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.

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 97 lineups: Charlotte Knights open four-game series with Durham Bulls

Here are the lineups:

Bulls (49-45)
Boog Powell LF
Taylor Motter DH
Mikie Mahtook RF
J.P. Arencibia 1B
Richie Shaffer 3B
Corey Brown CF
Nick Franklin 2B
Hak-Ju Lee SS
Luke Maile C
Pitching: LHP Scott Diamond (9-3, 3.28)

Knights (54-42)
Micah Johnson 2B
Leury Garcia CF
Jason Coats LF
Matt Davidson 3B
Matt Tuiasosopo RF
Chris Marrero 1B
Kevan Smith C
Drew Garcia SS
Ethan Wilson DH
Pitching: RHP Erik Johnson (7-5, 2.73)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV/ ESPN 730

Notes: Micah Johnson was named the International League Batter of the Week on Monday after hitting .500 with seven runs scored, one home run and four stolen bases during the four-game week. Over his past five games, he has 12 hits and has scored eight runs. ... Trayce Thompson, who was removed in the bottom of the sixth inning during Sunday's game against the Norfolk Tides, is not in the Knights' starting lineup on Monday. After Sunday's game, Charlotte manager Joel Skinner said Thompson was removed from the game for precautionary reasons after dealing with leg cramps. Thompson leads the International League in games played, having played in all 96 of the Knights' games this season. ... Tyler Saladino, who was promoted from Charlotte to the Chicago White Sox on July 10, extended his hitting streak to six games on Sunday in Chicago's 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals. His lone hit during Sunday's game was his first major-league home run, which can be seen below. He is batting .308 in seven games with the White Sox.

Making memories: Watch @SaladinoTyler collect his 1st MLB HR in the 9th. http://t.co/NwL40jCIGT pic.twitter.com/YhCwe5Tv2u

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 19, 2015

Roster move: Right-handed pitcher Nate Jones was placed on the Knights' active roster on Monday as a part of his major-league rehab assignment. Jones, who had Tommy John surgery in July 2014, opened his rehab assignment with Advanced-A Winston-Salem. In three games with the Dash, he went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA.  

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 81 lineups: Knights look to avoid sweep to Braves

Here are the lineups:

Braves (42-38)
Mallex Smith CF (5-for-10 with three runs scored in first two games of series)
Jose Peraza 2B (went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Game 1)
Eric Young Jr. LF
Adonis Garcia 3B
Cedric Hunter DH (has hit two home runs and recorded six RBI in past three games)
Todd Cunningham RF
Sean Kazmar SS
Barrett Kleinknecht 1B
Jose Yepez C
Pitching: RHP Jorge Reyes (NR)

Knights (44-37)
Micah Johnson 2B (5-for-9 in first two games of series)
Tyler Saladino DH
Matt Tuiasosopo LF
Matt Davidson 3B
Tyler Colvin RF
Trayce Thompson CF
George Kottaras C (batting .317 with six home runs in 22 games this season)
Chris Marrero 1B (went 4-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 1)
Drew Garcia SS
Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (3-3, 4.31)

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

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).

Knights issue Chiefs free pass, fall 9-3 in Micah Johnson's return

Don't walk the leadoff man. It's Baseball 101.

On Friday, the Charlotte Knights' pitching staff chose to put the long-held theory to the test and paid for it in the win-loss column, dropping a 9-3 game to the Syracuse Chiefs in front of 10,534 at BB&T Ballpark.  

Statistically speaking, a leadoff walk will score 38-percent of the time. In Friday's loss, the Chiefs scored 100-percent of the time.

Syracuse batters earned free passes to begin the third, fifth and sixth innings, and in each occasion went on to post a crooked number on the scoreboard.

Erik Johnson (3-3) got the start for the Knights (19-15) and was perfect through two innings before walking Matt den Dekker to start the third inning. Following back-to-back groundouts handled easily by the newly-reassigned Micah Johnson, Emmanuel Burriss (3 for 5) ripped a triple to right-center to tie the game at 1-1.

Two innings later, Johnson missed wide with a 3-1 fastball to Steve Lerud. After the right-hander once again retired the next two batters (sacrifice bunt, strikeout), Tony Gwynn Jr. came up with a two-out RBI double to put Syracuse (16-19) on top for good.

It was the final inning for Johnson, whose final lane read: 5IP, 3H, 3R, 4BB, 5K -- 101 pitches (59 strikes).

