KNIGHTS KNOTES — August 16, 2019
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights returned home to BB&T Ballpark on Tuesday night to open a six-day, seven-game homestand in Uptown Charlotte. The Knights concluded their three-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last night with a 7–5 win. The homestand continues today with game one of a four game matchup in three days against the Columbus Clippers (Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians). Saturday’s straight doubleheader will feature one home game and one road game as the makeup from the May 9th rainout in Columbus, OH.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The red-hot Charlotte Knights used four home runs to power past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the finale of their three-game series by a score of 7–5 on Thursday night from BB&T Ballpark. With the win, the Knights earned a three-game series sweep of the RailRiders for the second time in two weeks. First baseman Zack Collins, catcher Seby Zavala, right fielder Daniel Palka, and center fielder Luis Robert all homered in Thursday’s finale. For the season, the Knights lead the IL in runs scored (710) and RBIs (672).
KNIGHTS VS. RAILRIDERS: The Knights not only swept their three-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders this week, but also swept the season series against the club, going 6–0 in their head-to-head, 2019 regular season series. In the three-game series from BB&T Ballpark, the Knights scored a total of 35 runs, including a 15–1 romping in the opener on Tuesday, and a 13–12 win in game two on Wednesday.
WILD CARD RACE: Over their last 16 games, the Charlotte Knights have won a remarkable 13 games (13–3) and pulled to just a half-game back of the Durham Bulls in the International League Wild Card race. The Knights, who still have 18 games left during the 2019 regular season, will begin a four-game series against the Bulls on Monday from Durham, NC. The Bulls lost to the Syracuse Mets by a score of 5–3 on Thursday. The Knights are also now just three games back of the first-place Gwinnett Stripers in the IL South Division.
MONCADA REHABBING: INF Yoán Moncada, who is currently on the Chicago White Sox 10-Day Injured List with a right hamstring strain, will begin a Major League Baseball Rehab Assignment with the Charlotte Knights tonight at BB&T Ballpark. The Knights host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders tonight at 7:04 p.m. in the finale of their three-game series. Moncada, 24, is hitting .301 (112-for-372) with 58 runs scored, 21 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 59 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 97 games with the White Sox this season.
HOME RUN KNIGHTS:. As a team, the Knights have now combined to hit 181 home runs this season, which is tied for the third-best in the International League in 2019–78 more than they hit all of last year (103). The most home runs in a season combined for the Knights in their history is 185, which was set back in 1993 — their first as a Triple-A franchise. They are just four homers away from tying that 26-year-old record. This year, 26 players have hit a home run, which is a franchise record.
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (6–4, 3.41) will get the start today for the Knights (his 19th of the season — 11th with the Knights). Despaigne, a native of Havana, Cuba, was signed by the Chicago White Sox organization on May 19 and assigned to the Charlotte Knights. He earned a promotion to the White Sox on June 10 and went 0–2 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts with Chicago this season (13.1 IP). The 32-year-old also pitched in the Cincinnati Reds organization earlier this season and posted a 3–2 mark with a 3.92 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Louisville this season (41.1 IP).
