Game 99 lineups: Charlotte Knights look to clinch series win against Durham Bulls

Here are the lineups:

Bulls (49-47)
Ryan Brett 2B
Taylor Motter RF
Grady Sizemore DH
J.P. Arencibia 1B
Richie Shaffer 3B
Corey Brown CF
Mikie Mahtook LF
Nick Franklin SS
Luke Maile C
Pitching: Bradin Hagens (1-1, 4.26)

Knights (56-42)
Micah Johnson 2B (second in the International League with a .326 batting average)
Leury Garcia SS (batting .368 in July)
Jason Coats LF (hitting .309 in July with four home runs, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored)
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuiasosopo DH
Trayce Thompson CF (second in the IL with 38 extra-base hits)
Chris Marrero 1B (batting .300 in July)
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin RF
Pitching: RHP Scott Carroll (3-2, 2.06)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Notes: Tyler Saladino, who was promoted from Charlotte to the Chicago White Sox on July 10, extended his hitting streak to seven games on Tuesday with a 3-for-5 effort against the St. Louis Cardinals. In Chicago's 8-5 loss, Saladino, 26, hit his second home run in as many days. Since joining the White Sox, Saladino is hitting .355 with a .968 OPS and has entrenched himself as the team's starting third baseman.

Roster moves: Charlotte right-hander Shawn Haviland was traded on Wednesday to the Colorado Rockies organization in exchange for cash considerations. In 19 games (13 starts) for the Knights this season, he went 4-5 with a 4.19 ERA. His most recent outing came on Sunday against the Norfolk Tides, when he surrendered four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Haviland signed with the White Sox organization on Jan 12. after spending the 2014 season in the Oakland Athletics organization.

In a corresponding move, first baseman Chris Jacobs of Class AA Birmingham was promoted to the Knights. In 11 games with the Barons, Jacobs batted .229. Jacobs was signed by the White Sox organization on Dec. 20 and started the season in High A Winston-Salem, where he hit .283 with three home runs and 27 RBI in 59 games.

Charlotte Hornets' Frank Kaminsky throws first pitch at Chicago White Sox game

Less than two weeks removed from playing in the NBA's Orlando Summer League, Charlotte Hornets' first-round pick Frank Kaminsky threw out the first pitch before Tuesday's Chicago White Sox major league baseball game.

Kaminsky, who attended Wisconsin and is from Lisle, Ill., grew up a White Sox fan. In addition to throwing out the first pitch before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he also took some swings in the batting cage.

Just a little #SoxCellfie before @FSKPart3's first pitch. pic.twitter.com/jJUBsed9mT

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 21, 2015

Frank Kaminsky says his two favorite teams growing up were the White Sox and whoever was playing the Cubs. pic.twitter.com/sVUmDmVeZK

— Doug Padilla (@ESPNChiSox) July 21, 2015

.@FSKPart3 says this is his first #WhiteSox game of the year but his family used to have season tickets in left field when he was younger.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 21, 2015

Frank Kaminsky hitting in the cage. "This is nerve wracking!" pic.twitter.com/95ACXZiCOD

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) July 21, 2015

White Sox fan Frank Kaminsky threw out the first pitch tonight. AP pic.twitter.com/ATE3U8AwX0

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) July 22, 2015

Frank Kaminsky just threw out the first pitch here at the White Sox game. It looked a bit like a lob... Like a basketball shot actually

— Mike Hall (@BTNMikeHall) July 22, 2015

Game 88 lineups: Knights conclude three-game series with Bulls

Here are the lineups:

Bulls (45-41)
Boog Powell CF
Tim Beckham 2B
Taylor Motter RF
J.P. Arencibia 1B
Richie Shaffer 3B
Corey Brown LF
Mikie Mahtook DH
Hak-Ju Lee SS
Luke Maile C
Pitching: RHP Bradin Hagens (0-0, 1.13)

Knights (49-38)
Micah Johnson 2B (has seven hits over his past three games)
Leury Garcia SS (fourth in the International League with 23 steals)
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B (tied for the IL lead with 14 home runs)
Matt Tuiasosopo 1B
Trayce Thompson CF
Chris Marrero DH (has a six-game hitting streak)
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin RF
Pitching: RHP Shawn Haviland (4-4, 4.19)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Notes: Haviland enters tonight's game having won three of his past five starts. During that five-game stretch, he is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA. ... Charlotte manager Joel Skinner was added to the the U.S. Team coaching staff for Sunday's All-Star Futures Game at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Skinner ranks first in franchise history with 260 wins. The game can be seen on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Roster move: While an official roster move hasn't been made, the Chicago White Sox have reportedly optioned right-hander Scott Carroll back to Charlotte. After being promoted to Chicago for the second time this season on June 18, Carroll posted a 3.68 ERA in four relief appearances. Carroll, 30, is 3-2 with a 2.37 ERA in six starts with the Knights this season.