An inning later, it was Jared Casey's turn to spot the Chiefs a runner on first. After a second walk, a wild pitch and a single, Burriss knocked in his third and fourth runs of the game with a single that bounced off the pitcher's mound and into centerfield.

Matthew Spann (1-0), who was promoted from the Class A+ Carolina League's Potomac Nationals earlier in the day, made the spot start for the Chiefs in place of A.J. Cole, who was promoted to the Nationals, and held the Knights to one unearned run on two hits over six innings.

Charlotte loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the seventh and made it a 6-3 game thanks to a RBI fielder's choice by Drew Garcia and a sacrifice fly by Johnson, but that's as close as the Knights would get, with the Chiefs adding three insurance runs in the ninth off Daniel Webb.

Quote:
"The (leadoff walks) pushed up (Johnson's) pitch count. You could probably take away 25-30 pitches just from that alone. Leadoff walks make it conducive for the other team to score, and even because of that, he still was able to pitch around it a little bit. But, you know, I think he threw close to 100 pitches through five innings." -- Knights' manager Joel Skinner. 

Worth mentioning

In his first appearance since being reassigned by the Chicago White Sox to the Knights, Micah Johnson batted leadoff and played second base. Johnson finished the night 0-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly. Johnson filled the roster spot vacated by Carlos Sanchez, whose promotion to Chicago was made official on Friday. ... Knights first baseman Dan Black (1-for-3, 2B) knocked in his 21st run of the season with a first-inning double to pull even with Matt Davidson for the team lead in RBI. ... The sellout crowd of 10,534 was the Knights' largest of the regular season and their 10th in 20 openings at BB&T Ballpark this year. The Knights posted a Minor-League best 31 sellouts in 2014. 

What's next?

The Knights will play the second game of their three-game series with the Chiefs on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at BB&T Ballpark. RHP Kyle Drabek (0-1, 1.89) will take the mound for the Knights against Chiefs’ RHP Scott McGregor (3-2 3.62).

Micah Johnson spoke after the game

Here's the transcript...

Q: What was the message from the White Sox when they reassigned you to Charlotte?

A: Nothing really, they don't tell you much. They just send you down. 

Q: That was it? They just walked in and...
A: Na, I got a phone call.

Q: What are you planning to work on in Charlotte?

A: I'm going to work on everything I've always done. I work every day at the same stuff. No need to change. I'll keep working in the cage, on the field defensively, stealing, base running. Nothing specific, I'm just going to keep working. That doesn't' change. 

Q: More confidence at the plate after facing Major League pitching all season?
A: No, I'm a pretty confident guy I think. My confidence was pretty good at the plate. I thought I held my own pretty decently at the plate, so my confidence has always been there. Tonight, I hit balls well and that's all I can do. You can't follow it, so all you can do is put the barrel to it -- which I did three times tonight -- and the rest will take care of itself.

Q: How do you feel defensively right now?
A: Great. I feel really good, really confident. My hands have been working really well. Me and (White Sox third base coach) Joe McEwing did early work pretty much every day for probably the last three weeks, just working on ground balls and everything has been great. The ground balls have been smooth really. Today, I got a chance to go out there and make a few plays, but, you know, defense is good man. I feel confident about it. 

Game 34 lineups: Micah Johnson leading off and playing second for Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

Chiefs (15-19)

Emmanuel Burriss SS

Tony Gwynn Jr. LF
Darin Mastroianni CF
Ian Stewart 3B
Mark Minicozzi DH
Kila Ka'aihue 1B

Matt den Dekker RF

Steve Lerud C
Josh Johnson 2B

Pitching: LHP Matthew Spann (NR)

Knights (19-14)

Micah Johnson 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 Erik Johnson (3-2, 4.39)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730 

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. 

Micah Johnson done for season

A lingering left hamstring issue has shelved White Sox No. 4 prospect Micah Johnson for the remainder of this season, according to comments White Sox general Manager Rick Hahn made to MLB.com on Wednesday.

The Charlotte Knights second baseman felt pain in the front of his left knee during a swing this past Saturday that was later traced back to a hamstring issue by team doctors in Chicago.

"It turned out that even though the pain was from the front of the leg, it was actually related to the same hamstring strain, so we've elected to shut him down," Hahn told MLB.com. "He's done for the season. We're going to give the strain 4-6 weeks to heal, and we expect he should be 100 percent and go into next season without restriction."

