White Sox Minor League Update: May 8, 2025
A near no-no for Birmingham, nail-biter loss in Winston-Salem, and first ACL Win in Glendale
Charlotte Knights, Memphis Redbirds (Postponed)
Columbus Clingstones 2, Birmingham Barons 0
The Barons and Clingstones were locked in a classic pitchers' duel throughout most of the contest. Starting for the Barons, Jake Palisch was nothing short of masterful. The righthander, signed as a free agent out of Texas A&M by the Sox in 2022 and making his first start of the year, carved through the Clingstones' lineup with surgical precision. Through five flawless frames, not a single Columbus batter could find purchase against the 26-year-old.
Palisch passed the baton to Jordan Mikel in the bottom of the sixth, where he continued the stellar performance, retiring the side in order. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the seventh, Cal Conley laced a clean single, ending the bid for perfection. In that same frame, Mikel surrendered two runs on three hits. The Clingstones had finally cracked through the Barons' formidable pitching, taking a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, despite peppering the Columbus hurlers with seven singles throughout the night, the Barons' offense simply couldn't string them together to manufacture any runs. The squad drops below .500 with a 14-15 record.
Wilfred Veras got the #Barons in the hit column tonight. They have 4 hits, all singles. pic.twitter.com/MrIzGWkG1c
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) May 9, 2025
Bowling Green Hot Rods 3, Winston-Salem Dash 2
A two-hour rain delay and early offensive struggles for the home team equaled a tough night for the Dash (11-19).
Winston-Salem starter Seth Keener found himself in trouble once the skies cleared and play finally commenced. The righthander was hit in the top of the first inning, surrendering a two-run blast that quickly put Bowling Green ahead. Keener's woes continued into the top of the fourth. A costly two-out walk came full circle to haunt him as the runner advanced on a stolen base, moved up on a wild pitch, and eventually crossed the plate on a subsequent double, extending the Hot Rods' lead to 3-0.
The 23-year-old, who showed promise in Kannapolis earlier in 2024, has found the High-A level a challenging adjustment since his promotion to Winston-Salem in August of last season. With this outing, Keener's difficulties are reflected in his 0-5 record and 12.91 ERA overall in High-A.
The Dash offense managed to break onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. Samuel Zavala sparked the rally with a double and was promptly driven in by another two-bagger from Sam Antonacci, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Winston-Salem continued to chip away, adding another run in the home half of the sixth. Braden Montgomery, who has been a consistent bright spot for anguished White Sox fans, delivered yet again with a double. Arxy Hernández followed with a double of his own, plating Montgomery and bringing the Dash to within one run at 3-2. But they just couldn't muster the tying run and ultimately dropped the closely contested battle.
We got the Monty Fever here! @B_mont_
— Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) May 9, 2025
Sound Up pic.twitter.com/g12BuwqL0j
Carolina Mudcats 0, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1 (Suspended, Bottom of 2nd)
ACL White Sox 4, ACL Royals 3 (7 innings)
French native Mathias LaCombe took the mound for his second start with the Sox (1-2), offering a much-improved performance and helping them secure their first ACL win. Selected by Chicago in the 12th round (No. 359 overall) of the 2023 draft, the righthander had been sidelined by injury issues before making his professional debut in the ACL. After a rocky first appearance last week, where he surrendered four runs in just 2 1/3 innings, LaCombe was notably sharper this time around. Over three frames, he allowed only one run on one hit while striking out seven.
The Sox offense broke through with a three-run outburst in the fourth inning, and if you're hoping that Colson Montgomery was a part of that, I'm sorry to disappoint you. After Colson popped out, Adrian Gil ignited the charge with a sharp single, followed by Bryce Willits, who laced a triple. Marcelo Ácala then delivered the big blow, launching a two-run oppo taco to center, staking the Sox to a 3-0 lead. The 19-year-old Gil is lighting up the ACL, boasting a .308 batting average and 1.361 OPS.
Montgomery did come through in the fifth, however, as Chicago's former No. 1 prospect delivered what would ultimately be the difference-maker. He stroked an RBI single that plated Grant Magill, extending the Sox's lead to 4-1.
Since arriving in Arizona, Montgomery has had two hits, two RBI, and a walk in 11 at-bats.