Following today’s game vs. Toronto, the Chicago White Sox optioned right-handed pitcher Scott Carroll to @KnightsBaseball.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 9, 2015

Game 80 lineups: Knights and Braves open day-night doubleheader

Here are the lineups:

Braves (41-38)
Mallex Smith CF
Jose Peraza 2B
Eric Young Jr. DH
Adonis Garcia 3B
Cedric Hunter LF
Christian Bethancourt C
Sean Kazmar 1B
Daniel Castro SS
Mycal Jones RF
Pitching: LHP Greg Smith (2-3, 2.26)

Knights (44-36)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino SS
Jason Coats DH
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuisasosopo LF
Trayce Thompson CF
Chris Marrero RF
Kevan Smith C
Alexander Simon 1B
Pitching: Miguel Chalas (0-3, 4.58)

Game time: 12:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Roster moves: First baseman Chris Curley was placed on the disabled list on Friday morning. Since being promoted to Charlotte from Double-A Birmingham on June 24, Curley was batting .381 with two runs scored, one home run and two RBI. In 23 games with the Barons this season, Curley was batting ,145 with five runs scored, two home runs and nine RBI.

With Curley being placed on the disabled list, first baseman Alexander Simon was promoted to Charlotte from Class A Kannapolis and will start Game 1 of the Knights' doubleheader against the Gwinnett Braves. In 23 games with the Intimidators, Simon was hitting .293 with 12 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, one home run and 13 RBI. Simon started the 2015 season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization and was acquired by the Chicago White Sox organization on May 30 in exchange for cash. 

Game 64 lineups: Charlotte Knights welcome Pawtucket Red Sox for three-game series

Here are the lineups:

Red Sox (32-32)
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Quintin Berry LF
Bryce Brentz RF
Travis Shaw 3B
Allen Craig DH
Garin Cecchini 1B
Deven Marrero SS
Humberto Quintero C
Sean Coyle 2B
Pitching: RHP Justin Masterson (0-1, 3.52)

Knights (34-29)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino SS
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B
Trayce Thompson RF
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin DH
Leury Garcia CF
Pitching: RHP Erik Johnson (4-5, 3.66)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Roster move: Outfielder Chris Marrero, who was signed by the Chicago White Sox to a minor league contract on June 5, was promoted to Charlotte on Tuesday from Double-A Birmingham. In nine games with the Barons, he was batting .324 with three doubles and four RBIs. Marrero was selected by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. Marrero's promotion pushes Charlotte's active roster to 25 players. The Knights' active roster was at 24 players after first baseman Neftali Soto was placed on the DL on Sunday.  

Game 56 lineups: Norfolk Tides and Charlotte Knights conclude three-game series

Here are the lineups:

Tides (31-24)
Henry Urrutia LF
Derrik Gibson 2B
Chris Parmelee DH
Christian Walker 1B
Dariel Alvarez RF
Michael Almanzar 3B
Audry Perez C
Julio Borbon CF
Paul Janish SS
Pitching: RHP Mike Wright (3-0, 2.64)

Knights (31-24)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino DH
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuiasosopo 1B
Trayce Thompson CF
George Kottaras C
Tyler Colvin RF
Leury Garcia SS
Pitching: RHP Kyle Drabek (1-3, 2.36)

Game time: 2:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Roster moves: RHP Junior Guerra had his contract purchased by the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. After being signed by the White Sox as a free agent on Oct. 28, 2014, Guerra pitched 30 innings for the Knights in seven games. He posted a 0-3 record and 3.00 ERA while striking out 40 batters. He is the fifth pitcher to be promoted to Chicago from Charlotte this season.

RHP Blake Smith was promoted to the Knights on Sunday from Double-A Birmingham. In four games with the Barons this season, Smith was 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA. Smith was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 23 in exchange for LHP Eric Surkamp. Before being traded, Smith posted a 0-3 record with a 1.62 ERA in 15 games with Double-A Tulsa.  

Game 49 lineups: Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

IronPigs (19-31)
Chase d'Arnaud SS
Brian Bogusevic LF
Domonic Brown RF
Russ Canzler 1B
Jordan Danks CF
Cord Phelps 3B
Chris McGuiness DH
Jayson Nix 2B
Logan Moore C
Pitching: LHP Anthony Vasquez (1-1, 5.68)

Knights (28-20)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino DH
Neftali Soto 1B
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuiasosopo RF
Trayce Thompson CF
Jason Coats LF
Kevan Smith C
Leury Garcia SS
Pitching: Erik Johnson (4-3, 4.60)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Roster moves: RHP Brad Penny (3-3, 4.67) was placed on the DL on Saturday after exiting Friday's game after four innings. Penny suffered a leg injury while covering first base and limped down the first-base line before walking off the field gingerly.

Birmingham Barons RHP Miguel Chalas was promoted to Charlotte on Saturday. In 14 games with the Barons this season, Chalas was 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA. The Chicago White Sox acquired Chalas from the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 30, 2014 in a trade for OF Alejandro De Aza.

LHP Sean Hagan, who was promoted to Charlotte on Friday and pitched three scoreless innings Friday night en route to earning the win, was assigned to Birmingham on Saturday.

RHP Zach Isler also made his debut with the Knights on Friday, and he pitched two innings in the team's 7-5 win. On Saturday, he was assigned to Winston-Salem, where he's appeared in 12 games this season and posted a 0-1 record with a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings of work.

After being optioned to Charlotte on Thursday from Chicago, RHP Chris Beck and RHP Scott Carroll have officially been placed on Charlotte's active roster.

