Final: Buffalo Bisons 6, Charlotte Knights 5

Final: Knights 5, Bisons 6 -- Charlotte loaded the bases with two outs, bringing Carlos Sanchez to the plate for one last chance at the cycle, but he filed to right to end the game. Matt Davidson got the inning started with his third hit of the afternoon.

End of 8th: Knights 5, Bisons 6 -- For the second consecutive day Jared Goedert has given the Bisons a late lead with a home run. This time he took Javy Guerra deep. On Sunday, the Bisons 3B hit two long balls off Tommy Hanson, including a game-deciding three-run shot in the sixth. The HR was the first allowed this season by Guerra.

Infante has completely quieted the Knights in his two innings of work. Six up and six down. Carlos Sanchez is due up sixth next inning, so it's going to take some heroics from the Knights to give him another shot at the cycle.

End of 7th: Knights 5, Bisons 4 -- Javy Guerra tossed a clean seventh. Carlos Sanchez came up against Gregory Infante with two outs and laced a ball just foul down the right field line before eventually striking out on a 96 mph fastball up and away. Sanchez, who needs a HR for the cycle, has not hit one since May 4th, 2012.

Shawn Hill's line: 6 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K -- 88 pitches (54 strikes).

End of 6th: Knights 5, Bisons 4 -- Johnson finished his afternoon on a high note by retiring the final seven batters he faced. Javy Guerra looks to be coming on to pitch the 7th.

Erik Johnson's line: 6 IP 9 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 7 K's -- 100 pitches (57 strikes).

Matt Davidson led off with a double to left center, his second hit of the game, but was thrown out trying to steal third. Replays show that the umpire missed the call. Following a walk to Dan Black, Alex Liddi bounced into a double play to end the inning.

End of 5th: Knights 5, Bisons 4 -- Erik Johnson struck out the side to post his second one-two-three inning. Charlotte then took its first lead of the game after Carlos Sanchez tripled to lead off the inning and came in to score on a double-play ball off the bat of Josh Phegley.

Sanchez so far today: Single, double, triple -- in that order. He has three home runs in his Minor League career and none since 2012.

End of 4th: Knights 4, Bisons 4 --  Darin Mastroianni singled with one out. Johnson then got Anthony Gose to pop to center. With Kevin Pillar at the plate, Mastroianni stole second but Pillar was called for interference when his followthrough caught Phegley in the back, ending the inning.

Liddi, Mitchell and Tekotte went down in order.

End of 3rd: Knights 4, Bisons 4 -- Kevin Pillar led off the top of the third with a double and came in to score on a single off the bat of Ryan Goins.

Just like they did in the second inning, the Knights used the long ball to get back in the game. This time Jordan Danks did the honors, sending one out to the left center bleachers. Carlos Sanches (2-for-2) had doubled to get the inning started.

End of 2nd: Knights 2, Bisons 3 -- Dan Johnson began the inning with a home run to right that is easily the furthest ever hit at BB&T BallPark. It left the stadium and landed somewhere on Mint Street. Probably surprised a driver or two on their way to lunch.

A two-run home run by Alex Liddi, his third of the season, got the Knights right back in it against Buffalo starter Shawn Hill.

End of 1st: Knights 0, Bisons 0 -- Erik Johnson tossed a one-two-three first inning. He was helped out by 1B Andy Wilkins, who made a diving stop to save extra bases.

In the bottom half, Carlos Sanchez singled with one out and stole second with Jordan Danks at the plate, but never advanced any further.

Pregame: 

Knights (13-23)

Blake Tekotte RF

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Jordan Danks CF

Josh Phegley C

Andy Wilkins DH

Matt Davidson 3B

Dan Black DH

Alex Liddi SS

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: RHP Erik Johnson (0-0, 1.38)

Bisons (20-14)

Darin Mastroianni CF

Anthony Gose RF

Kevin Pillar LF

Dan Johnson DH

Matt Tuiasosopo 1B

Jared Goedert 3B

Ryan Goins 2B

Jack Murphy C

Munenori Kawasaki SS

Pitching: RHP Liam Hendricks (4-0, 1.01)

Game time: 12:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Stat of the Day: Knights catcher Josh Phegley has three home runs this home stand. Before returning to BB&T, he hadn't hit any this season.

