KNIGHTS KNOTES — September 1, 2019
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Knights hit the road on Friday for their final road trip of the 2019 regular season. The team had an off day on Thursday after wrapping up a six-game homestand at BB&T Ballpark from Friday to Wednesday. The Knights went just 1–5 on the homestand and dropped the opening game of this four-game series against the Norfolk Tides from Harbor Park, but battled back last night to even up the series at 1–1. Last night’s win snapped a season-high six-game losing streak. The Knights are now 14–10 this season against the Norfolk Tides with two games left to play in Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA. As a team, the Knights are hitting .268 (204-for-760) with 22 home runs and 122 RBIs.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (5–4, 3.25) fanned nine batters over seven solid innings, DH Yermín Mercedes homered (16) and had three RBIs, and the Charlotte Knights beat the Norfolk Tides by a score of 5–2 last night to propel back to the top of the IL Wild Card race. Mercedes, OF Luis Robert, 2B Nick Madrigal, and INF Danny Mendick all had two hits apiece in the game. RHP Jose Ruiz tossed two shutout innings in relief of Despaigne to earn his seventh save of the season.
HIGHLIGHTS: With their win last night (and despite their six-game losing skid), Knights are still 21–11 over their last 32 games. The Knights were 20–5 over a 25-game stretch from July 28 to August 24. The Knights won a season-high six-straight games from August 3 to August 10. As a team in August, the Knights went 17–11 and hit .272 (252-for-927) with 49 home runs and 156 RBIs.
WHITE SOX ACTIVATE FULMER & BANUELOS: RHP Carson Fulmer and LHP Manny Bañuelos completed their MLB Rehab Assignments and were activated by Chicago White Sox today.
TWO TO GO : The Knights are down to their final two games of the 2019 regular season and control their own destiny. Despite their six-game losing skid, the Knights won last night’s game and the Durham Bulls lost to the Gwinnet Stripers, 3–2, putting the Knights back atop of the IL Wild Card race, one full game ahead of the Bulls. If the Knights win each of their next two games, they are the IL Wild Card winners. If the Knights and Bulls end up in a tie for the IL Wild Card, the Bulls hold the tie-breaker advantage. The Knights are in search of a playoff berth for the first time since 2012 when they won the IL South Division by nine games over the Norfolk Tides.
200 WINS: Charlotte Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek notched his 200th win as a Knights manager last night joining an exclusive club in franchise history. Grudzielanek, who is managing the Knights for the third-straight season is one of just three managers in franchise history with 200 wins behind Joel Skinner (285) and Nick Leyva (202).
ZACK ATTACK: In the month of August, C/1B Zack Collins posted a .338 batting average (27-for-80) with 17 runs scored, four doubles, 10 home runs and 22 RBIs in 24 games. He has seven home runs over his last 14 games and earned International League Batter of the Week honors during the month of August.
HOME RUN KNIGHTS: On Saturday, August 24, OF Luis Robert connected on Charlotte’s 200th team home run of the season. The Knights are now third in the International League in home runs (206), just one behind IL leaders Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Columbus (207). INF Yoán Moncada’s fourth-inning home run in game two of the August 17th twin bill broke the Charlotte Knights’ franchise record for home runs in a season (185) with the 186th home run of the season. The the all-time mark, set back in 1993, came during Charlotte’s first as a Triple-A franchise. Charlotte’s 206 home runs this season are now 103 more than they hit all of last year (103). This year, 28 different players have hit a home run, which is a franchise record.
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: LHP Kyle Kubat (5–2, 5.30) will make his 12th career Triple-A start tonight as he gets the ball for the Knights in game three of the series. Kubat, 26, has won four of his last six starts. He earned the win in his first career Triple-A start back on June 22 against Louisville. He began the 2019 season with High-A Winston-Salem and posted a 2–0 record with a 1.23 ERA in four starts (22.0 IP). He was promoted to Double-A Birmingham on April 30 and went 4–2 with a 2.42 ERA and one complete game in eight starts with the Barons this season.