Game 48 lineups: Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Jordan Danks at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

IronPigs (19-30)
Chase d'Arnaud SS
Brian Bogusevic LF
Domonic Brown RF
Russ Canzier DH
Jordan Danks CF
Tyler Henson 2B
Chris McGuiness 1B
Cord Phelps 3B
Logan Moore C
Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (3-3, 4.91)

Knights (27-20)
Leury Garcia 2B
Tyler Saladino SS
Neftali Soto 1B
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuiasosopo RF
Trayce Thompson CF
Jason Coats LF
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin DH
Pitching: LHP Adam Morgan (0-4, 4.78)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Roster moves: For the second consecutive day, the Knights have made a few changes to their roster. After being signed by the Chicago White Sox on Nov. 21, 2014, RHP Jairo Asencio was released by the organization on Friday. In 17 appearances with Charlotte this season, Asencio went 0-2 with nine saves and posted a 5.03 ERA. He allowed four runs in the top of the ninth inning in Thursday's walk-off win over the Columbus Clippers.

Winston-Salem Dash LHP Sean Hagan was promoted to the Knights on Friday. Hagan, who was drafted by the White Sox in the 31st round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, went 1-1 with two saves and posted a 4.22 ERA in 11 games — including one start — this season.

Knights catcher Kevan Smith was activated from the DL on Friday. Smith rolled his ankle sliding into home plate in Charlotte's 2-1 win over the Syracuse Chiefs on May 16. Smith was placed on the DL the next day. In 29 games with the Knights this season, Smith is batting .273 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. With Smith being activated from the DL, Charlotte catcher Jeremy Dowdy was assigned to Winston-Salem. In eight games with the Knights, Dowdy was hitting .208 with three RBIs.

After making his major-league debut on Thursday for the White Sox, RHP Chris Beck was optioned back to Charlotte after the game. Starting the second game of Chicago's doubleheader against Baltimore, Beck surrendered five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and four walks en route to receiving the loss. Beck and RHP Scott Carroll, who was also optioned on Thursday, aren't currently listed on the Knights' active roster.

Chris Beck earns his third-straight win as Charlotte Knights close out seven-game home stand

Chris Beck earned his third-straight win and helped the Charlotte Knights close out their seven-game home stand with a 7-1 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs in front of 9,628 at BB&T Ballpark on Sunday. 

The Knights (21-15), who finished Sunday with 11 hits, finished their home stand 5-2 and now sit 1.5 games ahead of the Norfolk Tides for first place in the International League South Division. 

For the third-straight start, Beck -- who held the Chiefs (16-21) to one run on six hits over seven innings -- pitched into at least the sixth inning of a game, while surrendering two or less runs. 

Beck's final line read: 7IP, 6H, 1R, 3BB, 4K -- 105 pitches (69 strikes). 

Charlotte's five-six batters Dan Black (3 for 3, BB, 2R, RBI) and Trayce Thompson (2 for 3, BB, HR, R, 4 RBI) combined to go 5-for-6 with five runs knocked in and three runs scored to provide Beck with plenty of run support. 

Black's big hit came in the form of a fifth-inning triple -- his second of the season -- to dead centerfield that brought home Jason Coats and gave the Knights a 4-1 lead. 

Two innings later, the Chiefs decided to intentionally walk Black with one out and a runner on second to set up a potential double play with Thompson due up next. 

The plan backfired for Syracuse when Thompson launched his third home run of the season into the left-field bleachers to give the Knights a 7-1 lead. 

For his part, Beck -- who improved to 3-1 this season and lowered his ERA to 4.29 -- finished off his outing by striking out the International League's leading home run hitter, Ian Stewart, with a 2-2 changeup. 

Charlotte relievers Maikel Cleto and Daniel Webb tossed perfect eighth and ninth innings respectively to close out the game. 

Quote

“It's probably not going to be a smart decision to walk Dan (Black) anymore, especially with Trayce (Thompson) putting up the numbers he is behind him. He's doing his job protecting Dan. ... There's really not a break in our lineup from top to bottom.” – Knights’ starter Chris Beck 

“I have not gotten much luck over the last week and a half. But that swing (on the home run) felt good. I was just trying to attack the ball and not be so defensive. If you look at my numbers throughout my career, I've been a guy that drives the ball and I'm just trying to get back to that.” – Knights' centerfielder Trayce Thompson. 

Worth mentioning

Beck improved to 3-0 in his last three starts. Over that span, the 24-year-old second-round pick has allowed just three runs over 19 innings, while striking out 13. ... In the last two games, Knights' pitchers (Eric Surkamp 3IP, Cleto 1IP, Webb 1IP) have combined to toss five perfect innings of relief. ... The 3-for-3 performance from Black, upped his average to a Knights-leading .333 on the season. The first baseman entered the day second in the IL in on-base percentage (.437) (he was on base four times on Sunday) and first in slugging percentage (.563). The RBI was Black's 22nd of the season, which is also tops on the Knights. ... For the third time this season a team intentionally walked Black to face Thompson and for the third time Thompson came though. He's 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and a home run following a Black intentional free pass this season. ... Prior to Sunday's game, the Knights placed catcher Kevan Smith on the DL and recalled Raleigh, N.C. native Jeremy Dowdy from the Winston-Salem Dash. ... Knights' second baseman Micah Johnson was not in the lineup on Sunday after rolling his ankle on the second-base bag in yesterday's game following a ninth-inning walk-off double. He's likely just day-to-day. 

What's next?

The Knights will now hit the road for seven games, beginning with a three-game set in Scranton/Wiles-Barre against the RailRiders that kicks off on Monday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Junior Guerra (0-1, 2.45) will take the mound for the Knights across from LHP Matt Tracy (0-0, 3.50).

