KNIGHTS KNOTES — September 7, 2021
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights (42–66, 7th) opened a 13-game road trip on Tuesday, August 31st. The first half of the road trip was spent in Norfolk, VA with the Knights and the Norfolk Tides (43–64, 6th) facing off in a seven-game series from Harbor Park. The Knights won four of three games in the series to improve to 17–13 this season against the Tides.
SERIES KNOTES: The Knights will open a six-game, five-day series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (61–47, 3rd) from Jacksonville, FL. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and will not play on Sunday (due to the New Orleans Saints hosting a game in Jacksonville).
KNIGHTS VS. JUMBO SHRIMP: The Knights and Jumbo Shrimp have met 24 times this season with a 12–12 overall record. This year in Jacksonville, the Knights are 7–5 against the Jumbo Shrimp. The Knights split the last series in Jacksonville, 3–3 (8/10–8/15).
ABOUT THE LAST KNIGHTS GAME: The Charlotte Knights dropped the finale of the seven-game series against the Norfolk Tides by a score of 5–4 from Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA on Sunday night. Charlotte RHP Lane Ramsey (0–4, 5.71) walked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Tides the walk-off win. Pinch-runner Ryan Ripken scored the game-winning run when Richie Martin drew the walk. The Tides drew four walks in the inning without recording an out.
LAMBERT PROMOTED: RHP Jimmy Lambert was recalled by the Chicago White Sox yesterday and will start tonight’s game for the Sox. In 18 games started with the Knights this year, Lambert is 3–3 with a 4.98 ERA over 59.2 innings pitched. The 26-year-old currently leads the Knights in games started, is second in wins, fourth in innings pitched and third in strikeouts (78). He is 0–1 with a 9.00 ERA in three games (two starts) this season with the White Sox (8.0 IP). He entered the 2021 season ranked as the number 13 prospect in Chicago’s system by Baseball America.
ENGEL BEGINS REHAB STINT: Chicago White Sox OF Adam Engel will begin a Major League Baseball Rehab Assignment with Charlotte Knights tonight. Engel, 29, was placed on Chicago’s 10-day Injured List with left shoulder inflammation on August 16, 2021. This season with the White Sox, the Cincinnati, OH native is hitting .248 (26-for-105) with 19 runs scored, six doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 33 games. This is his second rehab stint of the 2021 season with the Knights. Earlier this year, he hit .286 (8-for-28) with four runs scored, two doubles, one home run, three RBIs and four stolen bases in seven games with Charlotte.
McCARTHY SIGNED: RHP Kevin McCarthy was signed by Chicago White Sox and assigned to the Charlotte Knights today. McCarthy, 29, has appeared in 28 games this season (two starts) with the Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox). The Rockville Centre, NY native posted a 1–2 record with one save and a 7.13 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched. He was released by Boston on August 22. McCarthy was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Marist College. In parts of five seasons at the major league level — all with the Royals — McCarthy owns an 11–6 record with one save and a 3.80 ERA in 169 games (191.2 IP). He appeared in 65 games with the Royals in 2018 and went 5–4 with a 3.25 ERA (72.0 IP).
HOME RUN KNIGHTS: Three Charlotte batters homered in Sunday’s game to lead the offense in the finale. OF Micker Adolfo hit a solo home run in the second inning, his fifth of the season with the Knights and 21st overall in 2021 (he hit 16 with Double-A Birmingham earlier this year). INF Jake Burger launched his 16th home run of the year with the Knights in the top of the fourth inning. One inning later, INF Matt Reynolds hit his fifth of the season.
TOKNIGHTS STARTER: LHP Kyle Kubat (2–0, 4.26) gets the ball in game onen of the series tonight, his second start of the season with the Knights. Kubat has appeared in 18 games out of Charlotte’s bullpen this season and has 34 strikeouts over 35.0 innings pitched. Kubat has also appeared in three games this season with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, going 1–0 with a 2.25 ERA (8.0 IP).
FROM THE SOUTH TO THE SOUTHSIDE: In all, the Knights have now sent 15 different players to the Chicago White Sox this year. Those players in order are: INF Danny Mendick (May 4, August 12, August 15 & August 31), RHP Alex McRae (May 14), RHP Ryan Burr (May 27, August 16 & September 4), RHP Zack Burdi (May 29 & June 17 ), RHP Jimmy Lambert (May 31, June 27, August 1 & September 6), 1B/OF Gavin Sheets (June 3, June 29 & September 1), OF Brian Goodwin (June 10), OF Luis González (June 22), LHP Jace Fry (June 30), INF Jake Burger (July 2), C Seby Zavala (July 6), RHP Reynaldo López (July 16), RHP Matt Foster (July 19, August 3, August 11 & September 1), RHP Mike Wright (August 16) and INF Romy González (September 1).