Notes: Knights LHP Charlie Leesman was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week today following an eight-inning nine-strikeout performance against Buffalo on Friday. He allowed juts four hits and picked up his first win of the season, while lowering his ERA to 1.70. 

Joel Skinner tossed; Tommy Hanson saddled with 8-4 loss to Buffalo

Jared Goedert’s second home run of the game gave the Bisons the lead for good off Tommy Hanson and the Knights on Sunday afternoon, as Charlotte dropped game three of its four-game series with Buffalo, 8-4, in front of a sold out crowd of 10,203 at BB&T BallPark.

Goedert’s three-run shot – which was originally ruled a double by the umpires, before being overturned – came on a 2-2 curveball and gave Buffalo a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning.

“I didn’t throw a lot of (curveballs) today, so I thought I would get (Goedert) with that,” said Hanson, who went six innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and a strikeout over the course of 101 pitches. “I didn’t want to throw him a ball and go 3-2 there. I thought I made a pretty good pitch and it wound up going out – barely.

“If I could go back, I don’t even know if I would make better pitches,” he continued. “I just think that he got me. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your hat to a guy. He swung the bat well today.”

The home run also marked the end of the afternoon for Knights manager Joel Skinner, who was thrown out for arguing the change in call.

“(After seeing a replay), it looked like it hit right off the base of the railing above the wall in left,” said Skinner, who was sent to the showers early for the second time this season. “From what I heard on the television, they probably got it right. But still, you’re fighting for your guys and sometimes that happens.”

Hanson allowed single runs in both the first and second innings before settling down until the sixth. In the meantime, his teammates were able to put up a three spot in the third inning off Buffalo starter Liam Hendricks (5-0).

Blake Tekotte led off with a double to left and came around to score on a single by Alex Liddi. The Knights then loaded the bases for Jordan Danks, who blooped a single to left.

On the play, Jared Mitchell had to hold up to make sure the ball fell in before advancing home. Bisons left fielder, Kevin Pillar, came up throwing to home, but the ball got away and allowed Gorkys Hernandez to scamper home as well. 

The hit was the first on two on the afternoon for Jordan Danks, who was reassigned to Charlotte on May 9^th, after hitting .098 in 21 games with the Chicago White Sox.

“I’m getting there,” said Danks, who is hitting .364 (4-for-11) since his return. “That’s the best I can do for right now. The confidence is still there. Obviously, when you’re squeezing out hits and grinding out at bats and they’re falling in there every now and then, that’s good, but I’d like to find the barrel (more).”

Andy Wilkins connected on his team-leading seventh home run of the season in the sixth inning off Hendricks before three Buffalo relievers combined on three scoreless innings to close out the win -- the team’s second straight against Charlotte. The loss dropped Hanson to 2-3 on the season and elevated his ERA to 3.55.

Buffalo finished the afternoon with four home runs, with the final two coming off Charlotte reliever David Purcey, who allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings of work.

“(Hanson’s) an experienced big leaguer and he’s fun to watch,” said Danks. ‘Even when guys like that don’t have their best stuff, they’re going to give you a good game and he stayed in there for six innings. He battled and we just didn’t give him the run support for him today.”

The Knights will conclude their four-game series with the Bisons on Monday. Erik Johnson (0-0, 1.38) will get the 12:05 p.m. start, while Buffalo will hand the ball to Shawn Hill (0-1, 7.50). 

Final: Buffalo Bisons 8, Charlotte Knights 4

Final: Knights 4, Bisons 8 -- After Veal tossed a scoreless top half, Bobby Korecky came on for the Herd and retired the Knights in order. 

End of 8th: Knights 4, Bisons 8 -- David Purcey's ERA climbed from 3.50 to 4.58  after he couldn't make it out of the eighth.

Former Knight Dan Johnson led off the inning with a home run to right. Matt Tuiasosopo then doubled and stole third with Purcey not paying enough attention before coming home on a Ryan Goins sacrifice fly. After allowing a single to Mike Nickeas, Purcey was removed from the game by assistant coach Ryan Newman.

Donny Veal came in and got Jonathan Diaz to fly to center.

In the bottom half Jordan Danks recached on an infield single off Neil Wager (who replaced Tepera), advanced to second on a fielder's choice and was still there when Hector Gimenez flied to center to end the inning.

