Game 98 lineups: Durham Bulls at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Bulls (49-46)
Boog Powell LF
Ryan Brett 2B
Taylor Motter RF
J.P. Arencibia 1B
Richie Shaffer 3B
Corey Brown CF
Nick Franklin DH
Hak-Ju Lee SS
Bobby Wilson C
Pitching: LHP Everett Teaford (4-6, 5.58)

Knights (55-42)
Micah Johnson 2B (his .333 batting average ranks second in the International League)
Leury Garcia SS (currently third in the IL with 27 stolen bases this season)
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B (tied for second in the IL with 15 home runs this season)
Matt Tuiasosopo RF (has hit a team-leading six home runs in July)
Trayce Thompson CF
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin DH
Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (4-3, 3.94)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Game 96 lineups: Knights look to split four-game series with Tides

Here are the lineups:

Tides (52-40)
Henry Urrutia DH
Rey Navarro SS
Christian Walker 1B
Dariel Alvarez RF
Steve Clevenger C
Sean Halton LF
Michael Almanzar 3B
Julio Borbon CF
Derrik Gibson 2B
Pitching: RHP Zach Davies (3-5, 2.70)

Knights (53-42)
Micah Johnson 2B (has nine hits over his past four games)
Leury Garcia SS (hitting .348 in July)
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B (leads International League third basemen with a .965 fielding percentage)
Matt Tuiasosopo RF
Trayce Thompson CF (one home run away from 100 in his minor-league career)
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin DH
Pitching: RHP Shawn Haviland (4-5, 4.09)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Game 94 lineups: Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Tides (51-39)
Henry Urrutia RF
Rey Navarro 2B
Christian Walker 1B
Dariel Alvarez DH
Steve Clevenger C
Sean Halton LF
Michael Almanzar 3B
Julio Borbon CF
Paul Janish SS
Pitching: RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 0.00)

Knights (52-41)
Micah Johnson 2B (hitting .383 in July with 16 runs scored)
Leury Garcia SS (batting .314 in July)
Jason Coats LF (hitting .326 in July with nine RBI and seven runs scored)
Matt Davidson 3B (tied for third in the International League with 14 home runs this season)
Matt Tuiasosopo RF
Trayce Thompson CF (one home run away from 100 for his minor-league career)
Chris Marrero 1B (his .375 batting average since July 2 is the seventh highest in the IL)
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin DH
Pitching: RHP Scott Carroll (3-2, 2.10)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

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 86 lineups: Charlotte Knights host Durham Bulls for three-game series

Here are the lineups:

Bulls (44-40)
Boog Powell RF
Tim Beckham SS
Corey Brown LF
J.P. Arencibia 1B
Richie Shaffer 3B
Nick Franklin 2B
Mikie Mahtook CF
Vince Belnome DH
Luke Maile C
Pitching: RHP Jose Dominguez (0-1, 5.19)

Knights (48-37)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino 3B
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson DH
Tyler Colvin RF
Trayce Thompson CF
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Leury Garcia SS
Pitching: RHP Junior Guerra (0-3, 2.91)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Notes: Durham right-hander Matt Andriese was originally scheduled to start for the Bulls before being called up to the Tampa Bay Rays. He will start Game 2 of Tampa's doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals at 8:10 p.m. ... Knights third baseman Matt Davidson has been selected to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday at Werner Park in Omaha, Neb. Davidson, who is tied for second in the International League with 13 home runs, won the 2013 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby as a member of the Reno Aces. Davidson was elected to start Wednesday's All-Star game as the IL's designated hitter. ... Dan Hayes of Comcast SportsNet Chicago says Charlotte right-hander Erik Johnson is having his workload monitored by the Chicago White Sox and will return to action on Friday in Norfolk. Johnson is 7-5 on the season with a 2.86 ERA. He hasn't pitched since June 26 at Rochester.

Erik Johnson will pitch few innings Fri, then in Triple-A All-Star Game & return to rotation on reg rest. #WhiteSox monitoring workload.

