Knights close seven-game home stand with 6-5 loss to RailRiders

An otherwise successful seven-game home stand came to an end with a 6-5 Charlotte Knights’ loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,349 at BB&T Ballpark on Sunday.

The Knights (14-9), who currently sit a game ahead of the Durham Bulls for first place in the International League, finished the home stand 4-3, after taking two of three from the Toledo Mud Hens and splitting a four-game set with the RailRiders (12-13).

On Sunday, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took advantage of Brad Penny’s (1-3, 7.27 ERA) lack of pinpoint control, knocking the Knights’ 36-year-old right-hander out of that game after four innings of work.

Penny – who made his second start since his return from the disabled list – allowed five runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out five, while throwing just 62-percent strikes (59 of 93).

The Knights scored all except one of their runs in the second inning off RailRiders’ southpaw Eric Wooten (1-3, 5.16 ERA). Matt Davidson led the inning off with a walk. After a single by Trayce Thompson, Dan Black also earned a free pass, loading the bases with no outs.

An Engel Beltre fielder’s choice brought home Davidson, before Jason Coats connected on a two-run double to centerfield that bounced in and out of the glove of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre centerfielder. Jeremy Dowdy then doubled home Coats to tie the game at 4-4.

The RailRiders added a run in the fourth and Kyle Roller took Eric Surkamp deep in the seventh for the eventual game-winning run.      

  

Quote

“He’s coming off missing a couple starts, so he is still a bit of a work in progress. I think the key at this stage right now is on the physical side of things, and today he was able to throw 90 or so pitches. Obviously he wants to be more efficient, but on the flipside of that, the physical parts looked good.” – Knights’ manager Joel Skinner on Brad Penny.

Worth mentioning

With a hit and a walk on Sunday, Charlotte Knights’ designated hitter Dan Black (1 for 3, R, RBI) has now reached base in an International League-best 22-straight games (dating back to last season). Black entered Sunday leading the IL in on-base percentage (.469) and slugging percentage (.667). … Carlos Sanchez, who became the first Knight since Ray Olmedo to record five hits in a game on Friday and then knocked four more on Saturday, remained hot at the plate, finishing Sunday 2-for-5 with a double. The 22-year-old is now hitting an IL-best .407 and is just three hits away from moving into a tie for fifth place all-time on the Knights’ hits list with Josh Fields (282). The two-hit game was Sanchez' fifth in a row. ... Jose Pirela, with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on a MLB rehab assignment from the New York Yankees, finished Sunday afternoon 4 for 5 with three doubles, a RBI and three runs scored. 

What's next?

The Knights are off tomorrow before heading to Columbus for a three-game series with the Clippers beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Erik Johnson (3-1, 2.04) will take the mound for the Knights against a Clippers’ starter that is still to be determined.

Game 23 preview: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

RailRiders (11-13)

Jose Pirela DH

Slade Heathcott CF
Rob Refsnyder 2B
Kyle Roller 1B
Tyler Austin RF
Ben Gamel LF
Cole Figueroa 3B
Nick Noonan SS
Eddy Rodriguez C

Pitching: LHP Eric Wooten (0-3, 5.09)

Knights (14-8)

Leury Garcia SS

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B
Tryace Thompson CF

Dan Black DH
Engel Beltre RF
Jason Coats LF
Jeremy Dowdy C

Pitching: RHP Brad Penny (1-2, 6.08)

Game time: 2:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.TV / ESPN 730 

Roster Moves: Tyler Colvin, a product of Clemson University, was signed by the Chicago White Sox as a free agent today and assigned to the Charlotte Knights. Colvin, 29, spent the 2014 season in the San Francisco Giants organization – appearing in 57 games for the Giants and 50 games for Triple-A Fresno. The North Augusta, SC High School product takes the roster spot of outfielder Jared Mitchell, who was released by the White Sox today. Mitchell was hitting .050 (2-for-40) in 13 games with the Knights this season. Charlotte right-handed pitcher Arcenio Leon was also placed on the DL (retroactive to April 30).