Emmanuel Lewis Morgan contributed to this report. 

Micah Johnson bookends Charlotte Knights 2-1 walk-off win over Syracuse Chiefs

Micah Johnson hit the first pitch the Syracuse Chiefs threw over the fence for a home run and the last one down the leftfield line for a double to give the Charlotte Knights a 2-1 walk-off win on Saturday.

Johnson’s bookend performance overshadowed an excellent night of work from Knights’ (20-15) pitchers Kyle Drabek and Eric Surkamp, who combined to two-hit the Chiefs (16-20).

Johnson stepped to the plate in the first inning sitting fastball, got one, and sent his first home run of the season over the leftfield wall, becoming the first Knights player to accomplish such a feat since Jared Mitchell did it on Aug. 9 of 2014. 

The score stayed 1-0 in favor of Charlotte until the sixth inning when the Chiefs managed their first hit of the night off Drabek, when Emmanel Burriss lined a sharp one-out single through the hole between first and second.

Tony Gwynn Jr. followed with a bloop double to put runners at second and third with one down and Darin Mastroianni brought home Syracuse's lone run of the game with a fielder's choice, tying things at 1-1.

The sixth was the last inning of work for Drabek, whose final line read: 5IP, 1R, 2H, 2BB, 2K – 80 pitches (47 strikes). Surkamp then came on in relief and held the Chiefs hitless over the next three frames to set the table for Johnson’s heroics.

Kevan Smith led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, was sacrificed to second, and then came in to score on a two-strike double off lefty-specialist Rich Hill by Johnson, who has gone 2-for-7 with three RBI, two walks and two stolen bases since rejoining the Knights two games ago.

Quote

“Rich Hill is too hard to hit man. That was just luck. I’ve seen him before last year. He threw me a curveball tonight that I pretty much thought was going to hit me in the face, so (on the next pitch) I just tickled the ball down the line.” – Knights’ second baseman Micah Johnson.

Worth mentioning

On Johnson’s walk-off double, both he and Knights’ catcher Kevan Smith came up lame. Johnson rolled his ankle on second base as he watched the play at the plate, where Smith slid in safe, while also rolling his ankle. (nutty, right?) Johnson appeared to be fine after the game, while Smith is likely day-to-day. … The walk-off win was the Knight’s fourth this season, matching their total from all of 2014. … In his last three starts, Drabek has gone 0-1 despite allowing just two runs on five hits over 17 innings. In those starts, Drabek -- who was optioned to the Knights by the Chicago White Sox back on April 24 -- has walked just four and struck out 15. … According to reports, former Charlotte Knights outfielder Jared Mitchell, who was released by the White Sox last week, has signed a deal with the Angels and will be assigned to their Class AA affiliate. Mitchell was a former first-round pick by the White Sox. He was just 2-for-40 with Charlotte at the time of his release. ... Prior to Saturday's game, the Knights activated right-hander Matt Lindstrom from the Disabled List. ... In a collision of former Charlotte Knights, Carlos Sanchez went 1-for-4 in his return to the White Sox lineup on Friday in Oakland in a game that was started by Carlos Rodon and and featured a home run from Josh Phegley. ... The sellout crowd of 10,379 was the Knights' 11th in 21 openings at BB&T Ballpark this season.

What's next?

The Knights will play the final game of their three-game series with the Chiefs at BB&T Ballpark on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. RHP Chris Beck (2-1, 3.90) will take the mound for the Knights across from RHP Bruce Billings (1-2, 3.82).

Game 33: Carlos Sanchez promoted, Micah Johnson returns to Charlotte

Here are the lineups:

Bats (13-20)

Hernan Iribarren 2B

Irving Falu DH
Ivan De Jesus 3B
Chris Dominguez 1B
Roman Cabrera C
Ryan LaMarre CF

Yorman Rodriguez RF

Eugenio Suarez SS
Jose Constanza LF

Pitching: LHP David Holmberg (1-3, 6.44)

Knights (19-13)

Leury Garcia 2B
Jason Coats LF

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B 
Dan Black DH
Trayce Thompson CF
Matt Tuiasosopo RF

Kevan Smith C
Drew Garcia SS

Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (2-3, 6.17)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730 

Roster moves: The Chicago White Sox have optioned second baseman Micah Johnson to Class AAA Charlotte. Johnson, 24, is hitting .270 (20-74) with two doubles, three RBI, eight runs scored, five walks and three stolen bases over 27 games this season, his first in the major leagues. Johnson entered the season rated by Baseball America as the No. 4 Prospect and Fastest Baserunner in the White Sox organization. The White Sox will make a corresponding roster move prior to tomorrow night’s series opener at Oakland.

While not yet official, word is that Carlos Sanchez will join the White Sox in Oakland tomorrow. 

Per Rick Hahn, @CarlosSan29 will join the team tomorrow in Oakland.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 14, 2015

Sanchez entered today fifth in the International League in batting average (.344) and second in hits (45) despite spending the first week of the season in Chicago. 

Johnson is not in tonight's Knights' lineup and it likely to report to the team sometime on Friday. 