— Dan Hayes (@CSNHayes) July 7, 2015

Game 65 lineups: Pawtucket Red Sox at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Red Sox (32-33)
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Quintin Berry LF
Bryce Brentz RF
Travis Shaw 3B
Allen Craig 1B
Deven Marrero SS
Luke Montz DH
Humberto Quintero C
Mike Miller 2B
Pitching: RHP Jess Todd (2-2, 5.28)

Knights (35-29)
Micah Johnson DH
Tyler Saladino 2B
Matt Tuiasosopo LF
Matt Davidson 3B (in a three-way tie for the International League home run lead with 10)
Trayce Thompson CF (second in the IL with 25 extra-base hits and third in total bases with 108)
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Tyler Colvin RF
Leury Garcia SS (second in the IL with 23 steals)
Pitching: RHP Miguel Chalas (0-1, 8.22)

Notes: The Knights expect to welcome their 1-millionth fan to BB&T BallPark on Wednesday. Since it opened in 2014, BB&T BallPark has seen 999,393 fans enter its gates, meaning the Knights are 607 fans short of the mark. Read about the prizes the 1-millionth fan will receive here. ... Charlotte enter's Wednesday night's game in third place in the IL South Division, sitting 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Durham Bulls. ... RHP Scott Carroll (3-2, 2.37) was originally scheduled to pitch for the Knights before being scratched this afternoon.

Game 55 lineups: Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Tides (31-23)
Henry Urrutia DH
Dariel Alvarez CF
Chris Parmelee RF
Nolan Reimold LF
Christian Walker 1B
David Freitas C
Michael Almanzar 3B
Derrik Gibson 2B
Paul Janish SS
Pitching: LHP Chris Jones (1-3, 2.61)

Knights (30-24)
Micah Johnson 2B
Tyler Saladino SS
Jason Coats LF (tied for fifth in the International League with 31 RBI)
Matt Davidson 3B (leads the IL with nine home runs)
Matt Tuiasosopo 1B
Trayce Thompson CF (batting .385 in eight games against Norfolk this season)
Neftali Soto DH
Kevan Smith C
Leury Garcia RF (second in the IL with 20 stolen bases)
Pitching: Scott Carroll (2-1, 1.83)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Game 50 lineups: Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

IronPigs (20-31)
Brian Bogusevic CF
Tyler Henson 2B
Domonic Brown DH
Russ Canzler LF
Jordan Danks RF
Cord Phelps 3B
Chris McGuiness 1B
Blake Forsythe C
Jayson Nix SS
Pitching: RHP Chris Leroux (0-0. 7.36)

Knights (28-21)
Micah Johnson 2B (has reached base in nine of 10 games this season with Charlotte)
Tyler Saladino SS
Jason Coats LF (hitting .295 in the month of May)
Matt Davidson DH (has hit three home runs during Charlotte's current homestand)
Matt Tuiasosopo 1B (batting .326 at BB&T BallPark this season)
Trayce Thompson CF
George Kottaras C
Tyler Colvin RF
Leury Garcia 3B (eight hits over his last three games)
Pitching: RHP Scott Carroll (1-1, 2.45)

Game time: 2:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Back-to-back home runs by Soto and Davidson lead Knights to walk-off win

The Charlotte Knights used back-to-back home runs by Neftali Soto and Matt Davidson to begin the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a 8-7 walk-off win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the opening game of a four-game series in front of 9,089 at BB&T Ballpark on Thursday.

Soto stepped to the plate to lead off the ninth against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre left-hander Tyler Webb (0-2) and sent a 2-1 fastball rocketing into the left-field bleachers to tie the game at 7.

Two pitches later, Davidson stayed back on a curveball and launched his team-leading fifth home run of the season and was subsequently mobbed at the plate by his teammates. 

Davidson's long ball came to rest just a few rows back of Soto’s. 

After falling behind 6-0 in Kyle Drabek’s BB&T Ballpark debut, the Knights (13-7) rallied for three runs in the fourth inning, two more in the fifth, and then tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh on a double off the bat of Dan Black that brought home Trayce Thompson, who had tripled earlier in the frame.

The RailRiders (10-12) pushed home the go-ahead run on a single up the middle in the top of the ninth inning off Eric Surkamp (2-0). On the play, Cole Figueroa used a nice slide to avoid Kevan Smith's attempted tag at the plate. 

