KNIGHTS KNOTES — August 24, 2019
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Knights won all four games on their recent road trip in Durham, NC and improved to 10–2 over their last 12 road games. The Knights have just four road games left this season as they wrap up the regular season with four games in Norfolk, Va from August 30-September 2. The Knights returned home last night to BB&T Ballpark to open a six-game homestand, but their home opener was postponed due to inclement weather.
LET’S PLAY TWO TONIGHT: Tonight, the Knights and Norfolk Tides will play a doubleheader with game one set for 5:05 p.m. Charlotte’s last doubleheader came one week ago today as they split two games against the Columbus Clippers at BB&T Ballpark on August 17. Overall this season, the Knights are 5–3 in doubleheaders.
SINCE JULY 28th: For nearly an entire month, the Knights have been on an epic run. Since July 28, the team has the most wins in all of Major League and Minor League with an impressive 19–5 mark.The New York Mets are 18–6 over that span. Since that date, the Knights have gone from 5.5 games back in the IL Wild Card standings to 4.5 games ahead of the Bulls. With just 10 games left to play during the 2019 regular season, the Knights have a chance to make their way into the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
WILD CARD LEADERS: With their postponement last night, and a Bulls loss, the Knights are now 4.5 games ahead of the Durham Bulls in the IL Wild Card standings. The Knights, who still have 10 games left during the 2019 regular season, now have just three games left against the Bulls (all at BB&T Ballpark next week) and seven games left against the Norfolk Tides (three at BB&T Ballpark and four at Norfolk). The Knights are also now just two games back of the first-place Gwinnett Stripers in the IL South Division.
WINNING WAYS: The Knights are 12–3 over their last 15 games, 15–3 over their last 18 games, and 19–5 over their last 24 games — the best record in all of Minor League Baseball since July 28. The Knights won a season-high six-straight games from August 3 to August 10. As a team in August, the Knights are 15–5 and are hitting .290 (199-for-686) with 42 home runs and 133 RBIs.
200 WINS: With two more wins this season, Charlotte Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek will join an exclusive club in franchise history. Grudzielanek, who is managing the Knights for the third-straight season, currently has 198 wins. With two more wins, he will become one of just three managers in franchise history with 200 wins behind Joel Skinner (285) and Nick Leyva (202).
HOME RUN KNIGHTS: With the home run by Zack Collins on Thursday, the Knights have homered in 26-straight games. The Knights are second in the International League in home runs with 199, six behind Columbus (205). INF Yoán Moncada’s fourth-inning home run in game two of Saturday’s twin bill broke the Charlotte Knights’ franchise record for home runs in a season (185) with the 186th home run of the season. The the all-time mark, set back in 1993, came during Charlotte’s first as a Triple-A franchise. Charlotte’s 199 home runs this season are now 96 more than they hit all of last year (103). This year, 28 different players have hit a home run, which is a franchise record.
TO-KNIGHTS GAME ONE STARTING PITCHER: LHP Matt Tomshaw (3–1, 4.39) will get the start in today’s opener, his fourth of the season with the Knights. Tomshaw was promoted to the Knights from Double-A Birmingham on August 8. Tomshaw, 30, posted a 5–5 record with a 2.40 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) with the Double-A Birmingham Barons this season. He was promoted to Charlotte earlier this season (May 3) and went 2–1 with a 7.90 ERA in seven games (one game started) with the Knights earlier this season (13.2 IP). He was assigned back to Birmingham on June 1.
TONIGHT’S GAME TWO STARTING PITCHER: LHP Kyle Kubat (5–1, 4.84) will make his 11th career Triple-A start tonight as he gets the ball for the Knights in game two of the twin bill. Kubat, 26, has won four of his last five starts. He earned the win in his first career Triple-A start back on June 22 against Louisville. He began the 2019 season with High-A Winston-Salem and posted a 2–0 record with a 1.23 ERA in four starts (22.0 IP). He was promoted to Double-A Birmingham on April 30 and went 4–2 with a 2.42 ERA and one complete game in eight starts with the Barons this season.