Notes: Earlier today, Baseball America named BB&T Ballpark the "Best Ballpark in Minor League Baseball". ... A win today would be the Knights' sixth in a row. The last time they won that many in a row was back in 2012 (8/11-18). ...  The Knights entered today tied atop the IL South Division standings with the Durham Bulls. ... Tonight's Bats' starter David Holmberg was originally drafted by the White Sox in the second round in 2009. He was then moved to Arizona (when he was the White Sox No. 8 prospect) along with Daniel Hudson in exchange for Edwin Jackson. The Diamondbacks then flipped Holmberg to Cincinnati in 2013 in a three-team trade that also sent Heath Bell to Tampa Bay, Justin Choate to Arizona and Ryan Hanigan to Tampa. Holmberg, 23, who stands 6-3 225, entered 2015 as the Red No. 21 prospect according to Baseball America. 

Game 31 preview: Louisville Bats at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Bats (13-18)

Jose Constanza LF

Irving Falu 2B
Ivan De Jesus 3B
Josh Satin 1B

Yorman Rodriguez RF
Ramon Cabrera C
Ryan LaMarre CF

Hernan Iribarren DH
Eugenio Suarez SS

Pitching: RHP Donovan Hand (0-0, 1.32)

Knights (17-13)

Jason Coats LF (hitting .343 in nine games in May)

Carlos Sanchez 2B (currently hitting .369, which is good for second in the IL)

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B (tied for IL lead with six HR)
Dan Black DH (averaging a HR every 15.60 ABs, which is tops in the IL)
Tryace Thompson CF 
Tyler Colvin RF

George Kottaras C
Drew Garcia SS

Pitching: RHP Chris Beck (1-1, 4.78)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730 

Roster Move: Before tonight's game, the White Sox released outfielder Engel Beltre. Matt Tuiasosopo was activated from the Temporary Inactive list to bring the Knights' roster back to 25. 

Notes: Louisville was originally scheduled to send Josh Smith (0-0, 8.31) to the mound tonight, but instead pushed the right-hander's start to tomorrow. ... Chicago White Sox Double-A prospect (and potential mid-season Knights call up) Courtney Hawkins hit a home run off a moving train the other day. 

Second-consecutive strong start from Kyle Drabek leads Knights to 7-2 win

The Charlotte Knights used a six-run sixth inning to pull away from the Louisville Bats in an eventual 7-2 win on Monday night at BB&T Ballpark in front of 7,408 in the first game of their eight-game home stand.

Despite sending 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, the highlight performance of the night belonged to Knights’ starter Kyle Drabek, who stymied the Bats over five scoreless innings of work.

Drabek – who wound up with a tough-luck no decision – held Louisville to just one hit, while walking one, and striking out five. The Bats spent the night pounding Drabek’s two-seam fastball into the dirt. Of the 11 balls they put in play, just two – a single and a weak fly to right – left the infield. 

Drabek also showed a sharp curveball that he was able to throw for a strike, as well as a swing-and-miss pitch.

The Knights (17-13) took a 1-0 lead against old-friend Dylan Axelrod (1-3) in the fourth inning when Matt Davidson singled home Carlos Sanchez.

The Bats (13-18) rallied for two runs off Knights’ right-hander Shawn Haviland (1-2) in the sixth inning, but Charlotte responded in a big way in the bottom half of the frame, when the first six batters all reached base (three singles, two errors, and a walk) and eventually scored.

Axelrod, who was not done any favors by his defense in the inning, was charged with one of the runs (two more were unearned), while Louisville reliever Ben Klimesh was tagged for the other three on three hits and a walk.

Maikel Cleto held Louisville scoreless over the game’s final two innings to preserve the Knights’ third win in as many nights.

Quote
“That two-seam (fastball) has been a major plus for me. I’m getting more groundballs as long as I keep it down, because I have left some up and they were getting hit over the wall. After my second surgery, the fastball miles per hour never really got back to where it used to be. Being able to sink it, cut it, and use the change has helped me out a lot more than just trying to blow it by people.” – Knights’ starter Kyle Drabek.

Worth mentioning

With two hits on Monday, Charlotte second baseman Carlos Sanchez (2-for-4, HBP) took over sole possession of fourth place on the Knights’ all-time hits list, moving out of a tie with Brian Daubach (285). The 22-year-old now trails only Josh Phegley (312), Joe Borchard (439) and Jordan Danks (449). … Knights’ right-hander Kyle Drabek has gone 0-1 in his last two starts despite posting a pretty impressive line (11 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K). … Charlotte reliever Maikel Cleto, whose fastball was consistently registering 99-100 mph on the radar gun (once touching 101 mph), tossed two more scoreless innings on Monday to lower his ERA to a team-leading 0.47 over 19.00 innings of work this season. He has not allowed a hit in his last five innings pitched. … Prior to the game, the Chicago White Sox outrighted right-handed reliever Javy Guerra to the Knights. …“Who is Bats’ starter Dylan Axelrod.” is the future Jeopardy answer to, “He threw the first-ever pitch at BB&T Ballpark...” ... Axelrod spent parts of the 2011, 2012 and 2014 seasons with Charlotte (he spent all of 2013 with the White Sox) and is 10th all-time on the Knights' strikeouts list.

What's next?
The Knights will play Game 2 of their four-game series with the Bats on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at BB&T Ballpark. RHP Chris Beck (1-1, 4.78) will take the mound for the Knights against Bats’ RHP Josh Smith (0-0 8.31).

