KNIGHTS KNOTES — August 6, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights (29–51, 7th) are in the midst of playing 12 games over 13 days on the road. The road trip started on Tuesday with this six-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers (43–38, 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 4–20.
KNIGHTS VS. STRIPERS: Head-to-head this season, the Knights are 2–13 against the Stripers. This is the first and only series this season between the two teams 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. Charlotte’s lone win at Truist Field this season against Gwinnett came on May 5 at Truist Field in a 9–6 victory.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: OF Luis Robert launched a three-run home run to help propel the Charlotte Knights to a thrilling 10–6 win over the Gwinnett Stripers from Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA on Thursday night. Charlotte third baseman Laz Rivera hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning. His three-run shot took place during the team’s four-run fifth inning. In all, the Knights combined for 13 hits on the night. In addition, five Charlotte batters had at least two hits in the game.
STIEVER FOR THE WIN: RHP Jonathan Stiever (4–5, 6.13) started for the Knights last night and earned the win. Stiever allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits over five innings of work. He struck-out six batters on the evening. Relievers Kodi Medeiros, Ofreidy Gómez and Bennett Sousa each pitched a scoreless inning apiece in relief. Sousa shut the door in a non-save situation in the ninth inning to close out the game.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: OF Jake Lamb completed his major league rehab assignment and was activated by the Chicago White Sox today. In 16 games with the Knights on rehab, he hit .246 (15-for-61) with six runs scored, five doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs. To make room for Lamb, the White Sox optioned RHP Matt Foster back to Charlotte. In six games with the Knights this season, Foster is 0–1 with a 1.42 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. With the White Sox this season, Foster is 2–1 with one save and a 5.64 ERA in 28 games (30.1 IP).
HOME RUN KNIGHTS: With two more home runs last night, the Knights now have 111 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 and has now appeared in seven games with the Knights. Last night, Robert went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, his first with Charlotte on his rehab stint. His two hits bumped his batting average to .308 with the Knights on his current rehab appearance. 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.
ALL WRIGHT: RHP Mike Wright (6–5, 3.43) is among the Top 10 Triple-A East leaders in a number of categories. His 3.43 ERA is first in the Triple-A East. He is also tied for fourth strikeouts (84), tied for fifth in wins (6), first in batting average against (.199), first in WHIP (1.04), first in IP (89.1) and tied for sixth in win percentage (.545).
TOKNIGHTS STARTER: LHP John Parke (1–0, 0.00), who was promoted to the Charlotte Knights from Double-A Birmingham yesterday, will make his second career Triple-A start tonight. He made his Triple-A debut after he was promoted to Charlotte on July 29 and started game two of that day’s doubleheader at Truist Field against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Parke, 26, allowed just two unearned runs over five innings for the Knights to earn the win on July 29, his first at the Triple-A level. He was assigned back to Birmingham on July 30. With the Barons this season, Parke has appeared in 14 games (12 starts) and owns a 3–4 record with a 4.66 ERA in 58.0 innings pitched. A native of Greenville, SC, Parke was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 21st round of the June 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina.
