Knights Knotes: May 4, 2017
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox) returned home to BB&T Ballpark — the most visited venue in Minor League Baseball — on Tuesday and opened a six-game homestand against the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) and Gwinnett Braves (Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves). The Knights started a three-game series against the Tides on Tuesday and won 8–3. Yesterday, Charlotte lost their morning game by a score of 5–4. Overall this season, the Knights are 5–1 against the Tides at BB&T Ballpark. Charlotte won all four home games against the Tides (April 6–9) earlier this season, but dropped all three road games to the Tides at Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA (April 14–16). Charlotte is 5–4 overall against them this year. As a team, the Knights are hitting .314 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs against the Tides in 2017. The Knights scored 39 runs against the Tides over their four-game stretch in Uptown Charlotte and added eight in Tuesday’s opener. They only scored a total of five runs over their three-game stretch in Norfolk. The Tides are hitting .256 against the Knights this season with nine home runs and 39 RBIs.
THE LAST KNIGHTS GAME:: The Charlotte Knights continued their hot hitting, but lost to the Norfolk Tides by a score of 5–4 on Wednesday in game two of their three-game series from BB&T Ballpark in Uptown Charlotte. The game started at 11:05 a.m. — the first and only Education Day game at BB&T Ballpark scheduled for this season. The Knights will play back-to-back 11:05 a.m. games in Indianapolis next week (May 9–10). Charlotte’s offense swatted a game-high 12 hits. RHP Lucas Giolito (0–4, 7.33) started for the Knights and allowed five runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings. Giolito, who is ranked as the second best prospect in the Chicago White Sox system by Baseball America, walked three batters and fanned five. He was saddled with his fourth loss of the season.
KINGS OF THE QUEEN CITY: In 11 home games this season, the Knights have won eight games at BB&T Ballpark (8–3) and have thrived in Uptown Charlotte this year. In those 11 home games, the team is hitting .317 (122-for-385) with 69 runs scored, 16 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, and 62 RBIs. Charlotte pitching has posted a 3.21 ERA at BB&T Ballpark this season in 101.0 IP. The Knights have welcomed four sell-out crowds (10,360 at yesterday’s game) and lead the International League in attendance with an 99,7511 mark (9,068 fans per game). The Knights lost an opening back on Sunday, April 23. On Friday, April 7, the Knights welcomed their two millionth fan. BB&T Ballpark is in its fourth season in Uptown Charlotte (2014 to present). The Knights spent 25 seasons in Fort Mill, SC including 24 total at Knights Stadium.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: Left-handed pitcher David Holmberg, who has compiled a 3–0 record with a 1.76 ERA in six games (one start) for the Charlotte Knights this season, had his contract purchased by the Chicago White Sox today. Holmberg takes the place of White Sox RHP Nate Jones, who was placed on Chicago’s disabled list today (retroactive to May 1). LHP Carlos Rodon was transferred to the team’s 60-day disabled list. Additionally for the Knights today, outfielder Jacob May has been added to Charlotte’s roster, which now features 25 active players. May was optioned to Charlotte after Chicago’s game on Monday, May 1. He appeared in 15 games for the White Sox this season and hit .056 (2-for-36). A product of Coastal Carolina University, May spent the entire 2016 season with the Knights and hit .266 with 19 stolen bases in 83 games. A native of Houston, TX, Holmberg started the season in Charlotte’s bullpen and did not allow a run over his first five appearances (10.2 IP). He started the game for the Knights on April 28 and allowed three runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings pitched. The 25-year-old has held left-handed hitters to a .125 (2-for-16) batting average this season.
FROM THE SOUTH TO THE SOUTH SIDE: LHP David Holmberg, 25, becomes the sixth Charlotte player promoted to the White Sox this season. RHP Tommy Kahnle (April 6), catcher Kevan Smith (April 13), outfielder Willy Garcia (April 14 & May 2), RHP Mike Pelfrey (April 22), and RHP Chris Beck (April 25), are the five others who have all received promotions this year.
WHITE SOX MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH: 2B Yoan Moncada, who entered the 2017 season ranked as the number two prospect in all of Major League Baseball according to Baseball America and MLB.com, was named as the Chicago White Sox Player of the Month for the month of April on Monday. RHP Dane Dunning, who is currently with the Winston-Salem Dash (A+), was named as the organization’s Pitcher of the Month. For the season, Moncada is hitting .330 (31-for-94) with five home runs, eight RBIs, a .406 on base percentage, and a team-high six stolen bases. He currently has an nine-game hitting streak and over that span is hitting .395 (15-for-38) with eight runs scored, one home run, three RBIs, and two stolen bases — the fifth highest batting average since April 22. He was acquired by the White Sox from the Boston Red Sox on December 6, 2016 as part of a package that sent LHP Chris Sale to Boston. Moncada, a native of Cienfuegos, Cuba, made his professional debut during the 2015 season with Single-A Greenville. He made his Major League debut with the Red Sox on September 2, 2016. Following the 2016 campaign, Moncada was named as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.