End of 7th: Knights 4, Bisons 6 -- LHP David Purcey began the inning in relief of Tommy Hanson and allowed an opposite field home run to Anthony Gose.  

Tommy Hanson's line: 6 IP, 5 R (3 ER), 2 BB, K, 2 HR — 101 pitches (62 strikes). Worked between 87-89 with his fastball.

RHP Ryan Tepera replaced Liam Hendricks and allowed a leadoff double to Alex Liddi, but recovered to strikeout Jared Mitchell looking, got Gorky Hernandez to groundout and K Tyler Saladino. Missed opportunity for the Knights. 

Liam Hendrick's line: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K -- 84 pitches (56 strikes). 

End of 6th: Knights 4, Bisons 5 -- With one out, Dan Johnson doubled to right, Tuiasosopo walked, and Goedert connected on his second home run of the afternoon and third of the season. The home run was originally ruled a double by the left field umpire. When the call was reversed Charlotte manager Joel Skinner was ejected. 

The early trip to the showers was Skinner's second this season. He was also tossed on April 10th in Durham. 

Andy Wilkins led off the bottom half of the frame with his team-leading seventh home run of the season to cut the Buffalo lead to one. 

End of 5th: Knights 3, Bisons 2 -- After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Hanson walked Darin Mastroianni. The Herds CF then stole second, but was stranded there when Hanson picked up his first strikeout of the game against Anthony Gose.

With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Tyler Saladino reached on a throwing error by Buffalo 3B Jared Goedert and then stole second before Jordan Danks flied to left to end the inning.

End of 4th: Knights 3, Bisons 2 -- Hanson was able to work around a leadoff walk to retire the next three Herd batters in order. 

The Knights went one-two-three. 

End of 3rd: Knights 3, Bisons 2 -- Hanson retired Buffalo in order and was aided by Matt Davidson, who laid out to rob a potential line-drive single off the bat of Kevin Pillar. 

Blake Tekotte led off the inning with a double to left and came around to score on a single by Alex Liddi. The RBI was Liddi's fifth of the season. The Knights then loaded the bases for Jordan Danks, who blooped a single to left. 

On the play, Jared Mitchell had to hold up to make sure the ball fell in before advancing home. The Bisons left fielder came up throwing to home, but his throw got away and allowed Gorky Hernandez to scamper home as well. 

End of 2nd: Knights 0, Bisons 2 -- With one out, Jared Goedert connected on his second home run of the season to give Buffalo a two-run lead.

Andy Wilkins grounded out. Matt Davidson became Liam Hendrick's first strikeout victim of the day and Hector Gimenez flied to left.

End of 1st: Knights 0, Bisons 1 -- Tommy Hanson allowed a one-out single to Anthony Gose, who then stole second and took third on a throwing error by Charlotte catcher Hector Gimenez. Gose eventually came in to score on Kevin Pillar's sacrifice fly to center.

Gorkys Hernandez, Tyler Saladino and Jordan Danks all grounded out against Liam Hendricks.

Pregame:

Knights (13-22)

Gorkys Hernandez RF

Tyler Saladino 2B

Jordan Danks CF

Andy Wilkins DH

Matt Davidson 3B

Hector Gimenez C

Blake Tekotte DH

Alex Liddi SS

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: RHP Tommy Hanson (2-2, 3.26)

Bisons (19-14)

Darin Mastroianni CF

Anthony Gose RF

Kevin Pillar LF

Dan Johnson DH

Matt Tuiasosopo 1B

Jared Goedert 3B

Ryan Goins SS

Mike Nickeas C

Jonathan Diaz 2B

Pitching: RHP Liam Hendricks (4-0, 1.01)

Game time: 2:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730 / Spanish broadcast (They have Gregory Infante in the booth)

Stat of the Day: After a 3-for-3 performance last night, LF Jared Mitchell leads the Knights in on-base percentage at .388.  