Johnson hit .294 this season with five home runs, 44 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases over stints in Class AA Birmingham and Class AAA Charlotte.

The 22 steals (on 35 attempts) over 102 games are the fewest Johnson has posted in a season since he swiped 19 in 69 games in 2012. The 23-year-old led the minor leagues in 2013 with 84 steals.

"I do feel the hamstring injury took away a little bit of the explosiveness of his speed,” Hahn told MLB.com. “He's been fighting through it. He wanted to continue to fight through it. He did not want to be shut down and felt he could play through it, but we just thought it would be more prudent to allow the thing a chance to heal and put it completely behind him."

For his part, Johnson took to twitter on Tuesday night writing: 

A disappointing ending to season but not a disappointing season. Adversity taught me how to battle each game n find new ways to help team
— Micah Johnson (@Micah_Johnson3) August 21, 2014

He would later add: 

God has a plan. This means more time to work on my health and game for an explosive 2015. Refuse to blend in.
— Micah Johnson (@Micah_Johnson3) August 21, 2014

Andy Wilkins' recent power surge and four other Charlotte Knights thoughts

Five thoughts on the Knights…

1. Without question the Knights (48-61) are playing their best baseball of the season right now. They set a season-high with five straight wins July 12-19, lost a game on the 20th, and then ripped off another five-game streak before dropping a 6-5 decision to Louisville on Saturday.

As a team, the Knights are hitting .323 in July to pace the International League, which they now lead in home runs (137), RBI (491) and runs (523). Before Sunday's Game 1 shutout loss to the Bats, they'd scored five or more runs in 15 straight games.

2. Although everyone’s been hot at the plate, Charlotte first baseman Andy Wilkins has been one of the top hitters in all of baseball over the course of his current 12-game hitting streak. Wilkins, who was named the IL’s Batter of the Week last week, is hitting .551 (27-for-49) with 10 home runs, 17 runs, five doubles, and 24 RBIs since the streak began.

Don’t think this has simply been a hot 12 games for Wilkins either, his 26 home runs are tops in the IL and so are his 70 RBIs. Wilkins has improved each month this season, hitting .183 in April, .212 in May, .306 in June, and .448 this July (entering Sunday).

“It’s just a timing thing,” said Wilkins towards the end of June. “I’d been struggling with getting my timing and keeping it consistently. I’ve had flashes of it here and there, but I’ve just been working on it, and it’s clicking right now.”

“He’s seeing the ball well and using the whole field,” said Knights manager Joel Skinner of Wilkins. “He’s staying on the ball and every once in a while he catches a mistake and doesn’t miss it.”

A left-handed first baseman with power is one of the most sought after commodities in all of baseball. However, the knock on Wilkins, who is now 25, has always been his aggressive approach at the plate. His 19 walks in 347 ABs (5.5-percent) are the fewest among any of the Knights regulars.

IL pitchers might be wise to start pitching around Wilkins, who can get himself out more often than the White Sox would like.

For now though, Wilkins -- who is averaging a HR every 14.31 ABs -- is as hot as anyone on the planet and a reason to bring your glove if you’re planning on sitting in the BB&T BallPark outfield anytime soon.

3. Jordan Danks, who is in his fifth season with Charlotte, is now just four hits shy of tying Joe Borchard for the Knights’ all-time hits record (439). In Game 2 of Sunday’s double-header he drew even with Borchard in all-time games played as well.

Assuming Danks doesn’t set the hits mark before the Knights return to Charlotte on Tuesday, I’d hope he gets one heck of an ovation from the crowd at BB&T BallPark when it happens.

Danks is a career .269 hitter in Class AAA and has a million reasons to feel jaded about still being in the minors at age 27. However, he comes to the park everyday with an, “If I’m going to be here, I may as well have fun attitude," is always willing to talk with the media, and is good for one highlight-reel play in centerfield a week.

The Knights are handing out Danks bobble-heads on August 19. That’s great and all, but it sort of feels like he deserves more…

4. It’s a small sample size so don’t go crazy, but Erik Johnson seems to have turned things around since the All-Star Break. He’s added two miles per hour back to his fastball, which sat at 91-92 in his last start at BB&T, and his trademark slider has shown more depth and movement than it has all season.

