KNIGHTS KNOTES — August 4, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights (28–50, 7th) are in the midst of playing 12 games over 13 days on the road. The road trip starts with this six-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers (42–37, 4th) from Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA. After an off day scheduled for Monday, August 9, the Knights will play six games against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Jacksonville, FL. Since July 10, the Knights are 3–19.
KNIGHTS VS. STRIPERS: Head-to-head this season, the Knights are just 1–12 against the Stripers after a loss in last night’s opener — the first between the two teams this season at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA. The first 12 of the head-to-head series this season all came from Truist Field in Uptown Charlotte. This six-game series at Coolray Field is the only matchup between the two teams this season there. Charlotte’s lone win of the season against Gwinnett came on May 5 at Truist Field in a 9–6 victory.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The Charlotte Knights brought the tying run to first base in the top of the ninth inning, but dropped the opening game of a six-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers by a score of 6–4 on Tuesday night from Coolray Field. Charlotte catcher Yermín Mercedes popped out to end the game in the ninth with runners on first and second base.
INJURED LIST: INF Jake Burger was placed on Charlotte’s Injured List today, retroactive to August 3. In 46 games this season with the Knights, Burger is hitting .319 (58-for-182) with 31 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. He was optioned back to the Knights from the White Sox on Monday, July 26. The 25-year-old hit .263 (10-for-38) with five runs scored, three doubles, one triple, one home run and three RBIs in 15 games with the White Sox this season after his promotion from Charlotte on July 2.
MARCO SOLO: INF Marco Hernández, who drove home the game-winning run in Sunday’s thrilling walk-off win, paced the Charlotte offense on Tuesday. Hernández had a game-high three hits, including his fifth home run of the season. His two-run home run in the second inning pushed the Knights to a 4–1 lead over the Stripers.
HOME RUN KNIGHTS: The Knights now have 109 homers on the season, which is good for the fourth-best total this season in the Triple-A East. OF Mikie Mahtook is Charlotte’s leader in home runs with 15 and is tied for eighth in the Triple-A East in that category. The Knights had three players tied for the team lead in home runs in July — all with seven homers apiece. INF Zach Remillard, OF Mikie Mahtook and C/DH Yermín Mercedes all hit seven home runs last month.
REHABBING ROBERT: Chicago White Sox OF Luis Robert joined the Charlotte Knights on MLB Rehab on Tuesday, July 27. In five games with the Knights, he is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with a double. He began his rehab stint with High-A Winston-Salem on Wednesday, July 21 and appeared in four games with the Dash. The Cuban native hit .250 (3-for-12) with one run scored, one double and three RBIs. The 23-year-old is currently on the Chicago White Sox 60-day Injured List with a right hip flexor strain. He won an American League Gold Glove Award during his rookie campaign in 2020.
TOKNIGHTS STARTER: RHP Mike Wright (6–4, 3.27), the Triple-A East Pitcher of the Month for June, gets the start tonight in game two of the series. He is currently among the Top 10 Triple-A East leaders in a number of categories. His 3.27 ERA is second in the Triple-A East. He is also tied for third strikeouts (79), tied for fifth in wins (6), first in batting average against (.194), first in WHIP (1.01), first in IP (85.1) and tied for sixth in win percentage (.600).
