Brad Penny’s mission this spring has been to
reinvent himself as a sinkerball pitcher.
His two-seam fastball has always had solid
downward action, but until the last couple of years, the 36-year-old two-time
All Star preferred to blow Major League hitters away with his plus fastball.
On Tuesday, the 6-foot-4-inch 235-pound
righthander – who now rarely tops 91 miles-per hour on the radar gun – found
out how futile things can feel when the sinker isn’t…well…sinking the way he'd like it to.
The Durham Bulls knocked the Knights’ elder
statesman around to the tune of six runs on 11 hits over three and 2/3 innings
of work on their way to a 12-8 win over Charlotte in front of 6,710 at BB&T
Ballpark, earning a split in their short two-game series in the process.
Penny took the ball on Opening Day for the
Knights (3-3) and showed what he can do when his two-seam fastball is working,
recording 12 groundball outs and just one fly out in a win over the Norfolk
Tides. But his performance on Tuesday was a reminder that his transformation is
still a work in progress.
After recording five of the game’s first six
outs via the ground, Penny’s sinker flattened out and Durham capitalized,
smacking five-straight hits to begin a four-run third inning that cut the
Knights’ lead to 5-4. Penny (1-1) then went back out for the fourth inning, but
was sent to the showers early after allowing two more hits and another run.
Things didn’t get much prettier from a
pitching standpoint for the Knights (3-3) after Penny’s exit when Arcenio Leon
allowed a one-out grand slam to Durham’s Corey Brown (2 for 5, 5 RBI) in the 6th
inning to give the Bulls (3-3) a 10-5 lead.
The Bulls finished the night with at least a
hit in every inning except the ninth.
The Knights, who entered the night leading the
International League with a collective .283 team batting average, turned in
another solid showing from the plate, knocking reigning IL Pitcher of the Week
Dylan Floro around for four runs in the first inning and one more in the second.
First baseman Neftali Soto, who finished 3 for
4 with three runs knocked in and two scored, led the Charlotte offensive attack
on Tuesday, but the rough start by Penny and the big blow by Brown were just
too much for the Knights to overcome.
Quote
“What worked so well last week was that I was
setting up way off (the plate) and (Penny) was starting it off out over the plate and (the
ball) was finishing down and in. Tonight was just one of those games where it
was a constant battle for him to get the feel of the sinker and his off-speed
stuff and it was unfortunate how it turned out.” – Knights’ catcher Kevan Smith.
Worth mentioning
The two teams combined for 31 hits and 20 runs
on Tuesday after combining for just 14 hits and three runs in a Knights’ 3-0
win on Monday. … Both Trayce Thompson (six games) and Tyler Saladino (five
games) extended their current hitting streaks. … Matt Davidson finished the
night 2 for 4 with a double and the defensive play of the game at third base.
The Knights third baseman was charged with his first error of the season in the
eighth inning when he failed to handle a tricky hop. Davidson had successfully
converted his first 22 attempts this season. … Veteran reliever Matt Lindstrom allowed
two runs on a walk and a home run in an inning of work. The former White Sox
closer has now allowed seven runs in 2 and 2/3 innings of work over three
appearances.
What's next?
The Knights will now pack up and head to
Coolray Field to take on Gwinnett on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Chris Beck (0-0, 5.79) will
take the mound across from LHP Manny Baneulos (0-0, 2.45). White Sox top prospect Carlos Rodon is slated to toss for
the Knights in Gwinnett on Thursday.
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