Johnson entered the year as the White Sox No. 2 prospect, behind Jose Abreu, and collapsed under the weight of lofty expectations after making the Chicago rotation out of Spring Training.

He was sent to Charlotte to get his command and confidence back, and, for three months seemed to do the opposite.

Post All-Star break, Johnson has gone 2-0 with a 4.76 ERA (inflated by one tough inning on July 17). He’s allowed just one home run (in 11.1 innings) after surrendering long balls at a 1.05/9IP rate pre break and has nine Ks to go along with just two walks.

There’s more rotation/turn in Johnson's pitching motion than I saw the first half of the season and his command has gotten back to a place where it's allowing him to set up his slider with fastballs on the outside corner. If that continues, Charlotte may soon say goodbye to the right-hander.

Johnson’s next start is happening right now, and it’s worth keeping an eye on.

5. Myers Park High School graduate and former Charlotte pitcher Jake Robbins (@jakerobbins49) has joined the Knights broadcast team of Matt Sweirad and Michael Pacheco as a color analyst for WMYT My12’s Saturday games as well as an occasional fill-in during the week.

During his time with the Knights in 2007, Robbins so endeared himself to Sweirad and Pacheco that he was their first call when they learned of the impeding TV deal with WMYT.

Robbins had no prior experience calling games at any level, but has slid into the role well. His knowledge of the game and rapport with the players has added another element to an already top-notch broadcast team.

Emptying out the notebook: 

- Micah Johnson is hitting .364 in July and is now fully healthy after a mid-season hamstring strain. If the White Sox move Gordon Beckham, he's ready to step right in. The one aspect of his game to keep an eye on is his defense. Johnson will make plays in the field no one else can because of his elite speed, but then misplay a routine ground ball. He's still only 23.   

- Asked the Knights strength and conditioning coach Chad Efron to name the strongest two guys (in terms of weight they're consistently putting up) on the team. One (Josh Phegley) wasn't a surprise. The other, (Micah Johnson) was. 

- Michael Taylor has hit .302 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 30 games with Charlotte and has, by all accounts, been an excellent presence in the clubhouse. He was the No. 29 prospect in the game in 2009, but has never been able to fully put it together. That the Knights have gone 24-15 since adding the 28-year-old on June 17 from the Oakland Athletics Class AAA affiliate isn't mere coincidence. 

Game 97: Charlotte Knights vs. Syracuse Chiefs

Here are the lineups:

Knights (39-58)

Marcus Semien SS

Tyler Saladino DH

Jordan Danks CF

Matt Davidson 3B

Andy Wilkins 1B

Matt Tuiasosopo LF

Michael Taylor RF

Miguel Gonzalez C

Justin Jirschele 2B*

Pitching: RHP Bobby Doran (2-4, 5.36 ERA w/ OKC)**

Chiefs (56-38)

Jeff Kobernus CF

Will Rhymes 2B

Steven Souza Jr. RF

Tyler Moore 1B

Zach Walters 3B

Destin Hood LF

Greg Dobbs DH

Sandy Leon C

Josh Johnson SS

Pitching: RHP Taylor Hill (9-3, 2.04 ERA)

*Triple-A Debut

** Charlotte Knights Debut

Game time: 2:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Notes: Carlos Sanchez was officially called up to the Chicago White Sox today. He’s starting at shortstop and batting second. … 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. … In another move this morning, the White Sox have 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 last night’s game) to the roster, which now stands at 25. … Micah Johnson is set to play for the US Team in today’s Futures Game at Minnesota’s Target Field. You can catch the game live starting at 3 p.m. on the MLB Network. … Chiefs’ starter Taylor Hill currently leads the IL with a 2.04 ERA.

Sans Carlos Sanchez, Knights patch together 5-3 win over Syracuse Chiefs

When this season began, Tyler Saladino and Carlos Sanchez were the Knights starters up the middle.

Since then, Marcus Semien – a utility infielder / fledgling outfielder – and Micah Johnson – a second baseman – have each made their ways to Charlotte and in doing so created one of those problems an organization loves to have: too many quality middle infielders for two positions each night.

On Saturday, against all odds, Charlotte’s logjam up the middle turned into its greatest need in a 5-3 win over the Syracuse Chiefs in front of 10,378 at BB&T BallPark.

With Johnson on his way to play in the 2014 Futures Game, Saladino relegated to DH duties with a sore throwing arm, and Sanchez (according to sources) taking his talents to Cleveland to join the Chicago White Sox, Knights manager Joel Skinner found himself in need of a shortstop.