The walk-off win was the Knights’ second in four games. 

Quote

“We’re just pretty explosive. Everyone’s contributing. It’s not like it’s just one part of the lineup that’s getting all the runs. Everyone in this lineup has experience and is a good hitter, so we’re pretty lethal top to bottom.” – Knights’ third baseman Matt Davidson, when asked how the Knights have been able to stay in almost every game this season.

Worth mentioning

With two more hits on Thursday, Charlotte Knights’ designated hitter Dan Black has now reached base in 19-straight games (dating back to last season). Black has also hit in 11-straight contests. He entered Thursday leading the International League in on-base percentage (.471) and slugging percentage (.714). ... White Sox reliever Javy Guerra tossed a scoreless seventh inning with one walk and one strikeout in his second MLB rehab appearance with the Knights. … With his 2-for-4 performance on Thursday night, Charlotte second baseman Carlos Sanchez (268) is now just one hit shy of 10^th place all-time on the Knights’ hits list (Lou Lucca has 269). Despite playing with the White Sox for the first week of the season, Sanchez’ 26 hits are tied for the third-most in the IL. ... The Knights improved to 4-4 this season when trailing after five innings. ... Friday’s game will be the first of the season where pitchers (with a called ball) and batters (with a called strike) will be penalized for pitch timer violations.

What's next?

The Knights will play the second game of their four-game series with the RailRiders at BB&T Ballpark on Friday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Shawn Haviland (0-1, 3.45) will take the mound for the Knights across from LHP Matt Tracy (0-0, 6.00).

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).

Brad Penny and Charlotte Knights fall to Durham Bulls, 12-8

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 6^th 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.

Game 2: Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Tides (0-1)

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 Mike Wright (0-0, 0.00)

Knights (1-0)

Tyler Saladino SS

Leury Garcia 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B

Engel Beltre DH

Trayce Thompson CF

Matt Tuiasosopo RF

Kevan Smith C

Jared Mitchell LF

Pitching: RHP Chris Beck (0-0, 0.00)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730

Notes: Thursday's game was only four-pitches old when Tides’ DH Chris Parmelee hit the first home run at BB&T Ballpark of 2015. Excluding stadiums situated roughly 3,000 feet above sea level; no Minor League ballpark saw more home runs per game (2.65) than BB&T in 2014. ... Last night's attendance of 10,514 was the fourth-largest ever at BB&T Ballpark and 33rd sellout. Including the White Sox-Knights exhibition game, the Knights scrimmage against Davidson and the UNC-Charlotte-N.C. State college game, the Knights have already welcomed 31,409 fans through the gates this summer. ... Tonight's starter Chris Beck is ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the White Sox system according to Baseball America. Beck, 24, made four appearances this spring, posting a 4.00 ERA with six strikeouts in nine innings of work. Baseball America credits Beck with having the best changeup in the White Sox system, but scouts have really liked what they've seen from his slider this spring. ... Matt Davidson's home run on Thursday was the 101st of his career, which began in 2009. ... Norfolk starter Mike Wright -- who stands an imposing 6-feet-6-inches -- was the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2013. He was drafted in the third round of the 2011 draft out of East Carolina University. 

White Sox prospect Matt Davidson hoping for a return to form in 2015

It’s remarkable the difference a year can make.

Matt Davidson arrived in Charlotte in 2014 as the Knights most-exciting prospect. For three-straight seasons his name had appeared on Baseball America’s list of the Top 100 Prospects in the game (reaching as high as No. 72 in 2013).

Things were trending in the right direction for the former No. 35 overall pick in 2009.

The Chicago White Sox thought enough of the power-hitting third baseman that they were willing to send closer Addison Reed to the Arizona Diamondbacks as compensation for Davidson’s services.

What happened next was a disaster.

Davidson – who entered the year a .268 career minor-league hitter -- turned in one of the worst seasons of any White Sox minor leaguer, hitting just .199, while striking out in a cringe-worthy 34.3 percent of his at bats.

This season, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound 24-year-old arrived in Charlotte without any fan fair, as seemingly written off by White Sox fans as Reed.