Hot-hitting Sanchez homers twice in Knights 10-4 win over RailRiders

Carlos Sanchez’ assault on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitching staff continued on Saturday in a 10-4 Charlotte Knights’ win over the RailRiders in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,335 at BB&T Ballpark.

Sanchez (4 for 4, 7 RBI) cracked his first two home runs of the season and finished a triple short of the cycle on the night, while reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. After a 5-for-5 showing on Friday night, the Knights’ second baseman has now reached base in his last 10 plate appearances and 12 of 15 over the course of the first three games of the Knights-RailRiders series.

Sanchez’ third-straight big night at the plate helped provide all the run support Charlotte right-hander Chris Beck (1-1, 4.78) would need to claim his first win of the season. Beck held the RailRiders to two runs on eight hits over six innings of work. He struck out four.

The Knights (14-8), who currently lead the International League South Division, jumped on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Jaron Long (0-2, 7.23) for two runs in the first inning (thanks to Sanchez’ two-run home run) and three more in the second (two of which came home on a Sanchez double).

Sanchez stepped into the batter’s box for his final at-bat in the eighth inning needing a triple for the cycle, and instead launched a three-run home run (while hitting right-handed for the first time on the night). The four hits bumped his average up to an IL-best .407 this season.

  

Quote

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a guy get nine hits in 10 (plate appearances). (Sanchez is) getting all kinds of hits. He’s got a couple broken-bat base hits, he’s sending the ball all over the field and it’s good to see. … He’s put two good nights together in a row … and is in a good little zone right now. ” – Knights’ manager Joel Skinner on Carlos Sanchez.

Worth mentioning

With a hit and a walk on Saturday, Charlotte Knights’ designated hitter Dan Black (1 for 3) has now reached base in 21-straight games (dating back to last season). Black entered Saturday leading the International League in on-base percentage (.467) and slugging percentage (.688). … With his four-hit performance on Friday night, Charlotte second baseman Carlos Sanchez (277) is now just two hits shy of tying Jerry Owens (279) for sixth all-time on the Knights’ hits list. ... White Sox reliever Javy Guerra tossed a one-two-three seventh inning with one strikeout in his third MLB rehab appearance with the Knights. In 3IP the veteran right-hander has allowed three hits, two earned runs, walked one and struck out three. …Carlos Rodon made his third appearance with the White Sox on Saturday and held the Minnesota Twins scoreless over three innings of relief. He scattered six hits and struck out two, while issuing just one walk. … Saturday marked the seventh sellout at BB&T Ballpark this season. The Knights lead the IL in average attendance (9,232) and have welcomed 129,250 through their gates in 14 openings this season.

What's next?

The Knights will play the final game of their four-game series with the RailRiders at BB&T Ballpark on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. RHP Brad Penny (1-2, 6.08) will take the mound for the Knights across from LHP Eric Wooten (0-3, 5.09).

Matt Davidson and Erik Johnson shine in Knights' 10-4 win over Toledo

Less than 24 hours removed from one of their worst offensive performances of the season, the Charlotte Knights slugged their way to a 10-4 win over the Toledo Mud Hens in front of 9,150 at BB&T Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.

The victory, which secured the Knights (12-7) second-straight series win, came in large part thanks to a career afternoon from designated hitter Matt Davidson, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and six runs knocked in.

Davidson, who hit in the four-hole on Wednesday, highlighted a big day from each of the Knights’ top four batters -- Leury Garcia (2 for 5), Carlos Sanchez (2 for 4, BB), Neftali Soto (3 for 4, BB) -- who combined to go 10-for-18 with nine runs batted in and nine runs scored.

The strong day at the plate for Charlotte came after Toledo pitching held the Knights to four hits in a 6-2 loss on Tuesday.

Erik Johnson (3-1) made his third start of the season for the Knights and cruised through his first five innings of work, holding the Mud Hens (9-10) scoreless on two hits, while tying his season-high for strikeouts, with six.

Johnson ran into trouble in the sixth inning and wound up allowing four runs (three earned) to make his final line (5.2IP, 4H, 4R (3ER), 2BB, 6Ks) a bit misrepresentative of how well he actually pitched.

  

Both Johnson (who posted a career-worst 6.73 ERA in 2013) and Davidson (who hit just .199) entered last season as prime candidates to make an impact with the Chicago White Sox and instead put together disappointing seasons.

So far this season, both appear to be right on track.

Quote

“I think, mentally, (Johnson’s) come back better this year. We’ve talked a lot because we both were prospects going into last year and we were supposed to be in the big leagues. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we kind of got in our heads and it obviously effected us and that showed on the field. I think that the big thing for him is that he's slowed down, relaxed, and is enjoying the game again.” – Knights’ third baseman Matt Davidson on the difference he’s seen in Erik Johnson this season.

Worth mentioning

A day after going a disappointing 1-for-8 as a team with runners in scoring position, the Knights turned things around, posting a 7-for-12 mark.  ... With his 3-for-5 performance on Wednesday, Davidson upped his batting average to .261. The six runs batted in marked a career high. The home run was his fourth of the season, tying him with Dan Black for the most on the Knights. … Black’s run-scoring single in the third inning made it so the first baseman has now reached base in 18-straight games (dating back to last season). ... Of the announced 9,150 at BB&T Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon, the vast majority were local middle school students.

What's next?

