Unbreakable: Tomshaw has been outstanding for the Knights in the stretch run. (Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights)
MVP
Matt Tomshaw (SP) 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 11 K, W (4-1) 60-of-84 strikes (4.13 ERA)
Runner-Up
Danny Mendick (3B) 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI (61) (.284 BA, .826 OPS)
Notables
Luis Robert (CF) 0-for-3, BB, K (.297 BA, .987 OPS)
Nick Madrigal (2B) 1-for-3, BB (.318 BA, .822 OPS)
Yermín Mercedes (C) 0-for-2, R, BB, K (.293 BA, .990 OPS)
Zack Collins (DH) 1-for-2, R, BB, K (.295 BA, .975 OPS)
Seby Zavala (1B) 0-for-2, RBI (45), BB, 2 K (.228 BA, .801 OPS)
Yet another win for the Knights here in this doubleheader opener. The offense was efficient, scoring five on the wings of just seven hits and one for extra bases (a Ryan Cordell double); seven walks against eight Ks sure helped. What didn’t help was some rough baserunning: Cordell had a steal but was also caught once, and Madrigal was thrown out at home plate to end the first inning. But the story of the game was the starter, Matt Tomshaw, who has been nothing but aces since taking the pill for Charlotte. Today Tomshaw squeezed a career-high 11 Ks into just six innings, in a masterful performance that all but ensured the Knights a win.
MVP
Luis Robert (CF) 2-for-3, 2B (10), HR (14), R, RBI (34), K (.304 BA, 1.017 OPS)
Runner-Up
Charlie Tilson (LF) 1-for-3, R, 2 K, outfield assist (José Rondón at second base) (.290 BA, .758 OPS)
Notables
Zack Collins (C) 0-for-3 (.292 BA, .965 OPS)
A.J. Reed (1B) 0-for-3, 2 K (.194 BA, .562 OPS)
Kyle Kubat (SP) 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R/5 ER, BB, 2 K, 2 HR, L (5-2), 50-of-71 strikes (5.30 ERA)
In the nightcap, which was a makeup of Friday’s postponed game, it was pretty much all Robert, who provided both extra-base hits for Charlotte in the game. Robert’s homer was his 14th with the Knights and 30th on the season. He seems a bit tired and peakish, though. The long ball was Charlotte’s 200th of the season, smashing its all-time HR record of 185. Really, nothing much else good in this one, which featured five runs late from Norfolk, sealing in the juices of a gutting loss for the postseason-desperate Knights.
MVP
Damek Tomscha (1B) 0-for-2, 2 BB (.281 BA, .770 OPS)
Runner-Up
Blake Rutherford (RF) 1-for-4, 2B (15), R (.261 BA, .668 OPS)
Notables
Bernardo Flores (SP) 6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 5 K, L (3-8), 66-of-88 strikes (3.36 ERA)
Alec Hansen (RP) IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, HR, E (3) (6.06 ERA)
Joel Booker (LF) 0-for-5, 3 K (.244 BA, .609 OPS)
The Barons blowout leads off a number of terribly-uninspiring losses from the affiliates today. Just seven hits, offset by three errors, from Birmingham today. Flores wasn’t exactly sharp, but he’s been a hard-luck pitcher all season. I mean, the MVP today is a guy who was hitless, with two walks — that’s a crappy game. Hansen had another rough outing as well.
MVP
Jonathan Stiever (SP) 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K (2.22 ERA)
Runner-Up
Carlos Perez (C) 1-for-3 (.267 BA, .655 OPS)
Notables
Jacob Lindgren (RP) 2 IP, H, ER, BB, L (1-2) (1.72 ERA)
Johan Cruz (SS) 0-for-4, 3 K, E (10) (.239 BA, .636 OPS)
Yuck. Stiever was brilliant once again, but there was no O in W-S on this day: three hits, all singles, no walks, and two errors.