   

In 2014, he had arrived in Charlotte disappointed to have not made the White Sox. High expectations, combined with some off-the-field personal issues left him numb entering the year, and a slow first month only made things worse.

“I think I just had a lot of things going on in my head and there was some other stuff on top of that,” said Davidson. “I almost kind of took a passive approach to my season and my life during those six-seven months.

“There were little things that I just didn’t take that aggressive approach towards,” Davidson continued. “Now, just having the offseason to kind of forget about things, I feel like I’ve got that energy back and I’m just ready with a different mind set this year.”

Knights hitting coach Andy Tomberlin took a moment to talk about Davidson on Tuesday.

“If you’re struggling, it can be tough,” he said. “Every day when you look up at the scoreboard after they announce your name and your batting average isn’t what you’d like, it gives you a little gut check. Now he’s got a clean slate and knows there are a lot of good things ahead of him and a bright future there.”

The silver lining of last season (if you can call it that) was that it allowed Davidson to come to Spring Training this season fully expecting to break camp with Charlotte. After recording two hits in 14 at-bats with the White Sox (he was limited by a sore left shoulder), he was reassigned to the minor league camp.

This time, the news didn’t shake him up. 

“We pretty much knew for a fact that I was coming back (to Charlotte)," he said. "So, I just wanted to make sure that I was mentally ready to be here and I feel like I’ve accomplished that.”

Mechanically, Tomberlin hasn’t tinkered too much with Davidson’s swing.

“There are guys that are going to swing and miss,” Tomberlin said. “But, I think that the way he swings and misses, he’s going to tighten up on a lot of that. I think that some of the balls that he was fouling off last season, he’s going to connect with.

“Matt is using simpler moves this year. He was getting pretty big with things last year and I think that’s where it started to show that he was trying to do too much. The game will tell you that you need to make adjustments.

“It’s also important," Tomberlin said in his most Zen-masterish of tones, "to not look past the baseball.”

From the sounds of things, Davidson’s taking his coach’s advice to heart.

“I still remember not having much of a feeling for Opening Day last year and I think just the fact that I’m really excited this year is a huge telling point of where I’m at,” Davidson said. “I’m just really excited to play baseball again. I’m glad to be back in a great position and I’m ready to start the year.”

The question now is, what kind of a difference will this year make?

Game 101: Charlotte Knights vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Here are the lineups:

Knights (42-58)

Micah Johnson 2B

Marcus Semien SS

Josh Phegley C

Jordan Danks CF

Matt Davidson 3B

Andy Wilkins 1B

Matt Tuiasosopo LF

Michael Taylor RF

Dan Black DH

Pitching: RHP Andre Rienzo (0-2, 4.80 ERA)

RailRiders (46-53)

Jose Pirela 2B

Rob Refsynder RF

Zoilo Almonte DH

Adonis Garcia 3B

Kyle Roller 1B

Austin Romine C

Taylor Dugas LF

Antoan Richardson CF

Carmen Angelini SS

Pitching: LHP Nik Turley (0-1, 5.82 ERA)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: WMYT My12 / ESPN 730 

Notes: Andre Rienzo is making his fourth start of the season for the Charlotte Knights, and first since returning to Class AAA from the Chicago White Sox on July 13. In 14 games in the Major Leagues this season, Rienzo went 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA. … Andy Wilkins and Josh Phegley have feasted on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitching this season. Wilkins is 16-for-25 (.640) with 10 runs scored, four doubles, a triple and five home runs. Phegley is 11-for-21 (.524) with two home runs. Phegley is currently in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak, the longest this season by any Knights player. … With a HR last night, Wilkins took over the IL-lead with 19, one ahead of teammate Matt Davidson. … The Knights are expecting to surpass 500,000 in attendance tonight. They’re averaging a MiLB-best 9,639 fans per game.  

