White Sox Minor League Update: Charlotte allows 26 in a memorable loss

At least the offense put 11 on the board

Norfolk Tides 26, Charlotte Knights 11 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Baseball is a difficult game to master, and the Knights pitching staff learned that the hard way on Wednesday night against Norfolk.

The Knights (1-4) fell behind the Tides (4-1) in the top of the first inning and did not catch up. It was a difficult evening for Knights starter Nick Nastrini, who many believed would crack the Opening Day 26-man roster for the White Sox and still feel will fill the No. 5 starter role on the South Side. Unfortunately, Nastrini did not strengthen his case to pitch in the majors tonight, allowing four earned runs in three innings. Those runs scored when Heston Kjerstad doubled home a run in the first, and Kyle Stowers homered to increase Norfolk’s lead to three. Stowers proceeded to add an RBI double in the third for the fourth and final run Nastrini allowed in his brief outing.

Incredibly, however, by the time Knights reliever Nicholas Padilla replaced Nastrini, the Knights had a 7-4 lead. How, you ask? Well, the Knights offense was quite alive early on. With one out in the bottom of the first, Colson Montgomery (who else?) started a rally with a double, and Max Stassi was hit by a pitch. Robbie Grossman and Zach DeLoach drew back-to-back walks to force in a run, and Rafael Ortega hit a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to one.

After the Stowers double in the top of the third the Knights trailed by two again, but got off to a red-hot start in the bottom half. Grossman and DeLoach hit back-to-back doubles, and Ortega tied the game with an RBI single. After Carlos Pérez grounded into a force out, Brett Phillips struck out (his first of five, in a rough evening), but the Knights were not done. Zach Remillard walked to extend the inning for Lenyn Sosa, who put the Knights ahead with an RBI single. At that point, the Tides made a pitching change, but that did not make a difference for Montgomery, who singled home another run. Finally, Stassi reached on an error to bring home the fifth and final run of the inning.

However, in the final six innings the Tides went on a 19-4 run. Even in basketball, a much higher-scoring game, that would be a fantastic stretch. In baseball, however, that kind of run puts a game completely out of reach.

Relievers Padilla, Bailey Horn, and Aaron McGarity combined to cover 3 1⁄3 innings. They allowed a combined total of ... 14 runs, all earned. Yikes. Reliever Justin Anderson, who recorded a grand total of one out, was the only Knights pitcher who had fewer earned runs allowed than innings pitched.

Down the stretch, Sosa hit a solo homer, and Ortega added a three-run shot.

However, for obvious reasons, those blasts did not make a difference in this game’s outcome.

Also, Danny Mendick pitched not one but two innings for the Knights in garbage time.

Mendick will most likely appear for the White Sox at some point this season, but hopefully if that happens, he will not pitch.