Surprise, surprise, as the Barons come up victorious yet again, but terrible pitching unravels the Knights
Rochester Red Wings 12, Charlotte Knights 7 (Statcast box)
The Knights (51-56) were undone by another poor showing from their pitching staff as the Red Wings hammered Charlotte’s hurlers for 12 runs on 13 hits. The offense got going early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a Tim Elko double and a sacrifice fly from Korey Lee, which plated Vinny Capra, who had worked a walk. After briefly falling behind, the Knights clawed their way back to knot things up 3-3 in the fourth, with a two-bagger from Vinny Capra and a base hit by Will Robertson.
Bryan Ramos launched a solo jack in the fifth to tie it again at 4-4, and the Knights would continue to chip away late, scoring three runs between the seventh and eighth innings, but it wasn’t enough as they left 15 runners on in the contest. Dru Baker had a nice day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Capra reached base four times.
Charlotte’s pitching staff’s performance can be honestly described as nightmarish, as they surrendered a steady stream of runs throughout the game. The starter was rocked for two bombs and three runs in the second inning before being pulled. The bullpen was also unable to hold it together. A five-run sixth inning, highlighted by a three-run dinger, proved to be a killer. Seven different pitchers took the mound, but only two of them, Cam Booser and Caleb Freeman, escaped without allowing at least one tally. The hurlers also issued nine free passes and proved unable to back up an offense that showed more than enough fight by scoring seven times and generating 14 hits.
Birmingham Barons 3, Rocket City Trash Pandas 1
After surrendering up a solo jack in the fourth, the Barons’ (62-40) bats came alive in the top of the sixth. A string of back-to-back-to-back singles from Calvin Harris, Matt Hogan, and William Bergolla tied the game, with Bergolla’s bunt causing a throwing error that advanced the runners. Ryan Galanie then delivered the decisive blow with a two-run two-bagger, putting the Barons up 3-1.
Southpaw Shane Murphy kept the game close, bouncing back after the fourth-inning dinger and earning his eighth win of the season. The 24-year-old has tossed five or more frames in 15 of his 16 starts and has a Southern League-leading 1.64 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. The bullpen of Jordan Mikel, Tyler Davis, and Zach Franklin combined to shut down the Trash Pandas offense for the remainder of the game, holding them scoreless from the sixth inning on. The trio of relievers limited Rocket City to just one hit, with no walks and 4 Ks.
Greenville Drive 4, Winston-Salem Dash 2
The Dash (39-61) were unable to capitalize on an early 1-0 lead, falling to the Drive. Winston-Salem started strong, getting on the board in the first inning when Jeral Perez singled to score Jacob Burke, who had walked and stolen both second and third base. Wes Kath doubled in the third and later scored on a Drake Logan single, but the offense stalled after that. The Dash struggled to string together any hits and generate scoring opportunities as the Drive quelled the W-S bats.
On the mound, starter Jake Bockenstedt ran into trouble in the third inning after two quick frames to start the ballgame. After a sacrifice fly tied things up at one apiece, the Drive belted a triple and a single to plate three more runs, giving them a lead they would not relinquish. The Dash bullpen performed admirably for the rest of the game, keeping the Drive offense in check and giving the Dash a chance to rally. However, the offense was unable to get anything going against the Greenville pitching staff as they were held to just four hits in the contest.
Kannapolis 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
The Ballers’ (49-53) offense exploded in the middle innings, overcoming an early deficit to secure a three-game weekend sweep over the Shorebirds. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Kanny responded in the bottom of the frame. A double by Arxy Hernández and a base hit by Nathan Archer tied the contest, before a line drive from Miguel Santos put the home team in the lead. Jordan Sprinkle capped off the rally with a ground out that plated another run. They never looked back, adding insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings with key hits from Hernandez, Ronny Hernandez, and a sacrifice fly from Caleb Bonemer.
The CBs’ pitching staff held strong to preserve the lead. Grant Umberger battled through five innings, yielding the Shorebirds’ only run, before turning the game over to the arm barn. Hale Sims and Pierce George were particularly effective, shutting down Delmarva’s hitters in the sixth, seventh, and eighth frames. Though the Shorebirds scraped together two runs off Jake Curtis in the ninth, the Ballers held for the win.