Game 100: Charlotte Knights vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders

Here are the lineups:

Knights (41-58)

Micah Johnson 2B

Marcus Semien SS

Josh Phegley C

Jordan Danks CF

Matt Davidson 3B

Andy Wilkins 1B

Matt Tuiasosopo LF

Blake Tekotte RF

Michael Taylor DH

Pitching: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (8-5, 3.70 ERA w/ LOU)

RailRiders (46-52)

Jose Pirela RF

Rob Refsynder 2B

Zoilo Almonte LF

Adonis Garcia 3B

Kyle Roller 1B

John Ryan Murphy C

Corban Joseph DH

Carmen Angelini SS

Taylor Dugas CF

Pitching: RHP Chris Leroux (2-2, 4.44 ERA)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Notes: Chien-Ming Wang, who signed with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, is making his Knights debut tonight. He was 8-5 with a 3.70 ERA in 19 games before opting out of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds last week. Wang won 19 games in back-to-back seasons (2006-07) with the New York Yankees. … On June 26, Wang allowed two unearned runs on three hits in 7.2 innings against Charlotte while pitching for the Louisville Bats. … Andy Wilkins (two HR last night) and Matt Davidson (HR last night) are tied atop the International League with 18 home runs. They’ve been battling back-and-forth for the team lead for the last two months. They have homered on the same day five times and a day apart from each other another five times. … With two runs scored on Thursday night, Jordan Danks moved into a tie with Joe Borchard for first all-time in runs scored (237) for the Knights.

Erik Johnson sharp as Knights pound six home runs in 9-5 win over RailRiders

You could see the anger starting to boil over for Erik Johnson in the sixth inning of Thursday’s 9-5 Charlotte Knights win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders when the right-hander failed to get the call on a two-strike fastball that looked to catch the inside corner of the plate.

Knights’ catcher Josh Phegley held the ball in place for a couple extra seconds, Charlotte players barked from the bench, and Johnson took a jab at the return throw from Phegley that would have made Ali look twice.

It wasn’t so much the umpiring that had Johnson on edge, as much as it was the four-run inning by the RailRiders in front of 10,255 at BB&T BallPark that he just couldn’t escape.

“That’s baseball and that’s how it goes down sometimes,” said Johnson (3-6), who had cruised through the game’s first five innings, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts.

“You’ve got to go with the punches and remember that you get the ball again in five days," he continued. "There are frustrating parts, but you’ve got to take away the positives and keep building and working.”  

In a season that’s seemingly been a never-ending series of one step forward followed by two steps back for Johnson, whose ERA now stands at 6.80, the All-Star break was a chance to hit reset and his first five innings were exactly what he’d hoped they would be.

“You could tell I had my command and I was hitting the glove and working ahead and punching guys out,” said Johnson, whose final line read: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4ER), 5K. 

“My hits were down and there were no walks tonight," Johnson said. "It was one of the sharpest outings I’ve had. I’ve been working on a few things and I thought they all came together tonight.”

The Knights (41-58), who won for the third consecutive game, pounded out a season-high six home runs in support of Johnson, with two coming from Andy Wilkins (3-for-4) and Matt Davidson, Marcus Semien, Phegley and Jordan Danks all joining in the fun.

Davidson (1-for-4) and Wilkins are now tied atop the International League with 18 home runs each. Charlotte entered the day leading the IL in home runs (117), 32 more than second-placed Toledo (85). 

“It’s a lot easier when guys all over the lineup are working the counts, getting on, and putting pressure on the pitcher,” said Davidson. “With (Wilkins and I) having the team lead, we may as well battle back and forth. If I hit one, he seems to hit one and the other way around. We’ve got a good little competition going on."

Johnson’s pitch immediately following the one in the sixth where he didn’t get the call was laced back up the middle for the RailRiders' fifth hit of the inning and led to Knights manager Joel Skinner turning the game over to the bullpen.

The inning had gotten away from Johnson, but the Knights defense had also made an error, failed to turn a double play and allowed an infield single.

“He went through the lineup and had the one inning where it seemed like we couldn’t make a play,” said Skinner of Johnson’s performance. “We expanded that inning on Erik.

“I though that the first three innings he went right through the lineup and faced the minimum,” Skinner continued. “He was just pitching tonight and that’s what we’ve seen from him in the past and that’s what he did tonight.”

You could see Johnson talking to himself as he walked off the mound, but as soon as he reached the dugout, the pats on the back began.

“That’s the sharpest I’ve seen (Johnson) all year,” said Wilkins, who is hitting .405 (17-for-42) over his last 10 games with four home runs. “He was pounding the zone and throwing strikes. He did a good job and wasn’t behind too many hitters. He just came out and attacked and it was good to see.”

