KNIGHTS KNOTES — June 1, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights return home tonight to open a six-game homestand against the Nashville Sounds, Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sounds (18–5) have the best record in all of Triple-A and are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak. The Knights (8–15) have lost 9 of their last 11 games.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Tonight’s game will be the Charlotte Knights first-ever against the Nashville Sounds in their team history (Knights began in 1988). The last time a Charlotte team played a Nashville team was in 1984 when the Charlotte O’s (Double-A Baltimore Orioles) played the Nashville Sounds (Double-A New York Yankees). Both franchises were members of the Southern League.
RECENT ROAD TRIP: The Knights wrapped up an 11-game road trip on Sunday afternoon. The Knights played a rain-shortened five-game series against the Norfolk Tides from Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA in which they went 1–4. The Knights dropped five of six games in Durham, NC against the Durham Bulls to start the road trip. The Knights went 2–9 on the trip.
THE LAST KNIGHTS GAME: The Charlotte Knights dropped Sunday’s finale against the Norfolk Tides by a score of 4–1 from Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA. Charlotte’s lone run of the afternoon came on an RBI single by first baseman Gavin Sheets. He singled home second baseman Marco Hernández in the third inning. The RBI was his team-leading 19th of the season. Shortstop Zach Remillard had two of the team’s seven hits on the day.
ROSTER MOVE: Catcher Seby Zavala was placed on Charlotte’s Injured List today (retroactive to May 31). In 18 games this season with the Knights, Zavala has a .229 batting average with 10 runs scored, three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. His four home runs are tied for second on the team. Zavala, 27, is a member of Chicago’s 40-man roster and appeared in 130 games with the Knights from 2018–19. Baseball America has tabbed him as the Best Defensive Catcher in the organization in each of the past two years (2020–21).
HIT PARADE: On Friday, the Knights combined to record 25 hits, their most of the season. 1B/OF Gavin Sheets launched a two-run home run in the third inning and finished the night 4-for-6 with three runs scored, the home run and two RBIs. OF Brian Goodwin also had a four-hit game and added three RBIs on the night. Additionally, OF Blake Rutherford, INF Tim Beckham and INF Marco Hernández had three hits apiece. Beckham also chipped in with three RBIs.
REHABBING: Chicago White Sox LHP Jace Fry and outfielder Adam Engel are currently on MLB rehab assignments with the Charlotte Knights. Engel has appeared in four games on the assignment and is hitting .375 (6-for-16) with one home run and three RBIs. He hit .295 (26-for-88) with 11 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 12 RBIs and a stolen base in 36 games with the Chicago White Sox last season. He is currently on Chicago’s 10-day injured list. Fry has appeared in two games and has four strikeouts over two scoreless innings pitched. He is on Chicago’s 60-day injured list.
BURGER KING: 3B Jake Burger has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games and currently has a seven-game hitting streak. He is the team leader in home runs with six and is second behind Gavin Sheets in RBIs with 16. Ranked as the number 16 prospect in Chicago’s system by MLB.com, Burger is playing for the first time since 2017 missed 2018 & 2019 to injuries and 2020 to the cancellation of the MiLB season).
TWO HOMER GAMES: 1B/OF Gavin Sheets launched two home runs on Sunday, May 16th — his first two-homer game over his professional career. On Thursday, May 20, OF Brian Goodwin connected on two solo home runs. It was his first two-homer game since August 30, 2019 against the Boston Red Sox as a member of the LA Angels and the sixth two-homer game of his career.
THE WRIGHT STUFF: RHP Mike Wright (1–1, 2.74) was solid over seven innings of work on Friday en route to his first win of the season. The seven-inning start was just the second of the season by a Knights pitcher and first since LHP Matt Tomshaw’s seven-inning start on May 23. For the season, Wright has 29 strikeouts over 23.0 innings pitched, which is tied for third in the Triple-A East.
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: LHP Matt Tomshaw (0–1, 5.12) will make his third start of the season today and fifth overall appearance. In his last outing . Last year, Tomshaw pitched for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the Independent America Association. He went 5–3 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) over 80.1 innings pitched. In 2019, Tomshaw posted a 4–2 record with a 3.93 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 36.1 IP (11 games/5 games started) with the Knights.