Notes: Today marks Tommy Hanson’s first career start against Buffalo. … Josh Phegley has three home runs on the Knights current eight-game home stand. … Jared Mitchell has raised his batting average 44 points during Charlotte’s home stand (.153 to .197). .. Carlos Sanchez, who struck out four times last night, saw his on-base streak end at 25 consecutive games. He hit .322 over that stretch. … In his last starts against the Knights on May 1, Liam Hendricks allowed one run on six hits over seven innings of work. The lone Charlotte score came on a Matt Davidson home run. ... White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton is reportedly scheduled to make a rehab assignment with the Knights later this week. He's eligible to come off the DL on Sunday. 

Knights Walkup Song of the Day: Alex Liddi -- Flow Violento (Con Letra) La Formula 2012, by Arcangel

*Happy Mother's Day

Final: Buffalo Bisons 8, Charlotte Knights 3

There was no bailing out Dylan Axelrod on Saturday.

Five days after the Knights rallied from seven runs down after Axelrod lasted just one inning in a start against Lehigh Valley for a one-run win, Kyle Drabek made sure Buffalo didn’t suffer a similar fate.

The former key piece in the Philadelphia Phillies acquisition of Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue jays in 2009, went six innings, struck out seven, and allowed two runs in what ended up being an 8-2 loss for the Knights in front of a sellout crowd of 10,226 at BB&T BallPark.   

The win for Drabek – who has now twice battled back from Tommy John Surgery  – evened the four-game series at one game apiece and snapped a four-game skid for the Bisons (19-14). 

On Saturday, Axelrod lasted four innings and allowed four runs on five hits. The right-hander uncharacteristically struggled with his command for the second game in a row, walking five, while striking out just two. 

Axelrod (1-4, 6.47) had a Jekyll and Hyde type of outing, allowing two runs to Buffalo in the first inning, before sending them down in order in the second.

Phegley (2-for-4) did what he could to keep his pitcher in the game when he connected on his third home run of the Knights' current eight-game home stand to tie the game at 2-2 in the first.

In the third, Axelrod’s control issues returned. After walking the leadoff man for the second time in three innings, he allowed a two-run home run to Kevin Pillar (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs 2 R).

There was some question over whether or not the 28-year-old would return for the fourth inning after he walked off the mound with 79 pitches at the conclusion of the third inning. However, he did, and managed to end his night with a scoreless frame.

Deunte Heath (2 IP) and Frank De Los Santos (1 IP) were each touched up for two runs in relief appearances before Taylor Thompson held Buffalo scoreless over the final two frames.

  

Playing in his second game since being reassigned to Charlotte, Jordan Danks knocked in a run with a single in the bottom of the eighth, but Ryan Rowland-Smith came on to toss a perfect ninth to end any comeback ideas.

Charlotte will send Tommy Hanson to the mound for game-three of the series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m.

Notes: On Saturday, the Chicago White Sox purchased the contract of Knights reliever and former Mets closer Frank Francisco. The 34-year-old appeared in six games (8 IP) for Charlotte and did not allow an earned run, while striking out 12. … Matt Davidson made his first appearance after missing the previous six games with a sore hand and finished the night 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Final: Knights 3, Bisons 8 -- Thompson held Buffalo scoreless in the ninth, but Ryan Rowland-Smith sent Charlotte down in order in the bottom half of the inning.

End of 8th: Knights 3, Bisons 8 -- Taylor Thompson came on in relief of De Los Santos and retired the Herd in order.

Playing in his second game since being reassigned to Charlotte, Jordan Danks knocked in Jared Mitchell (3-for-3) with a single.

End of 7th: Knights 2, Bisons 8 – Buffalo added two more runs off Frank De Los Santos after the lefty walked two and allowed two hits in the inning.

Charlotte, batting against Chad Jenkins, continued to struggle. Dan Black (2-for-3) singled with two outs, but never made it to second.

Kyle Drabek’s line:  6 IP, 5 H, 2 R (both unearned), 0 BB, 7 K – 92 pitches (61 strikes).

End of 6th: Knights 2, Bisons 6 – Heath struck out two in a scoreless inning. The Knights then went in order.

End of 5th: Knights 2, Bisons 6 – Matt Tuiasosopo sent Heath’s very first pitch into the left-centerfield bleachers. A walk followed by a fielder’s choice and a double by Kawasaki put Buffalo up four.

Saladino bounced to third. Jared Mitchell (2-for-2, 2B) then singled and was erased on a double-play ball off the bat of Gorkys Hernandez.

