White Sox Minor League Update: May 12, 2024

Happy Mother’s Day! It’s a split day, complete with walk-offs (both good and bad) and a shutout in Kannapolis

Gwinnett Stripers 6, Charlotte Knights 4 (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
The Knights played a fantastic game — until the eighth inning. Jake Woodford pitched for seven scoreless, allowing just three hits while striking out eight Stripers. Oscar Colás mashed a solo home run in the first inning, and Wilmer Difo ripped a line-dive, two-run base hit in the fourth to increase the lead to three. The Knights then added yet another insurance run on a wild pitch, leaving them with a four-run leading going into the eighth.

In true White Sox fashion, Charlotte blew a four-run lead in the last two innings. Touki Toussaint gave up one in the eighth, but a three-run lead somehow wasn’t enough for the Knights to hold out for the win.

Prelander Berroa has not had a good year at all, and today was certainly not any better. He gave up four runs, just enough for the Stripers to tie the game at four in the bottom of the ninth — his ERA has now ballooned to 10.34. Juan Then came in to attempt to stop the bleeding, but instead gave up the walk-off home run, and that was it. Absolutely brutal way to go out after a Woodford gem, but so it goes.

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Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6, Birmingham Barons 4 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
The Barons followed in the Knights footsteps when they probably shouldn’t have, also losing 6-4 — though the defeat was more disappointing than heartbreaking. The first inning was very chaotic, with both teams beginning the game with a walk. Terrell Tatum and Brooks Baldwin manufactured two quick runs in the top of the inning, both getting on base and promptly stealing second to get into scoring position. Edgar Quero then took advantage of the situation and drove in the first two runs to give the Barons an early lead.

Drew Thorpe had a rough start, however, giving up back-to-back walks to the Blue Wahoos, and subsequently allowing three runs to cross the plate after three consecutive singles.

Michael Turner was looking solid behind the plate, though.

Garrett Schoenle came in for three solid — and more importantly, scoreless — innings, walking two and striking out four, and the Barons were able to tie the game and jump right back into it.

Jake Palisch came in to relieve in the bottom of the fourth, and the Barons seemed to fall apart. Three more runs scored — just two earned — but Birmingham was never able to recover, only scoring once more in the ninth.

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Winston-Salem Dash 5, Asheville Tourists 4 (10 innings) (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
The Dash pulled out the extra-inning win thanks to big offense from Calvin Harris and another strong, seven-inning outing from Riley Gowens. Harris ripped a two-run bomb in the first inning to give Gowens the early run support:

Mario Camilletti popped his own solo shot in the fifth to push Winston-Salem to a 3-1 lead!

Gowens gave up just three hits, two runs and one walk, while mowing down 10 Asheville batters. He was able to push deep into the game due to ruthless efficiency, taking just 93 pitches to get through seven frames.

The bullpen, sadly, did not follow suit: Johnny Ray blew the save by allowing a home run in the top of the eighth to make it 3-3.

Manuel Veloz actually wound up with a blown save and the win, giving up the tying run to the Tourists in the top of the ninth, but then getting bailed out by Harris in the 10th as the Dash walked it off:

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Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 0 (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
The Cannon Ballers played an all-around clean and efficient baseball game on Sunday afternoon, giving the Moms a shutout on Mother’s Day! The pitching was lights-out from top to bottom, with Jake Bockenstedt starting the show with six scoreless innings and giving up only two hits and a walk, while striking out six.

Billy Seidl, Luke Bell, and Frankeli Arias all finished out the game with three shutout innings, giving up two hits, walking one, and striking out three between them.

Thankfully the offense was ready to support its pitchers Sunday afternoon, as Luis Pineda homered and doubled in the second and third innings to account for the first two Kannapolis runs. The fifth inning turned out to be Hernández Hour, as Ronny and Arxy singled and tripled, driving in the third and fourth runs.

The final tally would come home in the sixth on a Caden Connor double, and the Shorebirds remained silent the rest of the game.

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