A native of Augusta, GA, Colvin was a first-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in the 2006 draft (13th overall). He made his Major League debut with the Cubs on September 21, 2009. A year later, Colvin hit .254 with 60 runs scored, five triples, 20 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Cubs in 135 games. In six Major League seasons, Colvin has compiled 49 home runs and 178 RBIs.

Mitchell, 26, was originally drafted by the White Sox in the first round of the 2009 draft (23rd overall). In 81 games with the Knights last season, he hit .230 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. He compiled a .299 mark with 10 home runs, and 20 RBIs with Double-A Birmingham in 39 games last season as well. A former two-sport star at LSU, Mitchell won both a BCS Championship (2007) and a College World Series Championship (2009).

Leon has appeared in seven games with the Knights this season and has compiled a 1-0 record with a 9.90 ERA (10.0 innings pitched). The 28-year-old right-hander was signed by the White Sox as a free agent on November 25, 2014.

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).

Game 22 preview: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

RailRiders (11-12)

Jose Pirela 2B

Slade Heathcott CF
Rob Refsnyder DH
Ramon Flores LF
Tyler Austin RF
Austin Romine C
Nick Noonan SS

Jonathan Galvez 3B
Rob Segedin 1B

Pitching: RHP Jaron Long (0-1, 6.10)

Knights (13-8)

Leury Garcia CF

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Neftali Soto DH

Matt Davidson 3B
Tryace Thompson RF

Dan Black 1B
Jason Coats LF
Kevan Smith C
Drew Garcia SS

Pitching: RHP Chris Beck (0-1, 5.31)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: WMYT My12 / ESPN 730 

Charlotte Knights' comeback comes up just short in 5-4 loss to RailRiders

After a week full of come-from-behind victories the Charlotte Knights’ luck rank out on Friday night in a 5-4 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to even their current four-game series at one game apiece in front of 10,422 at BB&T Ballpark.

Once again the Knights, who already had two walk-off wins this week, looked primed for some late-game heroics.

With Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leading 5-3, Carlos Sanchez (5-for-5) led off the ninth inning with a double. Matt Davidson (who hit a walk-off home run on Thursday night) then made it a one-run game with a single up the middle and Trayce Thompson followed with a hit of his own.

For a moment, it looked as though Dan Black had won the game with a walk-off three-run home run, but the ball hooked just foul down the right field line. Black would strikeout on the next pitch and Engle Beltre would eventually do the same at the hands of RailRiders’ right-hander Nick Rumbelow, who earned his second save of the season.

After being no-hit for the game’s first three innings, the RailRiders (11-12) got to Knights’ right-hander Shawn Haviland (0-2) for four runs in the fourth inning thanks to two two-out hits from Ben Gamel and Austin Romine.

The Knights (13-8) rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the fourth after Black drew a one out walk, advanced to third on a double by Beltre, and then scored on a Kevan Smith fielder’s choice. Beltre would trot home a batter later on a Jason Coats’ single. 

Coats came through again in the eighth with his second run-scoring single to make it a 4-3 game.

The RailRiders added what turned out to be an important insurance run off Maikel Cleto in the top of the ninth inning. The run was the first allowed by the right-hander this season, bringing his scoreless-innings streak to an end at 20 1/3 innings. 

  

Quote

“It was another good ninth inning for us, regardless of whether we won or lost. We battled back, scored a run and, you know, just came up short.” – Knights’ manager Joel Skinner.

Worth mentioning

With two walks on Friday, Charlotte Knights’ designated hitter Dan Black (0 for 3) has now reached base in 20-straight games (dating back to last season). Despite seeing his 11-game hitting streak come to an end, Black finished the night hitting (.354). He entered Friday leading the International League in on-base percentage (.473) and slugging percentage (.733). … With his five-hit performance on Friday night, Charlotte second baseman Carlos Sanchez (273) jumped from 11^th to eighth all-time on the Knights’ hits list, passing Lou Lucca (269) and Tim Hummel (271). ... Friday’s game was the first of the season where pitchers (with a called ball) and batters (with a called strike) were penalized for pitch timer violations. Shawn Haviland was called for a violation with one out in the top of the fourth inning with Tyler Austin at the plate. The RailRiders went on to score four runs in the inning. … Since his call up to Chicago on April 20, Carlos Rodon has made two appearances with the White Sox and thrown a total of 65 pitches over 3.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out two.