End of 4th: Knights 2, Bisons 4 – That’s the afternoon for Axelrod, who ended things with a scoreless inning. His line: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 2 K – 98 pitches (57). RHP Deunte Heath will pitch the fifth.

Josh Phegley led off the inning with a single, but was stranded at second. Matt Davidson is now 0-for-2 with two K’s after missing the previous six games with a sore hand.

End of 3rd: Knights 2, Bisons 4 – Axelrod’s control issues returned in the third inning. After again walking the leadoff man, he allowed a two-run home run to Kevin Pillar (now 2-for-2 with 2B, HR). Axe then retired the next two before walking the bases loaded. Munenori Kawasaki bounced to short to end the inning.

Axelrod has thrown 79 pitches (43 strikes) through three innings.

Jared Mitchell led off the bottom half with a double to the gap in right center. A Gorkys Hernandez sacrifice fly moved him to third with one out, but Drabek recovered to strike out Carlos Sanchez and Jordan Danks. Missed opportunity.

End of 2nd: Knights 2, Bisons 2 – Axelrod looked much more comfortable in the second, retiring Jim Murphy and Munenori Kawasaki on groundballs before picking up his first K of the game vs. Bisons leadoff man Anthony Gose.

Dan Black singled with one out but was doubled up when he mistakenly thought a ball off the bat of Tyler Saladino was heading for the gap in right center.

End of 1st: Knights 2, Bisons 2 – Dylan Axelrod struggled with his command in the first inning, walking two and allowing two doubles all before recording the inning’s second out. After getting Ryan Goins to bounce out to first, Ryan Schimpf hit a ball to the warning track in center to end the inning.

The Knights picked up two unearned runs on a two-out two-run home run by Josh Phegley. Gorkys Hernandez reached on an error by Buffalo 2B Munenori Kawasaki to begin the game. The home run was Phegley’s third of this home stand.

Pregame:

Knights (13-21)

Gorkys Hernandez RF

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Jordan Danks CF

Josh Phegley C

Andy Wilkins DH

Matt Davidson 3B

Dan Black 1B

Tyler Saladino SS

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: RHP Dylan Axelrod (1-3, 6.11)

Bisons (18-14)

Anthony Gose RF

Darin Mastroianni CF

Kevin Pillar LF

Dan Johnson DH

Matt Tuiasosopo 1B

Ryan Goins SS

Ryan Schimpf 3B

Jack Murphy C

Munenori Kawasaki 2B

Pitching: RHP Kyle Drabek (2-2, 4.85)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Stat of the Day: The Knights are 5-3 this season when CF Jordan Danks plays.

Notes: On Saturday, the Chicago White Sox purchased the contract of Knights reliever and former Mets closer Frank Francisco. The 34-year-old appeared in six games (8 IP) for Charlotte and did not allow an earned run, while striking out 12. … To make room on the Major League roster for Francisco, the White Sox designated RHP Maikel Cleto for assignment. … In his last start, Dylan Axelrod lasted just one inning. He allowed seven runs on seven hits to Lehigh Valley in a game the Knights eventually won 9-8. …  After tossing eight scoreless innings last night, Charlotte LHP Charlie Leesman now ranks sixth in the International League with a 1.70 ERA. … Knights’ 3B Matt Davidson is back in the lineup tonight after missing the previous six games with a sore hand. ... Charlotte 2B Carlos Sanchez saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end last night. He did, however, reach base three times in the game, extending his on-base streak to 25 games.  

Knights Walkup Song of the Day: Hector Gimenez – Vivir Mi Vida, by Marc Anthony

Final: Charlotte Knights 5, Buffalo Bisons 3

The Knights finally gave Charlie Leesman some run support on Friday night after watching the lefty go 0-2 in his first five starts despite an earned run average of just 2.18.

The southpaw rewarded his mates with eight shutout innings of work against the Buffalo Bisons in an eventual 5-3 win for Charlotte in game one of a four-game series in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,308 at BB&T BallPark.

Matched up against former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Ricky Romero, Leesman was more than up to the task, scattering four hits, while striking out a season-high nine on his way to the elusive ‘W’.

“It feels good to get that first win,” said Leesman, who lowered his ERA to 1.70. “It was a good outing. I got some great defense behind me. It’s nice to get that win on a night like tonight.”