MVP
Sam Long (SP) 7 IP, 2 H, 6 K, WP, W (8-5) 58-of-82 strikes (3.07 ERA)
Runner-Up
Lenyn Sosa (SS) 2-for-4, RBI (45), 3B (2) (.239 BA, .629 OPS)
Notables
Amado Nuñez (2B) 0-for-1, R, RBI (31), HBP, SB (4) (.214 BA, .600 OPS)
Ramon Beltre (3B) 1-for-3, R, 2B (23) (.215 BA, .568 OPS)
Sam Long was masterful once again, pitching Kanny to a win despite just three hits (and no walks) on the I’s offensive side. How’d Kannapolis win the game, with such a set of licorice bats? The third inning began with a Beltre double, and successive fly balls from Michael Hickman and Nuñez got Beltre home. After Nuñez was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, Sosa came through with a crucial, two-out triple to bring him home; the two-run cushion proved crucial because with two outs in the bottom half, Devon Perez was touched for a solo homer.
MVP
Caberea Weaver (CF) 3-for-5, 3B (4), R, RBI (16), K (.258 BA, .697 OPS)
Runner-Up
Joshua Rivera (2B) 1-for-4, 3B (3), R, 2 RBI (11) (.202 BA, .629 OPS)
Notables
Jason Morgan (SP) 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR, E (2), 57-of-90 strikes (4.91 ERA)
Kyle Abbott (1B) 2-for-4, R, 2 K (.228 BA, .776 OPS)
Kleyder Sanchez (C) 2-for-4, 2B (4), R, RBI (9), K, PB (6) (.208 BA, .508 OPS)
A plus here is that Great Falls put up some offense today; the bad is that the Voyagers blew a 5-1 lead in the second inning. Jason Morgan pitched another solid game, but the offense sputtered out after the second. No walks against 10 Ks for GFV.
MVP
Josue Guerrero (LF) 2-for-4, R, HR (5), 2 RBI (19), game-winning RBI bunt (.227 BA, .694 OPS)
Runner-Up
Samil Polanco (SS) 2-for-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI (12), SB (11), BB, K (.290 BA, .682 OPS)
Notables
Andrew Dalquist (SP) IP, H, BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
Mac Welsh (RP) 2 IP, H, 4 K (0.00 ERA)
Jeremiah Burke (RP) 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR (4.33 ERA)
Trey Jeans (RP) 2 IP, 2 H, R, K (1.99 ERA)
Micker Adolfo (DH) 0-for-5, 4 K (.267 BA, .876 OPS)
No truth whatsoever to the rumors that AZL L.A. Lasorda gave out late in this extra-inning game due to heavy plates of pregame, mid-game and pre-extras spaghetti, with garlic bread. But I’m not saying it didn’t happen. Dalquist was the “opener” here, pitching another pretty perfect inning, before giving way to Jeremiah Burke, who did not have it against the Dodgers Pastateers. But for once, and as has been the pattern late, the AZL Sox brought the bats, clubbing three extra-base hits in the game — all homers (Polanco, Guerrero and Bryan Ramos). That coupled with yeoman relief work from Welsh and Jeans after Burke forced the game into extras, and the L.A. stringbean youngsters back to one more run at the pasta bowl. Well, that last run paid off for our generic AZL Sox, as both clubs scored in the 10th, and the Sox clinching it in the 11th on a one-out, walk-off bunt (safety or suicide squeeze, the box score does not reveal) from MVP Josue Guerrero.
MVP
Daneuris Lagrange (RP) 2 IP, 3 K (4.02 ERA)
Runner-Up
Roberth Gutierrez (CF) 1-for-3, RBI (15), 2 BB, SB (7) (.274 BA, .743 OPS)
Notables
Elijah Tatís (SS) 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 SB (5), E (7) (.187 BA, .513 OPS)
Lazaro Leal (RF) 1-for-3, R, 2 BB (.225 BA, .729 OPS)
A very typical DSL game, in that it featured seven SBs without a CS, and the White Sox scoring two runs on two hits but none for extra bases. And not the best game from the DSL affiliate, who may be coasting on the clinch of a winning season (currently 36-34). The pitching was OK, the hitting was atrocious. The Blue Jays scored two runs early, the White Sox scored two late, but after Cesar Jiménez walked to drive in the second White Sox run, the eighth-inning rally fizzled. Toronto pitcher Gerardo Santana had the distinction of walking the only three batters he faced in the game; the White Sox took 11 free passes, all told.
South Side Hit Pen 