KNIGHTS KNOTES — April 30, 20 19
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KNIGHT LIGHTS: The first place Charlotte Knights will continue their nine-game homestand today at BB&T Ballpark as they play game two of their three-game series against the Gwinnett Stripers (Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves). The Knights are a ½ game ahead of the Stripers in the International League South standings. With their loss last night in the opener, the Knights are now 3–2 this season against the Stripers after winning the series (3–1) at Coolray Field from April 15th to April 18th.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The Knights dropped game one of their three-game series to the Gwinnett Stripers last night at BB&T Ballpark by a score of 9–2. OF Daniel Palka had two hits and scored two runs as the Knights dropped their third-consecutive game. The team is now 5–5 over their last 10 games and are now 3–4 on the current homestand.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Knights announced three roster moves before today’s game. RHP Spencer Adams was placed on Injured List (retroactive to April 29), RHP Connor Walsh was promoted to Charlotte from Birmingham (Double-A), and RHP José Nin promoted to Charlotte from Winston-Salem (High-A). Adams, 23, is 1–0 with an 8.00 ERA in five games (three starts) with the Knights this season. He was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. RHP Connor Walsh, 26, has appeared in six games this season with the Birmingham Barons (Double-A) and is 0–0 with a 3.52 ERA (7.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO). Walsh was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 12th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. He appeared in 12 games with the Charlotte Knights in 2017 and went 1–1 with a 3.86 ERA (14.0 IP). RHP José Nin, 23, has appeared in eight games this season with the Winston-Salem Dash (High-A) and posted a 0–0 mark with three saves and a 3.65 ERA (12.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO). Nin was signed by the Chicago White Sox as a free agent on June 8, 2017. In 37 games last season with the Kannapolis Intimidators, he went 5–5 with 10 saves and a 1.68 ERA (48.1 IP).
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Dylan Cease (2–1, 3.44) will make his fifth start of the season today. He made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday, April 9 for the Knights and gave up just three hits over five shutout innings to earn the game one victory that day (doubleheader). Cease, 23, made his second career Triple-A start on Sunday, April 14 and went five shutout innings for his second win of the season. He did not allow a run over his first 12 innings pitched to begin his Triple-A career. Ranked as the number three prospect in the Chicago White Sox system by Baseball America, he combined to post a 12–2 record with a 2.40 ERA in 23 starts between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2018. He was named MLB Pipeline Pitcher of the Year and was a Carolina League mid-season All-Star last season.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS: The Knights have scored at least 10 runs in a game eight times this season (25 games). As a team, the Knights are fifth in the IL in batting average (.275), first in runs scored (166), second in hits (230), first in doubles (67), tied for first in home runs (36), first in RBIs (156), and first in slugging % (.497).
AL RIGHT NOW: SS Alcides Escobar is hitting an impressive .378 (31-for-82) on the season, which is good for fourth in the IL. Escobar, a 2015 American League All-Star and ALCS MVP, is also second in the International League in hits (32) and tied for second in doubles (9).
WHO’S HOT: Over his last nine games, OF Charlie Tilson is hitting .368 (14-for-38) with 10 RBIs. Tilson is hitting .353 (30-for-85), which is tied for ninth in the league this season…Over his last five games, INF Ryan Goins is hitting .389 (7-for-18) with two home runs and five RBIs… Catcher Zack Collins is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with one home run and two RBIs over his last three games. He is tied for second in the IL in RBIs (21). Collins made his Triple-A debut on April 4th and went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a triple, two home runs, and five RBIs. It was his first his two-homer effort since August 10, 2018 with Double-A Birmingham.
PALKA POWER: OF Daniel Palka had two hits and two runs scored in yesterday’s game. Over his last four games, he is hitting .385 (5-for-13) with five runs scored, one home run, and four RBIs. Palka finished tied for fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting last season and he swatted 27 home runs with the Chicago White Sox.
WINS LEADER: RHP Evan Marshall (3–0, 0.00) is currently tied for the International League lead in wins with three and has not allowed a run in all nine of his appearances this season (10.0 IP). Marshall also has two saves on the season. The 29-year-old right-hander was signed as a free agent on October 30, 2018 by the White Sox.
FROM THE SOUTH TO THE SOUTH SIDE: The Knights have now sent seven players to Chicago this season. The other six players, in order of their promotion to Chicago: RHP Carson Fulmer (April 8 & April 18), LHP Josh Osich (April 12), OF Ryan Cordell (April 18), OF Nicky Delmonico (April 22), LHP Aaron Bummer (April 28), RHP Thyago Vieira (April 28), and RHP Dylan Covey (April 30).