The 27-year-old, who had received just 10 total runs of support in his previous five starts, spoke after the game about some mechanical adjustments that he’d been working on that paid dividends.

“I’ve just been trying to fine-tune some things,” he said. “I think keeping along with that, I was able to throw all of my pitches a little bit better tonight.”

Leesman’s lasted at least five innings in all six of his Triple-A starts this season, while never allowing more than three earned runs. On Friday, he threw 72 of his 108 pitches for strikes.

“I just go out trying to have fun,” he said. “I throw as many strikes as I can and try to test hitters. Sometimes you can get caught up working around guys a bit, but I’ve come to the realization that you should just try to throw your best stuff to everyone and see if they can hit it.”  

Both Josh Phegley (1-for-3) and Tyler Saladino (1-for-3) hit home runs off Romero – with Phegley’s clanking off the left field foul pole – to help end the lefty’s night after just three innings and five earned runs. 

Asked if his team had felt any kind of pressure to put up some runs for Leesman, Knights manager Joel Skinner responded: “We don’t get too caught up in that. We haven’t scored a lot of runs, period. That’s just the reality. It’s just nice for Charlie to go out and pitch the way he did tonight.”

Final: Knights 5, Bisons 3 -- Mitchell Boggs came on for Leesman and was touched up for three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Javy Guerra came on and threw one pitch and got a double play to record his third save of the season.

End of 8th: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Leesman walked the first batter of the eighth, but then K'd Ryan Goins, got Mike Nickeas to ground out and finished his night off with a strikeout of Jonathan Diaz.

Charlie Leesman's line: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K -- 108 pitches (73 strikes)

End of 7th: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Leesman allowed two hits but also fanned two in a scoreless frame. Alex Liddi singled with two outs for the Knights but was stranded at first.

End of 6th: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Two ground outs to short and a K for Leesman, who has faced the minimum through six innings of work despite allowing two hits and walking a batter. (Phegley caught a runner stealing and he's induced two double plays).

RHP John Stilson held the Knights scoreless in the sixth.

End of 5th: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Scary moment...with one out, Knights 2B Carlos Sanchez made a diving stop on a ball up the middle and collapsed to the grass holding his shoulder. However, after a several minute delay he was able to remain in the game. The next batter grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Sanchez looked ok turning it.

In the bottom half of the inning, Dan Black doubled off the wall in center, but was stranded there when Alex Liddi and Tyler Saladino each K'd.

End of 4th: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Leesman's no-no disappeared when he allowed a one-out single to Anthony Gose, but after Josh Phegley threw Gose out trying to steal second, the southpaw has still faced the minimum through four.

Rob Rasmussen tossed a scoreless inning for the Herd, working around a walk to Jordan Danks.

Ricky Romero's line: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 3 K -- 72 pitches (31 strikes)

End of 3rd: Knights 5, Bisons 0 -- Leesman struck out two on his way to a perfect inning. Through three innings the southpaw is yet to surrender a hit.

Romero ran out of luck in the third. Josh Phegley greeted him with a solo home run to begin the inning. With two outs and Dan Black (single) on first, Tyler Saladino took a 3-1 Romero fastball out for the Knights second home run of the inning.

End of 2nd: Knights 2, Bisons 0 -- Leesman walked Dan Johnson to start the inning, but recovered quickly by getting Jared Goedert to bounce into a double play and Brett Carroll to ground to third.

The Knights continued to miss opportunities to knock Romero out of this game. The lefty walked the bases loaded with two outs, but Jordan Danks was called out on strikes to end the threat. Romero has now thrown 52 pitches (19 strikes).

End of 1st: Knights 2, Bisons 0 -- After Charlie Leesman tossed a one-two-three first, the Knights put up two runs against Rickey Romero.

The southpaw allowed a leadoff double to Gorkys Hernandez, then walked Carlos Sanchez and allowed an infield single to Jordan Danks. On the Danks RBI single, Romero threw the ball into right field, allowing Sanchez to take third. Josh Phegley then knocked in Sanchez with a fielder's choice.

The inning could have been much worse for Romero, but Andy Wilkins grounded into a double play and Dan Black bounced back to him for the inning's final out.

