 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, K
    (0 votes)
  • 1%
    Yoelkis Céspedes (DH): 1-for-4, K, SB
    (1 vote)
  • 3%
    José Rodríguez (2B): 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI
    (2 votes)
  • 23%
    Evan Skoug (C): 1-for-2, HR, R, RBI, BB
    (12 votes)
  • 43%
    Jason Bilous (W): 5 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 6 K, WP, HBP
    (22 votes)
51 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 10%
    Lenyn Sosa (SS): 0-for-4
    (4 votes)
  • 2%
    Craig Dedelow (RF): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (1 vote)
  • 2%
    Alex Destino (1B): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (1 vote)
  • 65%
    Cornelius Randolph (CF): 0-for-4, 2 K
    (25 votes)
  • 18%
    Taylor Broadway (H): IP, H, 2 R, BB, K
    (7 votes)
38 votes total Vote Now
Dash vs Drive linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc game info

Box score link

Big opossums, as they say, walk late, and that was certainly true for the Dash tonight. Most of this game was spent tied 1-1 with the Greenville Drive—starter Matt Thompson laid down five near-spotless innings and left fielder Duke Ellis was a one-man run machine in the third, singling on a bunt, stealing second, stealing third, then scoring when the catcher’s throw to try to get him at third was errant (Ellis missed significant time to injury in 2021, but still stole 23 bags in 73 games, including one where he stole three and one where he stole four).

Ellis was also a one-man run machine in the eighth, score still tied at one, this time in a more traditional, over-the-fence manner. Keegan Fish would add two insurance runs in the ninth, a double scoring Shawn Goosenberg and Tyler Osik from a hit-by-pitch and single, respectively. Oscar Colás had the day off and is hopefully using that time to catch a flight to Birmingham.

And yes, Bryan Ramos had two hits. In fact, there has only been one game this year where he has had zero hits, and it was the second game of the year. Of the other 11 games, seven are multi-hit, including the last three straight (shades of José Ramírez last year). In total, he is batting .388/.434/.492.

The Gil Luna Jr. redemption tour begins! The 22-year-old lefty gave up his first career run in his last appearance, a first-pitch walk-off home run that gave him a career 0.47 ERA over 19 ⅓ total innings. He did walk a batter to open the ninth, but then induced a double play on the first pitch to the next. After a single, he got a pop-up for the save. In five appearances, he’s allowed three hits, three walks, and one run, striking out five.

Overall, the bullpen was excellent, and Dash pitching allowed zero runs after the first inning. Cooper Bradford, Isaiah Carranza, Trey Jeans, and Luna Jr. combined for 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, and 4 K, with Carranza going home with the win.

Poll

Who was the Dash MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    DJ Burt (3B): 1-for-5, 3B, K
    (1 vote)
  • 5%
    Bryan Ramos (DH): 2-for-3, BB
    (3 votes)
  • 0%
    Shawn Goosenberg (2B): 1-for-3, R, HBP
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Tyler Osik (1B): 1-for-4, R, 2 K, GIDP
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Keegan Fish (C): 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
    (0 votes)
  • 34%
    Duke Ellis (LF): 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB
    (18 votes)
  • 57%
    Matthew Thompson: 5 IP, 2 H, R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, balk, HBP, E
    (30 votes)
52 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 67%
    Jason Matthews (SS): 0-for-4, BB, 4 K
    (25 votes)
  • 10%
    Luis Mieses (RF): 0-for-4, K
    (4 votes)
  • 21%
    Caberea Weaver (CF): 0-for-4, 3 K
    (8 votes)
37 votes total Vote Now
Nationals vs Cannon Ballers linescore
Batting box score
Pitching box score
Misc game info

Box score link

A heartbreaker in Kannapolis only dropped the Cannon Ballers to 7-5 on the season, a huge turnaround from last year. Colson Montgomery hit his first home run as a professional and went 2-for-5 with two RBI, but the Ballers only had six total hits and struck out 16 times, not a good way to score runs. Colby Smelley, normally a catcher but DH-ing today, has an OPS of 1.145 in nine games after he doubled in a run in the sixth. Terrell Tatum also singlehandedly blew the save for Peyton Glavine (yes); Tatum batted to start the inning with the Ballers down 4-3, then doubled, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch to tie it up. Unfortunately, the other bats on the team were largely quiet.

On the mound, 19-year-old Cristian Mena has impressed, today going six innings, walking none and striking out six, although he did allow three runs to score (including one on a balk). Tyson Messer had a troubled seventh that could have been much worse than just one run, leaving the game with the bases loaded, but Vince Vannelle induced a strikeout and ground ball to escape the jam. The L was hung on Frander Veras, who allowed a run-scoring single to the first batter in the 10th.

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    James Beard (CF): 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K, SB
    (1 vote)
  • 91%
    Colson Montgomery (SS): 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
    (53 votes)
  • 0%
    Colby Smelley (DH): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Logan Glass (RF): 1-for-4, 2 K
    (0 votes)
  • 1%
    Terrell Tatum (LF): 1-for-4, 2B, R, 2 K, SB
    (1 vote)
  • 5%
    Cristian Mena: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K, balk
    (3 votes)
58 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Cannon Ballers Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 10%
    DJ Gladney (1B): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (4 votes)
  • 2%
    Wes Kath (3B): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
    (1 vote)
  • 62%
    Samil Polanco (2B): 0-for-4, 2 K, E
    (23 votes)
  • 5%
    Daniel Millwee (C): 0-for-4, 2 K
    (2 votes)
  • 10%
    Tyson Messer: ⅓ IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB
    (4 votes)
  • 8%
    Frander Veras (L): IP, H, R (0 ER), K
    (3 votes)
37 votes total Vote Now

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