His solution was to give Matt Davidson, the Knights normal third baseman, his first professional start at the six, and to move Matt Tuiasosopo from left to third.

“I just went into the clubhouse and said, “Hey, you’re playing short and you’re playing third,”’ said Skinner. “I moved Marcus over to second because I didn’t want to play against the grain from a standpoint of turning two.”

The patchwork lineup performed well in support of starter Daniel McCutchen, who gave the Knights a much-needed 6.2 innings, while striking out six and surrendering three runs.

“It was a whirlwind kind of,” said Davidson, who had never played shortstop before in his life. “Luckily I had Marcus (Semien) out there to tell me what to do because I had no idea. It was fun.. I have a new found respect for those middle infield guys.” 

At one point in the sixth inning, Davidson fielded a ball deep in the hole and jumped up like you’re used to seeing Derek Jeter do in an effort to make the throw to first, while falling away from the play.

The throw sailed wide of the bag and the runner was safe, but the attempt was undeniably fun to watch.

“I kind of missed my shot,” said Davidson with a laugh. “That was my time to shine and I just over corrected too much. I think the angle from third is a little steeper. I didn’t need to correct it as much. That’s at least what I’m going to tell everyone.” 

McCutchen ultimately took a no-decision, but with only Taylor Thompson (2-0) – who tossed the game’s final 2.1 innings – Nelvin Fuentes and Henry Rodriguez available in the Charlotte pen, his effort was not lost on Skinner or his teammates.

“McCutchen was outstanding,” said Skinner. “To get us into the seventh inning (was huge) and then the job Taylor did… Both those guys were huge tonight. They were definitely the keys to the game.”

“It was big,” said Thompson of McCutchen’s performance. “He got us into the seventh and we needed it bad because we were stretched out. We needed at least six and he did that and I was lucky enough to get through the last few innings for us to get the win.”

The Knights (39-58), who took the lead for good in the eighth when Michael Taylor doubled home Tuiasosopo with Manny Delcarmen (3-3) pitching for the Chiefs (57-38), finished with 12 hits. Jordan Danks (3-for-3, R RBI) and Marcus Semien (2-for-5, R, three RBI) each hit home runs.

The two-hit night raised Semien’s average to .221 with the Knights after he had been below the Mendoza line for the better part of the last month.

Following the two-run eighth inning, Thompson struck out Zach Walters on a splitter with the tying run on second to end the game

“I didn’t want to let that game get away from us,” said Thompson. “We worked too hard to not win that game and we’d let the last few games get away from us. I just wanted to make sure and close it out no matter what.”

Charlotte can secure a series split with the Chiefs (57-38) with a win in the final game of their four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The newly acquired (from the Houston Astros) Bobby Doran is slated to start.

Notes: Following Saturday’s White Sox game, Chicago optioned RHP Andre Rienzo to the Knights. The native of Brazil was 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA in 14 appearances with the White Sox.

Game 96: Charlotte Knights vs. Syracuse Chiefs

Here are the lineups:

Knights (38-58)

Marcus Semien 2B

Tyler Saladino DH

Josh Phegley C

Jordan Danks CF

Matt Davidson SS*

Andy Wilkins 1B

Matt Tuiasosopo 3B

Blake Tekotte LF

Michael Taylor RF

Pitching: RHP Daniel McCutchen (0-0, 9.72 ERA)

Chiefs (56-37)

Emmanuel Burriss SS

Zach Walters 2B

Steven Souza Jr. CF

Tyler Moore DH

Brandon Laird 3B

Greg Dobbs 1B

Destin Hood RF

Jhonatan Solano C

Josh Johnson LF

Pitching: RHP Josh Roenicke (4-4, 4.97 ERA)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730

Notes: Following today’s White Sox game, Chicago optioned RHP Andre Rienzo to the Knights. According to reports out of Chicago, the team plans to add a position player to take Rienzo’s place on the Major League roster. … Just before 6 p.m. today, Knights 2B/ SS Carlos Sanchez was scratched from Charlotte’s lineup and “put on hold” to join the White Sox, according to Knights manager Joel Skinner. … Chicago SS Alexei Ramiez left today’s game in the fourth inning with a back issue. … Tyler Saladino is DHing today because of what Skinner called a “minor forearm thing.” … Knights 2B Micah Johnson is already on his way to the Futures Game (he left at 8 a.m.) and not currently with the club. As a result, Matt Davidson is making his first professional start at SS tonight and Matt Tuiasosopo (who has Major League experience at the position) is starting at 3B.