Pregame:

Knights (12-21)

Gorkys Hernandez RF

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Jordan Danks CF

Josh Phegley C

Andy Wilkins DH

Dan Black 1B

Alex Liddi 3B

Tyler Saladino SS

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: LHP Charlie Leesman (0-2, 2.17)

Bisons (18-13)

Darin Mastroianni CF

Anthony Gose RF

Kevin Pillar LF

Dan Johnson 1B

Jared Goedert 3B

Brett Carroll DH

Ryan Goins 2B

Mike Nickeas C

Jonathan Diaz SS

Pitching: LHP Ricky Romero (0-0, 4.88)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Stat of the Day: Rather than fly from Chicago to Charlotte, Jordan Danks chose to drive the 750 miles himself. He called the ride “not too bad” prior to today’s game.     

Notes: To make room for Jordan Danks, who was optioned to Charlotte by the White Sox on Wednesday, the Knights have released outfielder Denis Phipps ... Knights 2B Carlos Sanchez has hit in 11 straight games and reached base safely in his last 24. … Knights 3B Matt Davidson said on Friday that his hand is “good now” and that he will be back in the lineup on Saturday. Counting today, Davidson has missed six straight games. … Andy Wilkins hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season on Thursday. Wilkins has now hit safely in three straight and 10 of his last 13. After hitting .183 in April, the left-hander is batting .276 in May (7 G). ... The Knights lead the all-time series against the Bisons 69-63, despite being swept in a four-game series in Buffalo earlier this season.  

Knights Walkup Song of the Day: Blake Tekotte – White Walls, by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

International League’s elite prospects coming to Charlotte

By Seth Lakso, Charlotte Observer Correspondent 

Each season the International League produces some of the best young players in baseball. Last year’s crop of prospects to break into the majors includes Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Tampa Bay outfielder Will Myers, Pirates flamethrower Gerrit Cole, White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia and Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton to name just a few.

Here’s a look at this year’s top International League prospects scheduled to play the Knights in Uptown Charlotte this season 

*Prospects are listed based on the order they’re scheduled to appear in Charlotte.

Norfolk Tides (April 11-13, May 20-21, July 4-5): Kevin Gausman, RHP – ESPN’s Keith Law ranks the 6-foot-3-inch Gausman as the No. 23 prospect in all of baseball (Baseball America has him at No. 20). The 23-year-old righthander, who was the first pitcher off the board in the 2012 draft, struggled in his promotion to the majors in 2013, going 3-5 with a 5.66 ERA in 47.2 innings with the Orioles, but still managed to punch out 9.25 batters per nine innings pitched. Gausman’s fastball can touch 100 in shorter stints, but it’s his changeup that makes him special.

Durham Bulls (April 14-15, 22-25): Hak-Ju Lee, SS – It’s weird to look at the Tampa Bay system and not find a guy ranked in Baseball America’s current top 100 prospects (No. 67 Jake Odorizzi broke camp with the Rays). However, had Lee not suffered a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2013 season, he could easily have cracked the list. The 6-foot-2-inch 23-year-old South Korea native hit .422 in 15 games in Durham last season, while showing a glove more than ready for the majors. He was  the key piece the Rays got back from the Cubs in the Matt Garza trade. *He might not be ready to play in the first series at BB&T Ballpark, but should be good to go by the end of the month.

Gwinnett Braves (April 16-18, June 30-July 1): Christian Bethancourt, C: Keith Law calls Bethancourt’s defense “possibly the best in the minors right now…and good enough to challenge Yadier Molina’s for best in the MLB when the time comes.” That alone should be worth the price of admission when the Braves come to town. The 21-year-old’s Achilles heel is his free-swinging ways at the plate (he has just 78 walks in 1,824 career plate appearances). Second baseman Tommy La Stella is also a guy to watch. He's Dan Uggla's heir apparent in Atlanta.  

Lehigh Iron Pigs (May 5-8): Maikel Franco, 3B/1B – As a 20-year-old, Franco hit .320 with 31 home runs in 134 games split between Single-A and Double-A last season. He entered this year No. 63 on Keith Law’s Top 100 prospects list. With just 70 Ks in 600 professional plate appearances, Franco’s plus hand-eye coordination makes up for his pour pitch recognition skills.

