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You can’t have a bigger blast than Yoelqui Céspedes had for the Barons on Friday.
Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images

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White Sox Minor League Update: September 8, 2023

Both the weather in North Carolina and Yoelqui Céspedes leave their marks on the farm in grand fashion

By Salina Rae Silver
/ new

Another day, another MLB win for the Chicago White Sox. If you clicked on this link, however, you probably already know or don’t really care about our current major league product. That said, let’s see if the farm was as fortunate as the bigs on this beautiful Friday night.

Triple-A enjoyed no such success. Charlotte fell to the Bulls in convincing fashion, with Anthony Molina turning in five innings of solid work on the opposing mound before handing the ball over to old friend Ryan Burr. Burr and Cooper Criswell would hold the Knights scoreless and hitless for the duration of the game to lock up the win in convincing fashion.

Where did it all go wrong for our affiliated favorite? Well, Johan Dominguez turned in a less than stellar, though not terrible five innings of three-run ball with five punchies. Unfortunately for him, he exited the game in line for the loss, as the Bulls had secured a lead they’d never relinquish.

Knights catcher Adam Hackenberg notched the only extra-base hit of the game for Charlotte, but stellar Durham pitching saw his lone run scored as the only Knights tally in the contest.

While this one was decidedly disappointing, we still have a job to do as fans. Let’s allocate love and reluctantly acknowledge shortcomings to produce a prime bounce-back candidate.

Poll

Who was Charlotte’s silver lining in the loss?

This poll is closed

  • 10%
    Johan Dominguez: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 5 K, L
    (3 votes)
  • 35%
    Adam Hackenberg: 1-for-3, 2B, R
    (10 votes)
  • 21%
    Caleb Freeman: 1 1⁄3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
    (6 votes)
  • 32%
    Nate Mondou: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
    (9 votes)
28 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Which Knight is most in-need of a bounce back?

This poll is closed

  • 10%
    Johan Dominguez: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 5 K, L
    (2 votes)
  • 70%
    Andrew Pérez: 2 2⁄3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, BB, 2 K
    (14 votes)
  • 20%
    Víctor Reyes: 0-for-4, 2 K
    (4 votes)
20 votes total Vote Now

Onwards to Birmingham, where our faithful readers may recall as the site of an unceremonious blowout that favored the opposing team last night.

Ask and you shall receive, SSS readers. A bounce back by the Barons of Birmingham banished Biloxi, courtesy of an impressive six-run sixth inning. Alsander Womack, Bryan Ramos, and Luis Mieses each tallied multi-hit efforts while Yoelqui Céspedes made his lone hit count in the biggest, most grand way.

Pitcher Garrett Schoenle earned the win after coming in to relieve starter Mason Adams in the fourth. Adams struggled with command in the contest, issuing four free passes which, to his credit, resulted in only one run. Tristan Stivors finished the game off with a solid performance in the ninth.

A feel-good win after a blowout is always welcome, so let’s keep the good vibes going by doling out some virtual hardware for this one.

Poll

Who was the Barons’ MVP in the win?

This poll is closed

  • 12%
    Alsander Womack: 2-for-3, 2 R
    (4 votes)
  • 0%
    Bryan Ramos: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
    (0 votes)
  • 46%
    Luis Mieses: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
    (15 votes)
  • 37%
    Yoelqui Céspedes: 1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI
    (12 votes)
  • 3%
    Tristan Stivors: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
    (1 vote)
32 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who’s Birmingham’s prime bounce back candidate?

This poll is closed

  • 67%
    Colson Montgomery: 0-for-3, 2 K
    (19 votes)
  • 3%
    Terrell Tatum: 0-for-3
    (1 vote)
  • 28%
    Haylen Green: 2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, K
    (8 votes)
28 votes total Vote Now

As of now, Friday’s game is still in progress in High-A. We will be recapping the rain-delayed result of Thursday’s game, which we touched on in last night’s edition of the Minor League Update.

It looked bad yesterday before the rains came, and it finished only slightly less badly today as well. All the Dash damage was surrendered by starter Brooks Gosswein, who only made it two innings into the game. In that time, he allowed the six earnies that would prove to be the deciding figures one day later. To the bullpen’s credit, relievers Noah Owen, Cole Duensing, and Jordan Mikel combined to keep the Crawdads scoreless after the second inning. Unfortunately, a punchless Dash offense fell short in the effort to mount a comeback and change the outcome of this convincing loss.

DH Colby Smelley tallied two of the five dash knocks in this one, and exactly zero percent of those five hits went for extra bases due in large part to masterful pitching by the staff from Hickory.

As much as I lament to cut this analysis short, there simply wasn’t much of note to talk about in this contest other than the lengthy and unfortunate rain delay.

With that being said, let’s have a bit of fun with these polls.

Poll

Who was the Dash’s silver lining in the rain clouds?

This poll is closed

  • 31%
    Colby Smelley: 2-for-4
    (6 votes)
  • 42%
    Noah Owen: 3 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
    (8 votes)
  • 26%
    Loidel Chapelli Jr.: 1-for-3, R, BB
    (5 votes)
19 votes total Vote Now

Poll

And who (or what) proved least valuable in this contest?

This poll is closed

  • 100%
    The weather. (get it together, Mother Nature, there’s still ball to be played)
    (8 votes)
8 votes total Vote Now

Speaking of unfortunate weather, Low-A Kannapolis’ relative proximity to Winston-Salem resulted in a delay of play as well. Their matchup, however, was able to be completed within one calendar day.

Ah, a good old-fashioned pitchers’ duel. You love to see it as a fan, especially when your team manages to push across the decisive run.

Starter Tanner McDougal fired off four scoreless, perfect innings with four punchouts mixed in to begin the game. He was relieved by Anderson Comás, who would go on to allow the only two hits that the Hillcats would tally the entirety of the game before a rain delay interrupted play.

The Ballers came back ready to finish what they’d started.

And Connery Peters secured a career first at the Low-A level.

And despite just one, decisive run being recorded, we’d be remiss not to break down the eight-hit effort engineered by the club from Kanny. Jordan Sprinkle collected a fourth of those knocks with a two-hit effort out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Wilber Sánchez would go on to drive in the decisive run with one of his two hits in the campaign. Rookie hot-hitter Edrick Felix also recorded an extra base hit in the form of a hustle triple in the seventh inning.

All in all, a rather inauspicious showing by the Sox farm lead to few highlights, but a couple of solid wins and efforts that are worth acknowledgment and praise. And hey, Kannapolis has clinched the best farm record of any White Sox affiliate, and its first .500 season since its name change from Intimidators.

To close out the night, let’s crown a Kanny MVP and ascertain who’s most in need of a bounce back effort.

Poll

Who was Kannapolis’ MVP in the win?

This poll is closed

  • 0%
    Edrick Felix: 1-for-4, 3B, K
    (0 votes)
  • 0%
    Jordan Sprinkle: 2-for-4
    (0 votes)
  • 8%
    Wilber Sánchez: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
    (2 votes)
  • 87%
    Tanner McDougal: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
    (21 votes)
  • 4%
    Connery Peters: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K, SV
    (1 vote)
  • 0%
    Ethan Hammerberg: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K, W
    (0 votes)
24 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Which Cannon Baller is hoping for a bounce back?

This poll is closed

  • 65%
    Rikuu Nishida: 0-for-4
    (13 votes)
  • 35%
    Calvin Harris: 0-for-4
    (7 votes)
20 votes total Vote Now

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