NICK AT NITE: 3B Nicky Delmonico continued his hot-hitting yesterday with two hits. For the season, the Tennessee native is hitting .319 (30-for-94) with 15 runs scored, two home runs, and 12 RBIs this season in 24 games. He’s hit safely in 19 of 24 games and is hitting .342 (26-for-76) in 19 night games this season. Delmonico has also excelled at BB&T Ballpark this season. In 11 home games this year, Delmonico is hitting .488 (20-for-41) with one home run and seven RBIs. He has reached base in 13 consecutive home games dating back to 9/4/16.
KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Tyler Danish (1–1, 1.96) gets the start today for the Knights. Danish was effective in his fourth start of the season on Thursday against Toledo in Toledo, OH. He allowed one run in five innings. Over his last six Knights starts dating back to 7/18/16, Danish has allowed just eight earned runs in 41 innings pitched (2–2, 1.76 ERA). Danish entered the season ranked as the number 18 prospect in the Chicago White Sox system by Baseball America. Last season, Danish pitched over three levels, including in Birmingham (Double-A), Charlotte, and Chicago. He posted a 3–7 record with a 4.42 ERA in 12 starts for Birmingham before a promotion to Chicago and Charlotte. He went 0–0 with a 10.80 ERA in three games with the Sox and 1–3 with a 5.83 ERA in seven games (five starts ) with the Knights. Danish was selected by the White Sox in the second round of the 2013 draft. Danish was ranked as the ninth-best prospect in Chicago’s system heading into the 2016 season.
NORFOLK STARTING PITCHER: RHP Mike Wright (0–1, 8.59) gets the nod for the Tides in today’s finale for his third start against the Knights already this year. Wright, a native of Bennettsville, SC, gave up two earned runs on six hits over three innings on April 6 and did not factor in the decision. He gave up three runs on three hits over 4.1 innings pitched against the Knights in his second start of the season April 16 and did not factor in the decision. Wright is a product of East Carolina University.
PEN PALS RHP Zack Burdi tossed two scoreless innings yesterday and has not allowed a run over his last five appearances (7.0 IP). He has 12 strikeouts over that stretch… LHP Brian Clark tossed 1.2 scoreless innings yesterday and has not allowed a run in any of his three appearances this season (3.2 IP). Dating back to last year with the Knights, Clark has not allowed an earned run in five straight Triple-A games (6.0 IP)… RHP Juan Minaya did not allow a run yesterday in one inning of work and has not allowed a run this season (4.0 IP) in four games with the Knights… LHP Matt Purke continued his solid stretch out of the Charlotte bullpen on Tuesday night. Purke threw a scoreless inning last night and has not allowed a run in six consecutive appearances (8.0 IP).
ALL-TIME KNIGHT: OF Jason Bourgeois, 35, is in his fourth season with the Knights and ranks among the all-time franchise leaders in a number of categories. On Sunday, April 9, Bourgeois passed Yolmer Sanchez (347) for third place on Charlotte’s all-time hits list. He is just one of five players in franchise history with 300 or more hits (Jordan Danks, 449, Joe Borchard, 439, Bourgeois, Sanchez, and Josh Phegley, 312). He recorded his 350th career Knights hit on Friday, April 14 and now has a total of 362 career Knights hits Bourgeois is also among the leaders in a number of other categories, including he is fifth in at-bats (1,247), sixth in games played (317) with Chris Clapinski, tied for third in triples (10), fourth in runs scored (174), and second in stolen bases (67). A native of Houston, TX, Bourgeois rejoined the Knights last season after playing for the team in 2007 and 2008. In 2013, he was named to the All Knights Stadium Team.
REY OF LIGHT: RHP Reynaldo Lopez wrapped things up in the month of April with three consecutive solid starts — earning a win in each of the last two starts. Lopez, 23, went 2–0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts. On April 30, Lopez allowed one run on three hits over six innings en route to his second win of the season. A native of the Dominican Republic, Lopez also struck out 10 batters in a game on April 11 in Durham. He entered the 2017 season ranked as the number three prospect in Chicago’s system by Baseball America. Lopez was obtained by the Chicago White Sox on December 7, 2016 with Charlotte teammate Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning from the Washington Nationals for outfielder Adam Eaton. Eaton was recently lost for the season with an ACL tear.
FUL SPEED AHEAD: RHP Carson Fulmer (3–1, 3.18) got the start on Tuesday and was solid over 5.1 innings in his fifth start of the 2017 season en route to his third win of the year. The Vanderbilt University product allowed just one run on two hits and improved to 3–0 with a 2.08 ERA in three home starts (17.1 IP) this year. He has allowed just three runs over his last two starts (17.1 IP) and has held lefties to a .174 (8-for-46) batting average this season. Over his last eight starts, he has compiled a 2.49 ERA over 43.1 innings pitched. Over that stretch, Fulmer has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 34 hits while striking out 35 batters.