What's next?

The Knights will play the third game of their four-game series with the RailRiders at BB&T Ballpark on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Chris Beck (0-1, 5.31) will take the mound for the Knights across from RHP Jaron Long (0-1, 6.10).

Game 21 preview: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

RailRiders (10-12)

Jose Pirela 2B

Slade Heathcott LF
Ramon Flores RF
Kyle Roller 1B
Tyler Austin DH
Ben Gamel CF
Austin Romine C

Jonathan Galvez 3B
Cole Figueroa SS

Pitching: LHP Matt Tracy (0-0, 6.00)

Knights (13-7)

Leury Garcia SS

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B
Tryace Thompson CF

Dan Black DH
Engel Beltre RF
Kevan Smith C
Jason Coats LF

Pitching: RHP Shawn Haviland (0-1, 3.45)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.com / 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).

Game 20 preview: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Charlotte Knights

Here are the lineups:

RailRiders (10-11)

Jose Pirela 3B

Slade Heathcott CF
Rob Refsnyder 2B
Kyle Roller 1B
Tyler Austin RF
Ramon Flores DH
Austin Romine C

Ben Gamel LF
Cole Figueroa SS

Pitching: RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-2, 2.11)

Knights (12-7)

Leury Garcia SS

Carlos Sanchez 2B

Neftali Soto 1B

Matt Davidson 3B
Tryace Thompson CF

Dan Black DH
Engel Beltre RF
Kevan Smith C
Jason Coats LF

Pitching: RHP Kyle Drabek (0-0, 0.00)

Game time: 7:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.com / ESPN 730 

----------------------------------------------------------

Series Probables:

Friday, 7:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Shawn Haviland (0-1, 3.45)
S/W-B: LHP Matt Tracy (0-0, 6.00)

Saturday 7:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Chris Beck (0-1, 5.31)

S/W-B: RHP Jaron Long (0-1, 6.10)

Sunday 2:05 p.m.

CHA: RHP Brad Penny (1-2, 6.08)
S/W-B: LHP Eric Wooten (0-3, 5.09)

Head to head: This is the first of two series (seven games) between the Knights and RailRiders this season. 

Andy Wilkins makes it five home runs in four days; Justin Jirschele records first Class AAA hit, but Knights fall 16-5

Every winning streak eventually comes to an end.

On Sunday, the Charlotte Knights snapped their five-gamer in style, leaving nothing to chance in a 16-5 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in front of 9,806 at BB&T BallPark.

Daniel McCutchen got the start for Charlotte and allowed 11 runs over four and 1/3 innings of work, departing with the Knights trailing 9-1.

Shawn Hill, who was activated off the disabled list prior to the game, came on in relief and proceeded to allow two inherited runners to score and then five more of his own accord over the game’s next three innings.

“Those kinds of games are going to happen,” said Andy Wilkins, who homered twice in the loss. “You just need to limit the amount of times. It was a rough one though.”

The two home runs extended Wilkins’ International League-leading total to 21 on the season. He finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs and is now hitting .444 over his last 11 games with seven home runs (five this series).

The RailRiders (47-54), who avoided a four-game sweep with the win, finished the night with 17 hits. The 16-runs allowed tied a season-high for the Knights (43-59) and the 11-run loss was one less than a 14-2 drubbing at the hands of Columbus back on June 10. 

The game was, however, not without a silver lining.

With the knowledge that Justin Jirschele’s time with Charlotte was up (with the pending arrival of Carlos Sanchez from the Chicago White Sox), Knights manager Joel Skinner sent the 24-year-old up to pinch hit for Micah Johnson in the eighth inning in search of his first Class AAA hit.

“I wanted him to get a base hit because I knew he was going down,” Skinner said. “The game was out of hand and that gave me a chance to get him an at-bat. He’d already had a sacrifice fly and he had a good game when he played here once earlier this season.”