*LHP Jesse Biddle, who has begun the season at the Double-A level is a pretty good comp for what a young Andy Pettitte looked like when he was first starting out. MLB.com's No. 53 prospect is a solid candidate to make the jump to Lehigh at some point this season.

Buffalo Bisons (May 9-12): Marcus Stroman, RHP – Stroman was drafted as a position player out of high school by the Nationals, but instead chose to attend Duke. After three successful collegiate seasons Stroman was drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft as a pitcher by the Blue Jays. According to Law, who ranks the 22-year-old as the No. 58 prospect in baseball, Stroman’s “either a top-tier reliever, up in the Craig Kimbrel / Aroldis Chapman stratosphere, or a midrotation starter” if he can keep his home run numbers down.

*Aaron Sanchez, MLB.com's No. 9 pitching prospect entering 2014, will begin the season in Double-A, but could be a guy who sees significant time in Buffalo. His fastball sits comfortably in the mid- to upper 90's and in complimented by a plus curveball.

Indianapolis Indians (May 22-25): Gregory Polanco, CF – Somehow the Pirates have a third outfielder in the mold of Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen on the way in the 22-year-old, 6-foot-4-inch Polanco. Baseball America ranks Polanco, who is a true five-tool guy, as the No. 10 prospect in the game. Polanco is a guy you’ll want to catch early this season because there’s every chance he could claim a starting job in Pittsburg’s outfield by the All-Star break.

Rochester Red Wings (June 3-6): Alex Meyer, RHP – The Twins have three players in Law’s Top 50, including Baseball’s current No. 1prospect Byron Buxton. However, as of right now they’re all at least a call-up away from Rochester. That said, Meyer – who stands an intimidating 6-foot-9-inches tall, is a solid prospect in his own right. He touches 97 seemingly with ease and posted a 2.99 ERA with 100Ks in 78.1 innings in Double-A last season.

Columbus Clippers (June 7-10): Trevor Bauer, RHP – Bauer was the Opening Day starter for Columbus this season, an honor for your average prospect, but a disappointment for one with his stuff. Bauer, 23, was the Indian’s top pitching prospect heading into 2013, but mechanical issues led to lost velocity and control issues for much of the season. According to the prospect, all that’s behind him this season. “My stuff is back to where I’m used to having it,” he told the Columbus Dispatch. “My fastball velocity is back to where I’m used to having it (94-96 mph, topping out near 100 mph). So it should be a good year.”

* Francisco Lindor is a 20-year-old shortstop to keep an eye on. He's starting the season in Double-A, but has been on the fast track to the majors since being drafted No. 8 overall in 2011. 

Toledo Mud Hens (June 20-23): Robbie Ray, LHP – When Miguel Cabrera moved back to first base (because of the Prince Fielder trade) it opened the door for 21-year-old third baseman Nick Castellanos to make the big league club and cut into Detroit’s depth in the minors. Ray – who was “the key to the deal” that saw the Tigers ship Doug Fister to the Nationals, according to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski -- is a 6-foot-2-inch southpaw who went 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA and had 160 strikeouts in 142 innings for high-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg last season.

Louisville Bats (June 24-27): Chien-Ming Wang, RHP – When Louisville’s Billy Hamilton made the Reds opening day roster this spring, the International League lost a potential 100-base stealer. Right now, the higher ceiling talent in the Reds organization is all too young to have advanced to Triple-A. The guys worth coming out to see are Wang (a two-time 19-game winner in the Majors with the New York Yankees) and Jeff Francis, who won at least 13 games a season from 2005-07 with the Rockies). Both are trying to get their once-promising careers back on track.

*Robert Stephenson, who the Reds took in the first round of the 2011 draft is a guy who may be in Louisville by the time the Bats come to town. Ranked as the No. 19 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, Stephenson, 21, has lit up the radar guns in his brief pro career, touching 100 mph on several occasions.

Syracuse Chiefs (July 10-13): Brian Goodwin, OF – Goodwin is an outfielder with all five tools. Last season he hit .252 with a .355 OBP, 10 home runs and 19 stolen bases in Double-A, which actually led to Law dropping him from the No. 44 prospect in baseball entering 2013 to No. 83 entering this season. At 23-year-old, Goodwin could be in for a breakout season.