Notes: Prior to the game, the Chicago White Sox announced the signing of Chien-Ming Wang and his subsequent assignment to the Charlotte Knights. Wang, who recently opted out of his contract with Cincinnati, posted an 8-5 record with a 3.70 ERA in 19 games for the Triple-A Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds organization) this season. He is scheduled to start on Friday. … In a separate move, the team also traded starter Dylan Axelrod to the Cincinnati organization.

Knights enter All-Star break on high note with 13-8 win over Syracuse

Matt Tuiasosopo and Michael Taylor found themselves together on the Charlotte Knights roster for the first time on June 16.

The Knights entered that day 22 games below .500 on the season and with a clubhouse atmosphere that would have made Charlie Brown seem upbeat on his lowest of days.

On Sunday, a team that would be barely recognizable to the one that struggled through the first half of the season entered the All-Star break fresh off a 13-8 win over the International League-leading Syracuse Chiefs in front of 8,565 at BB&T BallPark.

The win improved the Knights to 17-12 since the acquisitions of Tuiasosopo (on 6/12) and Taylor (6/14) and salvaged a series split.

“Before I got here, there had been some struggles and we’ve talked about it,” said Taylor, who went 2-for-4 with a grand slam on Sunday. “But it seems maybe within the first week I was here, the mood changed.

“It changed from ‘Oh no, here we go again', or, 'How are we going to score enough runs?’ To one where it feels like if (the other team) scores three runs, that we feel like we’ll come back and score five.”

In the case of Sunday’s win, The Chiefs (57-39) scored three runs in the top of the first off Bobby Doran (1-0) in his Charlotte debut and the Knights (40-58) responded with eight of their own in the bottom half.

Both Marcus Semien (3-for-4) and Matt Davidson (2-for-4) hit home runs in the first inning, with Semien also adding a double to jumpstart a 13-hit day for a Charlotte offense that has hit .334 over its last 11 games.

The home run for Davidson was his league-leading (among active players) 17th of the season.

Taylor Hill (9-4), who started the game for the Chiefs, entered the day with the IL’s lowest earned run average (2.04), but lasted just 1/3 of an inning and allowed six hits, a walk, and seven earned runs. The outing was the shortest of Hill’s season by 3 and 2/3’s innings and upped his ERA to 2.63.

The eight runs were a season-high for an inning for Charlotte, and gave Doran, who wound up allowing four runs while scattering six hits and striking out six over five innings, new life.

“The first inning wasn’t what I was hoping it would be,” said Doran, who needed 38 pitches to get through the frame. “I think just the situation, having a new team, new environment, new catcher, just all that kind of stuff just built up.

“That bottom half really took the edge off a three-run top of the first,” Doran continued. “I was able to get a breather, regroup myself, and go back at it.”

In a way, Doran’s start was a lot like the Knights season. They were roughed up early on, but have since regrouped and gotten back at it.

Asked about what the presence of Tuiasosopo – who reached base three times on Sunday – and Taylor has meant to the team, Knights manger Joel Skinner didn’t mix words.

“The way they go about their business (stands out),” he said. “Those guys have been at this level and they’ve brought a mature atmosphere to our clubhouse. They’re just good people and it’s rubbed off on everyone.”

Notes: Carlos Sanchez was officially called up to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. He started at shortstop and went 0-for-5. … The Knights called up Justin Jirschele from (A+) Winston-Salem to take Sanchez’ roster spot. Jirschele was hitting .343 (34-for-99) in 33 games with the Dash. He finished 0-for-3 with a RBI … In another move, the White Sox released RHP Henry Rodriguez (0-1, 21.60 ERA in 1.2 IP) and added RHP Andre Rienzo (who was optioned back to Triple-A by Chicago following Saturday night’s game) to the roster. Rienzo threw two innings on Sunday and allowed one run … Micah Johnson played for the US Team in Sunday's Futures Game at Minnesota’s Target Field and finished 0-for-2. ... Tyler Saladino (forearm strain) has been ruled out for Wednesday's Triple-A All Star game.