Jirschele, who had been with the Knights since being called up from Class A+ Winston-Salem where he had been hitting .343, fell behind in the count no balls and two strikes, before sending a ball just inches wide of the foul line.

On the ensuing pitch, Jirschele sliced a line drive to left center for his first hit and second RBI.

"We were all hoping the ball down the line was going to be a hit," Wilkins said. "But he struck that next pitch well. We all like 'Jersch', so it was good to see."  

After signing with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent back in 2012 and never playing above the Class A+ level prior to last week, the hit was a special one for Jirschele, who received the ball when he returned to the dugout.  

“It was a good feeling,” he said. “It’s always a bummer coming in when you’re down and the game’s kind of out of whack, but I was happy that Skinns (Skinner) got me in there for an AB and I just wanted to put the bat on the ball and see what would happen.

“This is a great team,” he continued. “They kind of took me under their wing and treated me really well. Playing in a ballpark like this and seeing what these guys go out and do every day and their approach, just (makes me want to) work my tail off to try to get back here for good someday."  

Notes: Following the game Justin Jirschele was called into Skinner's office and told he'd be heading back to Winston-Salem. ... Carlos Sanchez is expected to be available on Monday. ... Taylor Thompson, 27, who was promoted to the White Sox this morning tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his Major League debut. 

Game 102: Charlotte Knights vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Here are the lineups:

Knights (43-58)

Micah Johnson 2B

Marcus Semien SS

Jordan Danks CF

Matt Davidson 3B

Andy Wilkins DH

Matt Tuiasosopo LF

Michael Taylor RF

Dan Black 1B

Miguel Gonzalez C

Pitching: RHP Daniel McCutchen (0-0, 7.20 ERA)

RailRiders (46-54)

Jose Pirela 2B

Rob Refsynder RF

Zoilo Almonte LF

Adonis Garcia 3B

Kyle Roller DH

Austin Romine 1B

John Ryan Murphy C

Antoan Richardson CF

Carmen Angelini SS

Pitching: LHP Matt Tracy (0-2, 3.12 ERA)

Game time: 5:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: MiLB.tv / ESPN 730 / WNOW 10 (in Spanish)

Notes: Today the White Sox purchased the contract of Charlotte Knights’ 27-year-old RHP Taylor Thompson. He’s gone 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA and six saves in Charlotte this season, while striking out 9.9 per nine innings. … The White Sox also optioned infielder Carlos Sanchez back to Charlotte. The 22-year-old is scheduled to report to the Knights on Monday. … Shawn Hill has been activated from the disabled list. ... The Knights have won a season-high five straight games. Josh Phegley is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak. 

Chat with Mr. October helps Dan Black lead Knights to fifth-straight win

Dan Black was just another awestruck fan on Friday when he walked across the BB&T BallPark infield in the direction of Reggie Jackson, fresh baseball and pen in hand.

“(Jackson) kind of looked at me like, ‘Why are you coming over here kid?’” joked Black upon his return to the Knights dugout. “But he still signed my ball!”

On Saturday, Black again found himself face-to-face with the New York Yankees Hall of Famer turned special assistant, who was in town working with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

This time, however, their meeting came in the batting cage with Black receiving advice and stories in lieu of autographs.

“It was neat,” said Black, who added that White Sox special assistant Jim Thome was also present. “I got to sit in on a conversation with a couple of Hall of Famers about hitting, about the eras in which they played in, hear about a whole bunch of different guys, and soak up a good baseball moment for my personal life.”

Black went on to make what would have already been a good day even better by finishing 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs knocked in and two runs scored in a 7-0 Knights victory over the RailRiders in front of 9,665 at BB&T BallPark.

The win was the fifth in a row for the Knights (43-58), who will conclude their four-game set with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Black’s big night came in support of Andre Rienzo (1-2), who shutout the RailRiders for five innings, while striking out six and surrendering only one hit.

The start was Rienzo’s first since being reassigned to Charlotte by the Chicago White Sox on June 13. The native of Brazil went 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA in 11 starts in the Majors.

In Black’s first trip to the plate in Saturday's win he laced a single back up the middle.

