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White Sox Minor League Update: September 13, 2023

The Barons grinded out a nail-biter to conclude a 1-1 day

By Joe Resis
/ new
Providing the pop: Adam Hackenberg put the Knights on the board with a solo homer.
| Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights

The Knights trailed for the vast majority of the game, and despite a late comeback to force the game into extras, they fell short.

Knights starter Nick Nastrini retired all three batters he faced in the first inning, but the second inning was a major struggle. The Sounds took him deep twice that frame and put three runs on the board in the process. Charlotte responded with one run in the bottom half, when Adam Hackenberg launched a solo homer to put the Knights on the board.

The score remained 3-1 until the fourth, when the Sounds put together their second big inning against Nastrini. After a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, Nashville had the bases loaded with one out. Nastrini’s second consecutive hit by pitch forced in Nashville’s fourth run, and after a sacrifice fly paired with an error by José Rodríguez, the Sounds had a 6-1 lead.

In the fifth, Yoelqui Céspedes, Nate Mondou, and Rodríguez all singled to trim the deficit back down to four. Then, with two outs, the Knights benefited from subpar fielding, as Víctor Reyes reached on an error, which resulted in Mondou and Rodríguez racing home to make the score 6-4.

Strong relief appearances by Garrett Crochet and Jordan Holloway resulted in the score freezing until the bottom of the eighth. Then, the Knights broke through to level the score. Hackenberg and Céspedes opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and with two outs, Yolbert Sánchez delivered a crucial single to tie the game at six.

Knights reliever Caleb Freeman pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the tie, but Charlotte failed to bring home the game-winning run, so the game got extended to the 10th. Finally, Freeman allowed the Manfred Man to score, and the Sounds proceeded to add two more after that. The Knights did not have a response in the bottom half.

Poll

Who was the Knights MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 2%
    Yolbert Sánchez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
    (1 vote)
  • 80%
    Adam Hackenberg: 3-for-5, HR
    (37 votes)
  • 2%
    José Rodríguez: 2-for-4, BB, RBI, E
    (1 vote)
  • 13%
    Garrett Crochet: 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K
    (6 votes)
  • 2%
    Jordan Holloway: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
    (1 vote)
46 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Knights Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 50%
    Nick Nastrini: 6 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 6 K
    (19 votes)
  • 36%
    Caleb Freeman: 1 1⁄3 iP, 3 R (2 ER), 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K
    (14 votes)
  • 13%
    Erik González: 0-for-5
    (5 votes)
38 votes total Vote Now

After a noisy ninth inning, the Barons held on in a tight game in Chattanooga against the Lookouts.

In the third, Colson Montgomery led off with a single, and Bryan Ramos crushed a home run to give the Barons a 2-0 lead. That was the 14th home run this season for Ramos, and his 13th with Birmingham.

Barons starter Josimar Cousín had a strong start, only allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings, but the bottom of the third was not ideal. After giving up a leadoff single to José Torres, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by catcher Sebastian Rivero allowed Torres to advance to third. Torres proceeded to score an unearned run on a wild pitch. The Lookouts scored their only earned run against Cousín in the fourth, when three singles resulted in the game being tied at two.

In the fifth, the Barons jumped back in front, as Montgomery drew a leadoff walk, and Edgar Quero drove him in with a double. Scoreless relief appearances by Yoelvín Silven and Haylen Green helped the Barons hold onto their slim lead entering the final frame. The Barons finally got some insurance in the ninth, when Rivero, Terrell Tatum, and Montgomery all singled. Rivero and Tatum had advanced 90 feet on a productive out by Alsander Womack, so Montgomery’s single was enough to drive in two.

The game was 5-2 entering the bottom half, but the game got way too close for comfort. The Lookouts opened the frame with a single and an RBI triple. Although a wild pitch allowed Chattanooga’s fourth run to score, after two strikeouts by Fraser Ellard, the Lookouts were down to their last out. However, Torres reached on catcher interference, and Gil Luna Jr. replaced Ellard on the mound. Luna walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases, and the pressure was officially on. However, Luna got Tyler Callihan to fly out to end the game and pick up the save.

Poll

Who was the Barons MVP?

This poll is closed

  • 82%
    Colson Montgomery: 3-for-4, BB, 2 RBI
    (38 votes)
  • 8%
    Bryan Ramos: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
    (4 votes)
  • 0%
    Terrell Tatum: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 BB
    (0 votes)
  • 8%
    Josimar Cousín: 5 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K
    (4 votes)
46 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Barons Cold Cat?

This poll is closed

  • 59%
    Alsander Womack: 0-for-5, 2 K
    (22 votes)
  • 27%
    Fraser Ellard: 1 2⁄3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K
    (10 votes)
  • 13%
    Tim Elko: 0-for-4, 2 K
    (5 votes)
37 votes total Vote Now
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