White Sox Minor League Update (April 3, 2025): Bobby Dalbec blasts a three-run shot in Charlotte’s 6-3 loss to the Tides

The Knights fumbled a two-run lead as the bullpen imploded, and the offense couldn’t pick up the slack

Charlotte Knights 6, Norfolk Tides 3 (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
Ahead of Thursday’s game, the Knights announced a few roster moves, including reactivating LHRP Tyler Gilbert, moving RHRP Eric Adler up to Charlotte, and moving OF Oscar Colás down to Double-A Birmingham — a somewhat surprising, yet also not surprising move. Not great news for Colás, but maybe he can get it together with the Barons.

Dominic Fletcher also got his first start back with the Knights, after he was DFAd last week and made it through waivers. He’d go 0-for-4 with a K in tonight’s game.

The Knights ended up losing their second game in a row, falling 6-3 against the Norfolk Tides, putting Charlotte down 2-1 in the series. The Knights were ahead for a solid chunk of the game, but the bullpen wasn’t able to maintain the lead, and the offense was pretty much nowhere to be found.

Chris Rodriguez was out for his second start for the Knights, and he had a decent outing, giving up just two hits — one being a home run in the second, his only run given up. Rodriguez also struck out three while walking two, and now sits at a 1.50 ERA over six innings. Even when he did have runners on base, Kyle Teel was backing him up, catching not one, but two Norfolk baserunners stealing in the second and third innings.

Charlotte answered back in a big way in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of free baserunners after Tristan Gray walked and Andre Lipcius was hit by a pitch. Bobby Dalbec capitalized by launching a three-run shot to center — his first of the season — to put the Knights ahead, 3-1. Dalbec’s dinger was also the hardest hit ball of the game, leaving the bat at 105.4 mph.

Both offenses seemed to take a nap for a few innings, as neither team was able to string together any hits.

Gilbert came in for Rodriguez in the fourth, and was excellent for his two innings, striking out four and not allowing a single baserunner. Unfortunately, Garrett Schoenle was not on his A-game on Thursday, as he entered the game in the sixth and despite beginning the inning with a strikeout, he promptly walked a batter and gave up a two-run home run to tie the game at three.

In the seventh, Schoenle went two-up, two-down, but Corey Julks made an error in left that allowed the Tides to put a runner in scoring position. The very next batter followed that up with a single to score Norfolk’s fourth run and retake the lead, 4-3.

The bullpen struggles did not stop there, either. Adisyn Coffey came in to relieve for Schoenle in the top of the seventh with two outs, and he was able to get out of the inning, no problem. The same did not ring true in the eighth, as Coffey gave up a single and a two-run bomb to add two additional insurance runs for the Tides, 6-3. Eric Adler was able to work through the ninth inning without any harm being done, giving up just one hit, but the damage was done and the Knights weren’t able to rally back.

Charlotte definitely had their chances to attempt a come back, as Kyle Teel led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to left, but Edgar Quero, Gray, and Lipcius all went down in order after that to end the inning. The Knights went 1-for-10 with RISP, and left six on base as a team — they had the opportunities, but weren’t able to capitalize outside of the Dalbec homer.

Among the remaining unnamed blue chip prospects, Colson Montgomery, mired in a horrendous slump, got the night off.

The Knights still have three more games left in the series to redeem themselves at home. They are also hosting a Negro League tribute night on Saturday — wearing the Charlotte Black Hornets uniforms as a tribute to the local Negro League team that played in Charlotte in the early-to-mid 1900s.

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