Knights drop second straight to Syracuse, 16-9

Knights’ pitchers turned in five one-two-three innings and two more in which they allowed just one hit on Friday night.

Unfortunately, they also tossed two of the uglier innings any of the 10,295 fans at BB&T BallPark have probably ever seen in what ended up being a 16-9 face-palm-inducing loss to the Syracuse Chiefs.

With the White Sox playing on Friday, Deunte Heath – who was the day’s scheduled starter – was held out of the game incase Chicago required his services later this week, leaving the Knights short staffed.  

The lack of a safety net loomed large in the fifth inning, when the Knights (38-58) allowed six runs to turn a 5-0 edge into a one-run deficit.  It then loomed much larger in the eighth inning when they surrendered a season-worst 10 runs.

The 16 runs allowed was a season-high for Charlotte, who entered the eighth with a 7-6 edge and fell to 0-2 in its four-game series with the Chiefs (57-37).

“We were under the gun with the amount of pitchers we had available tonight,” Knights manager Joel Skinner said. “You hate to see that happen, but we just in a bind there. The guys understand that it’s a bullpen day and when the score gets to a certain point, you (don’t have a choice).

“It’s one game,” Skinner continued. “We play 144. We’ll just move forward.”

In both the fifth and eighth innings, Syracuse first baseman Tyler Moore hit bases-clearing doubles. Moore finished the night 3-for-5 with a season-high six runs knocked in.

In two games against the Knights this season, Moore is now 5-for-10 with a home run and eight RBIs.

Parker Frazier (0-1) began the eighth inning for the Knights having already been stretched two and 1/3 innings and failed to retire a batter before being replaced by Donnie Veal four batters in.

Veal fared worse, allowing the next four Chiefs batters to reach base before recording the inning’s first out. When the dust finally settled, every Syracuse batter had reached base and scored in the eighth except for Steven Souza Jr.

Moore scored twice.

The game began promisingly enough for Charlotte, with Matt Zaleski tossing three scoreless innings and the Knights posting five runs in four innings of Syracuse starter Aaron Laffey, who entered the game leading the IL with 11 wins.

Maikel Cleto came on in relief of Zaleski and was charged with five of the six runs the Chiefs scored in the fifth. 

The Knights offense finished with 15 hits – three by Micah Johnson (3-for-5, two RBIs) and Josh Phegley (3-for-5, RBI, R), while the Chiefs finished with 17 – 15 of which came in their two big innings.

“It’s a tough one,” said Johnson. “We play so many games that you can’t really dwell on it because you don’t have time to. We play the next day. It’s not like the NFL where you have time and play once a week, so you think about it for a little bit, but need to get things going again the next day.”   

Notes: According to Joel Skinner, Deunte Heath was scratched from Fridays start because the White Sox informed the Knights manager that they might need him.  

Charlotte Knights vs. Louisville Bats probables and notes

Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.

RHP Shawn Hill (0-1, 3.27 ERA)

RHP Josh Smith (8-1, 3.83 ERA)

Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.

RHP Deunte Heath (3-1, 2.61 ERA)

RHP Brett Marshall (0-2, 8.10 ERA)

Thursday 7:05 p.m.

LHP Eric Surkamp (3-4, 4.54)

RHP Chien-Ming Wang (7-5, 3.76)

Friday 7:05 p.m.

RHP Erik Johnson (1-5, 6.38 ERA)

LHP David Holmberg (0-4, 6.88 ERA)

Head to head: This is the first of two four-game series between the Knights and Bats. The Knights will play four games in Louisville July 25-28.

Briefly: Carlos Sanchez currently leads the Knights in average (.299), hits (86), RBI (34) and stolen bases (11). … The Knights entered Monday leading the IL in home runs with 81. They finished the day with 84 after Matt Davidson (12), Andy Wilkins (12) and Jordan Danks (10) went deep. … Bats top catching prospect (and No. 10 prospect overall according to Baseball America) Tucker Barnhart is hitting .367 over his last 10 games. ... The Observer put together a ~1,400 word feature on Knights second baseman Micah Johnson over the last road trip and David Foster got some great pictures. 

As always, thanks for reading.