White Sox Minor League Update: April 24, 2024

Can you believe it? All four affiliates won again!

Charlotte Knights 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 3 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
The Knights recovered from a slow start to take down the IronPigs for the second straight evening.

Knights starter Jake Woodford struggled early on, allowing three runs on six hits during his first two innings on the mound. However, Woodford only allowed one measly hit during his final three innings, so he managed to salvage his start.

Still trailing 3-0 with one out and nobody on base in the top of the third, Lenyn Sosa gave the Knights a spark with a double. Colson Montgomery drew a walk, and Tommy Pham singled to put the Knights on the board. Oscar Colás struck out, but Pham stole second, so the Knights had two in scoring position with two outs. Then, Zach DeLoach came through in the clutch with a two-run single that tied the game.

Montgomery led off the fifth inning by launching his third blast of the season.

Montgomery’s OPS is a modest .687, but he has been swinging the bat much better lately. This homer gave the Knights a lead they did not relinquish, as the bullpen was fantastic throughout this game.

Although the Knights did not need any additional scoring, but they got one insurance run in the eighth. During that frame, Adam Hackenberg walked, Rafael Ortega singled, and they executed a double-steal. Hackenberg sprinted home on a wild pitch to make the score 5-3, which ended as the final.

Birmingham Barons 6, Chattanooga Lookouts 1 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
It was a good day for the Barons, who won this one fairly convincingly. The pitching staff, led by starter Drew Thorpe, had another great game.

With one out in the top of the first, Brooks Baldwin doubled, and he scored on an RBI single by Wilfred Veras. The Lookouts got that run back in the second, when they used a single, a stolen base, and another single to tie the game. That was the only run that Thorpe allowed, and the relievers did not allow any runs at all.

Best yet, after that point, everything came up in the Barons’ favor.

In the fifth, Jacob Burke reached on an error, and Duke Ellis singled. A clutch double by Terrell Tatum drove Burke and Ellis home, and it was 3-1. The Barons led for the remainder of the game, but for good measure, they added some insurance in the seventh. Alsander Womack got that party started with a double, and Ellis placed a bunt nicely down the third base line for a single. Then, Tatum reached on an error, and after a wild pitch, Baldwin drove in a pair with a single.

Winston-Salem Dash 5, Rome Emperors 4 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
The Dash fell behind early, but they did not go away during this thrilling victory over Rome.

Dash starter Tyler Schweitzer was looking to build on his excellent performance last week, when he allowed only one run in six innings. However, on this night, he ran into a bit of a roadblock. Schweitzer issued a leadoff walk in the second to Stephen Paolini, and Paolini stole second base. With two outs, E.J. Exposito hit an RBI single to give the Emperors a 1-0 lead. In the third, the Emperors went back to work, using a single and two walks to load the bases with two outs. A two-run single added a pair of key insurance runs, and the score was suddenly 3-0.

The Dash remained off of the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth, when Samuel Zavala led off with a double. Jacob González wasted no time bringing him home, as he singled to drive in Winston-Salem’s first run of the game.

Reliever Everhett Hazelwood pitched himself into trouble in the fifth, when he started the inning by hitting a batter, issuing a walk, and hitting another batter. However, Hazelwood limited the damage, as he struck out Paolini for the first out. From there, he forced a ground ball that drove in a run, but it also resulted in an important out. Finally, Hazelwood struck out Carlos Arroyo to end the inning and keep the deficit at three.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Dash responded. With one out, Wes Kath doubled, and he came home when Mario Camilletti reached on an error. That set the table for Loidel Chapelli, who crushed a two-run homer to tie the game at four.

After Chapelli’s homer, the Dash struggled to score, but reliever Manuel Veloz was phenomenal. Veloz delivered four shutout innings, and he only allowed two hits. As a result, the Dash had a walk-off opportunity in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and nobody on, Zavala hit a slow roller between the mound and first base. Exposito, Rome’s first baseman, could not make the play, and he was charged with an error. However, if I was the official scorer, Zavala would have been credited with an infield single, as this was a difficult play for Exposito. Zavala proceeded to steal second base, and suddenly, the winning run was in scoring position. Zavala advanced to third on a wild pitch, and he raced home on an infield grounder off the bat of González.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2, Charleston RiverDogs 1 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Led by Caden Connor and an excellent pitching performance, the Cannon Ballers beat the RiverDogs in dramatic fashion.

Jake Peppers started on the mound for Kannapolis, and he had a fantastic afternoon. Despite his excellence, the RiverDogs grabbed an early lead in the top of the third, although Peppers can hardly be blamed for that run. With one out and nobody on base, Christopher Barete singled on a bunt, and he advanced to second on a throwing error by Edrick Felix. From there, Barete stole third and scored an unearned run on an infield grounder.

The Cannon Ballers tied the game in the fourth, when Connor crushed a homer to left. That was Connor’s first homer of the young season, but his OPS is suddenly an impressive .806 after his great day.

Relievers Bryce Collins, Nick Altermatt, and Jesus Mendez were on top of their games, combining to pitch 3 1⁄3 shutout innings. However, after Connor’s homer, the offense lost steam once again, so the score remained 1-1 entering the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and nobody on, Ryan Galanie started a mini hit parade with a single to right, and Eddie Park added a single to put the potential winning run in scoring position. Park’s single set the stage for Connor, who delivered another clutch hit, although this one remained on the infield. However, an error by Charleston first baseman Wooyeoul Shin allowed Galanie to race home with the winning run.