The Knights will begin a four-game series with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Kyle Drabek (0-0, 0.00) will make his BB&T Ballpark debut for Charlotte across from RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-2, 2.11).

White Sox Purchase Contract of Carlos Rodon from Charlotte

Per team release...

Charlotte LHP Carlos Rodon, who entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in Chicago’s system, had his contract purchased by the Chicago White Sox today, as announced by the team this afternoon. Rodon posted a 1-0 record with a 3.60 ERA in two starts for the Charlotte Knights this season.

Rodon, 22, notched his first professional win earlier this year (April 11) in a solid outing for the Charlotte Knights at BB&T Ballpark against the Norfolk Tides. On that day, the hard-throwing left-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings. He fanned a career-high nine batters and did so in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,480 fans at BB&T Ballpark.

In his next outing of the season – which took place at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA – Rodon gave up three runs on six hits over five innings in a no-decision. In all, Rodon appeared in five games for the Knights over parts of two seasons and compiled a 1-0 record with a 3.27 ERA in 22 innings pitched. He allowed 17 hits and struck-out 31 batters over that span.

A standout at North Carolina State University, Rodon was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the first round (third overall pick) of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. He set a school record of 436 career strikeouts and became just the fourth pitcher in the Atlantic Coast Conference history to record 400 strikeouts.

Before making his Triple-A debut with the Knights on August 19, 2014, Rodon made his professional debut on July 22, 2014 for the Arizona League White Sox. He appeared in two games for the team and allowed two runs on four hits over three innings. He then appeared in four games (two starts) for Winston-Salem (A+) and posted a 0-0 mark with a 1.86 ERA (9.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 15 SO) before his promotion to the Knights on August 16, 2014.

In other White Sox moves, RHP Jake Petricka, who was on a Major League Rehab assignment with the Knights, was returned to Chicago and activated off the disabled list. The White Sox also announced that RHP Kyle Drabek was designated for assignment and RHP Javy Guerra was placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 13.

Erik Johnson shines in Knights 6-2 win over Braves

Who is this version of Erik Johnson? And what did he do with the guy who struggled so mightily in 2014?

In his first start of 2015 with the Charlotte Knights, Johnson, held the Gwinnett Braves to one run on four hits over five innings of work, while striking out four in an eventual 6-2 Charlotte win in front of 10,527 at BB&T Ballpark.

The 25-year-old right-hander threw a remarkably efficient 63 pitches (46 strikes) over his five innings of work, never once going to a three-ball count, before heading down to the bullpen to toss 15 more pitches after being removed from the game (he was on an innings limit).

Johnson began last season as the Chicago White Sox No. 5 starter, but struggled with his fastball velocity and command before being reassigned to the Knights. From there, things only got worse for the White Sox No. 2-ranked prospect entering the season.

Johnson went on to finish 2014 with a 5-7 record with the Knights and a career-worst 6.73 earned-run average. 

But for Johnson, that's all in the past now. 

Through eight innings of work (three came in relief last Tuesday) this season, he's allowed just one run on six hits, while striking out seven.

Johnson's fastball is back to registering 92-to-95 miles-per-hour on the radar gun and he’s mixing in a sharp curveball, along with a slider and changeup. 

There’s a hop in his step and an enthusiasm in his voice that wasn’t there last season.

The Knights spotted Johnson (2-0) all the runs he would need in the first inning when Matt Davidson connected on a two-run home run off Chien-Ming Wang (0-1). For good measure, they added another run in the fourth inning and three more in the seventh to put the game away. 

The lone run off Johnson on Saturday came in the third inning. Joe Benson went the other way on a 2-0 fastball for a double to leadoff the inning and then came in to score on a seeing-eye ground-ball single between first and second. 

After a fly-out and an infield single, Johnson went to his slider and promptly got out of the inning with a double play. 

Of Johnson's four strikeouts on the night, three came on fastballs (all swinging) and one on a curveball. 

Quote

“For me, it’s all about getting as late of a launch as I can. By a late launch (I mean) how late you can hold onto the ball before you release it. It looks harder and is more explosive the longer you can hold onto it. That’s what I worked on this offseason.” – Knights’ starter Erik Johnson.

Worth mentioning

Knights’ centerfielder and White Sox No. 18 prospect (according to Baseball America) Trayce Thompson (1 for 4) extended his International-League best hitting-streak to 10 games with a single in the fourth inning. The 24-year-old is now hitting .375. … Tyler Saladino played shortstop for the Knights on Saturday after serving as the team’s designated hitter for the previous five games (he's still recovering from Tommy John Surgery just over eight months ago). … Carlos Sanchez (3 for 4, RBI, R) continued his torrid pace at the plate and is now hitting a team-high .485 over seven games since his assignment to Class AAA. … Reliever Jake Petricka (with the Knights on a rehab assignment from the White Sox) threw a scoreless inning of relief with two walks and two strikeouts. ... The crowd of 10,527 was the Knights' largest of the season and their fourth sellout. 

What's next?

The Knights (7-3) and Braves (3-7) will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at BB&T Ballpark at 2:05 p.m. Shawn Haviland (0-0, 0.00) will take the ball for Charlotte across from Braves No. 3 prospect (according to MLB.com) Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 2.08).  

