KNIGHTS KNOTES — July 25, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights (26–43, 6th) will conclude a six-game road series from Durham Bulls Athletic Park against the Durham Bulls (48–21) tonight. Game six of the six-game set takes place tonight with first pitch set for 5:05 p.m. from Durham, NC. The Knights are 1–4 so far in the series.
KNIGHTS VS. BULLS: The Knights will face the Bulls tonight for the 18th time this season — all coming in Durham, NC. Tonight’s game is the last scheduled contest between the two teams in Durham this year. The two teams have yet to meet this season in Uptown Charlotte. The Knights are just 4–13 this season against the Bulls, who have the best record in the league.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: INF Zach Remillard and OF Jake Lamb both homered, but the Charlotte Knights fell to the Durham Bulls from Durham Bulls Athletic Park by a score of 9–4 on Saturday night in game five of the six-game series. OF Micker Adolfo also recorded his first career Triple-A RBI
REHABBING: Chicago White Sox outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Jake Lamb continued their MLB Rehab Assignments last night. Jiménez, who is on Chicago’s 60-day Injured List, is hitting .263 (10-for-38) with one homer and two RBIs in 10 games on rehab with the Knights. He had surgery to repair a ruptured left pectoral tendon two days before the start of the 2021 regular season. In seven games on rehab, Lamb is hitting .207 (6-for-29) with two home runs and three RBIs. He was placed on Chicago’s 10-day Injured List on June 29 with a strained right quadriceps.
ZACH ATTACK: For the second time in three days, INF Zach Remillard led a game off with a home run. His leadoff home run on Saturday — on the first pitch of the night — was his eighth long ball of the season. He has six of his eight home runs in the month of July.
ALL WRIGHT: RHP Mike Wright (6–3, 3.09), the Triple-A East Pitcher of the Month for June, earned his team-high sixth win of the season last night. Wright is currently among the Top 10 Triple-A East leaders in a number of categories. His 3.09 ERA is first in the Triple-A East. He is also fifth in strikeouts (73), tied for fifth in wins (6), second in batting average against (.189), second in WHIP (1.00), first in IP (78.2) and tied for fifth in win percentage (.667).
THE YERMINATOR: C/DH Yermín Mercedes launched his fifth home run of the season with the Knights on Friday night in the second inning of the 4–0 win. In 17 games with the Knights this season since being optioned from Chicago, Mercedes is hitting .308 (20-for-65) with 13 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, five home runs and 11 RBIs. He has hit safely in 14 of his 17 games this season with the Knights.
HOME RUN LEADER: OF Mikie Mahtook is Charlotte’s leader in home runs (14) and is tied for seventh in the Triple-A East in that category. Mahtook is also fifth on the Knights in RBIs (30) and tied for third on the team in runs scored (30).
TOKNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Jonathan Stiever (3–5, 5.69) gets the ball tonight in the finale for his team-high 14th start of the season. Tonight’s start will be his fourth of the season against the Bulls and second on this road trip. He is 0–2 with a 8.18 ERA in three starts this season against the Bulls (11.0 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 15 SO). Stiever, 24, entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the 7th best prospect in Chicago’s system. He was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.
