KNIGHTS KNOTES — May 27, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights will continue their first road trip of the 2021 season today at 6:35 p.m. with game two of a six-game series against the Norfolk Tides from Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA. The Knights are in the midst of playing 12 games on the trip over a 13-game span.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The Charlotte Knights dropped the second game of a six-game series against the Norfolk Tides by a score of 9–2 from Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA on Wednesday evening. Offensively, the Knights possessed leads in the first inning and again in the fourth inning. 1B Gavin Sheets had an RBI single in the first to give Charlotte a 1–0 lead. With the game tied at 1–1, 2B Marco Hernández gave the Knights a 2–1 lead on an RBI single in the fourth. That was all the Knights would muster on Wednesday, however. RHP Jimmy Lambert started and allowed just one run on three hits over three innings.
KNIGHTS VS. TIDES: The Knights won five of six games against Norfolk from May 11–16 at Truist Field earlier this season. After a loss in back-to-back games to start the series, the Knights are now 5–3 this season against the Tides.
REHABBING: Chicago White Sox outfielder Adam Engel began a rehab assignment with the Charlotte Knights on Tuesday night and hit a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth inning. Last night, Engel added two more hits. Engel 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.
BURGER KING: 3B Jake Burger has now hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games and currently has a five-game hitting streak. He is the team leader in home runs with six and is second behind Gavin Sheets in RBIs with 15. In his first season at the Triple-A level and first season since 2017 (missed 2018 & 2019 to injuries and 2020 to the cancellation of the MiLB season), Burger has excelled at the plate. He entered the season ranked as the number 16 prospect in Chicago’s system by MLB.com.
WHERE THEY RANK: The Charlotte Knights are tied for third in the Triple-A East in home runs with 28–10 behind the leading team, Durham (37)… The Knights lead the Triple-A East in doubles with 40… Charlotte is also second in hits with 174.
TEAM LEADERS: 3B Jake Burger is tied for sixth in the league in homers with six and tied for third in extra-base hits (12)… 2B Marco Hernández is fifth in the Triple-A East in batting average with a .380 mark and third in hits (27)… 1B Gavin Sheets is tied for sixth in RBIs (16) and eighth in hits (23).
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 Félix Paulino (1–1, 7.36) will get the start today in game three of the series. In his last start back on May 20, he struck-out eight batters over 5.1 innings pitched. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on four hits and did not factor into the decision. Over his last two starts, Paulino is 1–1 with a 1.80 ERA (10.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 SO). Paulino did not pitch last season due to the cancellation of the season (COVID-19 pandemic). He appeared in just six games (five starts) in 2019 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons due to suffering a strained right biceps. He went 3–2 with a 3.86 ERA (35.0 IP).