On attempt No. 2, Black deposited a 2-1 fastball into the bleacher seats for a two-run home run to put the Knights on top 4-0 in the fourth inning. The home run was his sixth of the season in Class AAA play.

The game was Black’s first with the Knights since he suffered a rib injury that led to a strained oblique during a three-home-run seven-RBI game in Columbus back on May 29.

“That was a rough couple of months,” said Black. “I took a few weeks off to just rehab it and get everything healthy and now that I’m back everything seems to be going well. It’s nice to not be worried about how my body is going to feel day-to-day.”  

Andy Wilkins (2-for-4) and Josh Phegley (2-for-4) also turned in multi-hit games for the Knights, who touched up Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitching for eight hits on the night.

The five-game winning streak is the Knights longest since they put together an eight-game set back in August of 2012, but it was the sit down with Mr. October that will stay with Black long after the specifics of Saturday’s game are forgotten.  

“It was just really cool to see a Hall of Famer come around some Minor League guys and treat them with respect,” said Black. “He knows the struggles that we’ve gone through. I just really like those moments where you can just sit down with those guys and talk to them candidly.”

Notes: With Saturday’s attendance of 9,665, the Knights have now drawn over 500,000 fans (501,262) to BB&T BallPark this season. They’ve averaged a MiLB-best 9,640 fans per game through 52 home openings this season.

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.  

Chien-Ming Wang makes solid debut in 8-4 Knights win over RailRiders

There was a time when the news of the Chicago White Sox signing Taiwanese pitcher Chien-Ming Wang would have been front-page, above the fold, material.

On Thursday, a website known for being on top of trade rumors and potential signings, listed Wang’s signing and subsequent assignment to the Class AAA Charlotte Knights under a subhead that read: “Minor Moves.”

Players also mentioned in the “Minor Moves” post included former Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis (he’s thinking about coaching) and former NBA star Tracy McGrady (who has retired from baseball…wait, what?)

So it was with little fanfare that Wang made his Knights debut on Friday in an 8-4 Charlotte win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in front of 10,240 at BB&T BallPark.

The 34-year-old, who led the American League in wins with 19 when he was a member of the New York Yankees in 2006, tossed six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits to pick up the win.

True to form, Wang recorded 11 of his 18 outs via the groundball. He also struck out two and walked three, while touching an encouraging 91 mph on the stadium radar gun.

Wang went 8-5 with a 3.70 ERA in 19 games this season with the Class AAA Louisville Bats (a Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliate) before exercising an opt-out option in his contract to pursue an opportunity to find a Major League job.

“I tried to get a better chance to get back to the majors,” said Wang about the decision to sign with Chicago. “Other teams talked to me, but to have a chance to be a Major League fifth starter, I thought this was my best choice.”

After retiring the first two RailRiders batters he faced in the first inning, Wang allowed a double and a run-scoring single before recording a strikeout to end the inning.

The next four frames were vintage Wang, who entered the sixth inning with a 4-1 lead and having thrown just 72 pitches. 

The RailRiders touched the 6-foot-4-inch right-hander up for three runs in the sixth on four hits. Nevertheless, Knights fans gave him a nice ovation as he headed for the dugout following a debut that lived up to expectations.

“They just told me to keep working and being consistent,” said Wang when asked what the White Sox had told him about his chances to earn a quick promotion back to the big leagues.

In the top of the seventh, Charlotte took a 6-4 edge thanks to a two-run single from Josh Phegley (3-for-4, three RBI) to ensure that Wang would be credited with the win, Charlotte’s fourth in a row.

Andy Wilkins (3-for-4, 2B, HR), who finished the night 3-for-4, added two more insurance runs in the eighth inning with his International League-leading 19^th home run of the season.

“It's just a matter (of) having depth so that if something should happen in Chicago, we've got another option to come give us a professional outing," White Sox General Manger Rick Hahn told MLB.com after Wang’s signing.

"You sort of know what you're going to get there; (Wang’s) going to throw strikes and keep the ball on the ground. It is conceivable that, if there's a need here, we would turn to him."

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.