KNIGHTS KNOTES — June 2, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights returned home last night to open a six-game homestand against the Nashville Sounds, Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sounds (19–5) have the best record in all of Triple-A and have a 13-game winning streak after taking last night’s opener 6–4. The Knights (8–16) have lost 10 of their last 12 games.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Last night’s game was the Charlotte Knights first-ever against the Nashville Sounds in their team history (Knights began in 1988). Before last night, 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.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The Charlotte Knights battled back in the bottom of the ninth inning to score two runs, but fell just short in the opening game of their six-game series against the Nashville Sounds by a score of 6–4 on Tuesday night from Truist Field. Shortstop Matt Reynolds roped a two-run double in the ninth to cut Nashville’s lead to just two, but the Knights failed to push any other runs across in the opening game of the series.
GONZO: Charlotte OF Luis González led the way offensively for the Knights last night with a two-run homer, his second of the season. His second-inning blast helped the Knights take a 2–1 lead, the only lead of the game they had on Tuesday. He entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the ninth-best prospect in the organization
REHABBING: Chicago White Sox LHP Jace Fry made his third rehab appearance last night with the Knights and tossed a scoreless inning. Fry has fanned five batters over three scoreless innings pitched. He is on Chicago’s 60-day injured list. OF Adam Engel has appeared in five games on the assignment and is hitting .300 (6-for-20) 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. .
GOING STREAKING: 1B/OF Gavin Sheets had two hits last night and has now hit safely in seven consecutive games (5/22-present). Over that seven-game span, he is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with six runs scored, one double, one home run and five RBIs.
LEADING THE WAY: 2B Marco Hernández is sixth in the Triple-A East in batting average with a .360 mark. He is also tied for third in hits (32) and tied for second in doubles (7)… 1B/OF Gavin Sheets is fifth in hits (30) and eighth in total bases (47)… RHP Mike Wright is eighth in the Triple-A East in ERA (2.74)… LHP Matt Tomshaw is fourth in WHIP (0.86).
BURGER KING: 3B Jake Burger is the team leader in home runs with six and has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games. He 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. He 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.
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Reynaldo López (0–2, 6.55) will get the start tonight in game two of the series, his fourth start of the year. In his last outing back on May 25 at Norfolk, López allowed two runs over five innings of work but did not factor in the decision. It was his second start of five innings this season with two runs allowed. Both of those five-inning performances were against the Norfolk Tides. He is 0–1 with a 3.60 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 10.0 innings pitched (4 ER) against the Tides this season.
