Justin Sinibaldi gets the job done for Kannapolis, as did Tanner McDougal and Tyler Schweitzer in Birmingham
Durham Bulls 7, Charlotte Knights 5 (Statcast Box)
The Knights, lingering around .500 all season after an initial opening burst that saw the club hit the season in first place, may be back to their old ways: Charlotte’s fall-from-ahead loss dropped them to 47-46. The playoffs seem far, far off, but the notion of the Knights as a .500 team is novel enough to celebrate the achievement with champagne.
Apparently Brooks Baldwin has been optioned to Triple-A again? Or on an official rehab assignment from the White Sox? Who’s to say, as the Sox Transactions pace is still on its All-Star break. Anyway, Baldwin homered as part of a three-homer, two-triple assault in the first three innings of the game, accounting for all five runs from the offense.
DEATH TAXES AND A BROOKS BALDWIN HR!!! pic.twitter.com/sy2yA8Je5R
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 18, 2025
Corey Julks leaves the yard in a hurry! pic.twitter.com/IP6k9r7kOV
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 18, 2025
Andre Lipcius isn’t messing around either! pic.twitter.com/A1Z5UEjErx
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 18, 2025
Sadly, the bats went back on an All-Star break from there, and piggybacking starters Bryse Wilson (3 IP, 2 ER) and Evan McKendry (3 IP, 4 ER) squandered the bounty.
Birmingham Barons 2, Knoxville Smokies 0
Not really certain what was going on with the pitching on Friday in Birmingham. Well, straight off, the pitching was awesome … a shutout, right? But org arm/wunderkind Tanner McDougal threw just 28 pitches/three innings before Tyler Schweitzer came in for the next three innings, and to vulture the win. I suppose it’s just a way to get both pitchers some reps given the break this week. Given the utter lack of scoring and traffic on the paths, Bham’s offense was efficient — and you don’t have to be good when your arms squelch the opponent to six hits and a walk. The Barons improved to 50-38.
Greensboro Grasshoppers 6, Winston-Salem Dash 2
There’s really not a lot to say about the 32-54 Dash, aside from them being a horrible MiLB team and yet still not as bad as the parent White Sox. Like we saw with Sam Antonacci making a mediocre Double-A debut tonight, Winston-Salem trotted out several new Kanny players now wearing the W-S, including Lyle Miller-Green, T.J. McCants and Jarold Rosario.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1, Columbia Fireflies 0
Justin Sinibaldi has had a ROUGH 2025, but he got things off to a great start for Kanny, pitching a six-inning gem. Meanwhile, Ronny Hernandez went from losing his bat grip and sending the ash flying up the first-base line to clocking the only run of the game over the wall on the next pitch, so Sinibaldi might have some competition for MVP.
The Fireflies PBP has some fun with Ronny Hernandez in the T9 after he does a hammer throw. #Ballers would have the last laugh. (This is called foreshadowing.) pic.twitter.com/I479v58RX9
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) July 19, 2025
Ronny Hernandez just needed a little pine tar to launch his 3rd HR of the year on the next pitch. The nuke breaks a scoreless tie in the 9th inning giving the #Ballers a 1-0 lead, your final. pic.twitter.com/vC2x6e2ag6
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) July 19, 2025
The CBs improved to 41-47 despite having just two hits over nine innings.
ACL Cubs 4, ACL White Sox 2
There is not much time left in the ACL season, but there may still be games left for the White Sox to collapse out of playoff contention. A loss to the pathetic, 17-37 Cubs dropped the Complex Sox to 30-26, second in the ACL West. You might be our only hope, ACL Sox, don’t blow it. While we can lay this one at the hands of a gassed offense that mustered just four hits and none clutch, on the flip side Jordany Chirinos is the reliever responsible for kicking this ball game away.