Game 9: Knights look to take three in a row from G-Braves

Here are the lineups:

G-Braves (3-5)

Todd Cunningham CF

Jose Peraza 2B

Cedric Hunter DH

Pedro Ciriaco 3B

Adonis Garcia LF

Elmer Reyes SS

Joe Benson RF

Braeden Schlehuber C

Barrett Kleinknecht 1B

Pitching: RHP Matt Wisler (0-0, 0.00)

Knights (5-3)

Tyler Saladino DH

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B

Engel Beltre RF

Trayce Thompson CF

Kevan Smith C

Jared Mitchell LF

Leury Garcia SS

Pitching: RHP Scott Carroll (0-1, 4.50)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730 

Notes: Last night, Charlotte rallied from a 3-0 fifth-inning deficit to defeat the G-Baves, 7-6 in 10 innings. Carlos Rodon got the start and allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of work, while striking out four. Jake Petricka made his first rehab appearance and tossed a perfect inning with one strikeout. Trayce Thompson went 3-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs. ... Gwinnett starter Matt Wisler was acquired as part of the Craig Kimbrel trade with the San Diego Padres. He's currently listed as the No. 2 prospect in the Braves' system according to MLB.com. ... The Knights placed catcher George Kottaras on the DL on Friday morning and recalled Raleigh native Jeremy Dowdy from Winston-Salem. ... Trayce Thompson extended his IL-leading hitting-streak to eight games on Thursday. The 24-year-old is hitting .419 (13-for-31) this season. ... Gwinnett won the season series with Charlotte, 13-9 in 2014.

Opening Day: Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Tides (0-0)

Nolan Reimold LF

Chris Parmelee DH

Dariel Alvarez CF

Christian Walker 1B

Steve Clevenger C

Jayson Nix 2B

Henry Urrutia RF

Michael Almanzar 3B

Paul Janish SS

Pitching: RHP Tyler Wilson (0-0, 0.00)

Knights (0-0)

Tyler Saladino SS

Leury Garcia 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B

Engel Beltre RF

Trayce Thompson CF

Matt Tuiasosopo DH

Kevan Smith C

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (0-0, 0.00)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Notes: The Charlotte Knights open their sophomore season at BB&T Ballpark against the Norfolk Tides. … Last season, the Knights watched 687,715 fans walk through their gates over the course of 71 home games – the most in all of Minor League Baseball. … Tonight’s starter for Charlotte, Brad Penny, is a veteran of 14 Major League seasons. He signed with the White Sox as a free agent back in December. The righthander owns a career record of 121-101 with a 4.29 ERA in 349 big league appearances. … Jeff Shaefer, who is the only player to have won championships with both the Charlotte O’s and Knights, will throw out tonight’s first pitch. … The Knights played in two exhibition/scrimmage games at BB&T earlier this week and won both, defeating their parent club, the Chicago White Sox 10-2 last Friday and the Davidson Wildcats 2-0 (in 6 ½ innings) on Monday. … The Knights went 11-10 against the Tides in 2014 and 8-3 against them at BB&T. … Tides’ starter, Tyler Wilson, is ranked by Baseball America as the Baltimore Orioles No. 12 prospect. He went 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts with Norfolk in 2014.

White Sox top prospects (according to Baseball America) currently on the Charlotte Knights roster: No. 1. LHP Carlos Rodon; No. 11. RHP Chris Beck; No. 14 3B Matt Davidson; No. 15 C Kevan Smith; No. 18 CF Trayce Thompson; No. 19 SS Tyler Saladino; No. 29 LF Jared Mitchell. 

Charlotte Knights - Norfolk Tides pitching matchups and notes

Knights vs. Tides @ BB&T Ballpark 

Thursday, 7:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Brad Penny (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

NOR: RHP Tyler Wilson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Friday, 7:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Chris Beck (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

NOR: RHP Mike Wright (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Saturday 7:05 p.m.

CHA: LHP Carlos Rodon (0-0, 0.00)

NOR: LHP T.J. McFarland (0-0, 0.00)

Sunday 2:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Scott Carroll (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

NOR: RHP Zach Davies (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Head to head: This is the first of seven series (22 games) between the Knights and Tides this season. The two teams will next face off April 24-26 in Norfolk.

Briefly: The Knights, who finished their inaugural season in Uptown Charlotte 63-81, return to action this season without some familiar faces. Jordan Danks, the franchise’s all-time hits leader, is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Marcus Semien and Josh Phegley were lost due to trades, Carlos Sanchez and Micah Johnson earned promotions to the big leagues and last season’s home-run leader Andy Wilkins was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. … Saturday’s scheduled starter for the Knights, Carlos Rodon, is the White Sox current top prospect and considered by many scouts to be the top lefthander in all of Class AAA ball. … Trayce Thompson, the brother of current NBA All-Star Klay, was promoted from Class AA and is expected to take over for Danks in centerfield. … 2014 White Sox, Leury Garcia and Daniel Webb have rejoined the Knights to start the season. … Tyler Saladino has recovered from Tommy John surgery and is slated to start the season as Charlotte’s shortstop. … Knights Game 1 starter Brad Penny, 37, didn’t pitch in the majors at all in 2013 and then turned in a rather unremarkable 26 innings with the Miami Marlins last season, allowing 20 runs while striking out 13 and walking 13. However, the White Sox saw enough out of the former All-Star this spring to justify stashing him in Triple-A, a decision that required a $100,000 veteran’s retention bonus to be paid to Penny in addition to his salary. … The Knights won the season series with the Tides in 2014, 11-10.