Veterans and prospects alike, the Charlotte Knights are struggling mightily at the plate. Following a 7-3 loss on Saturday, the team is hitting just .206 through its first five games, but Manager Wes Helms says the team is swinging the bat better than the box scores suggest.
“You have to tip your hat to the Gwinnett pitching,” he said after tonight’s game. “Their starters and bullpen are legit with a lot of big-league arms on that team. You can’t really look at our box scores. Tonight we hit a lot of balls hard that were right at people. We had a lot of hard contact, we barrelled a lot of baseballs. I don’t really get caught up into it this early in the season. If it continues, then we’ll dig deeper into it but I was pleased with our at bats overall tonight.”
PROSPECT WATCH: JAKE BURGER
Jake Burger returned to action tonight, and blasted a ball to the warning track in his first at bat. “The ball got in on him a little bit and he hit the ball to the right field fence,” Helms said. “Another inch on the bat and that’s a homer. Squared another ball up to the shortstop. He had some good AB’s. He’s our number three-hole hitter. He changes our lineup when he’s in that three hole, with Rutherford and Sheets hitting around him.”
After a sluggish game Friday night, the team had its energy back tonight, and Helms credited Burger’s return to the lineup for some of that. “His attitude and enthusiasm brings a little mojo to us,” Helms said, “and you could tell tonight we were a little different team with him in there.”
A MUCH NEEDED EFFORT
Knights starter Matt Tomshaw’s stat line is underwhelming, with six hits and five earned runs in 5.1 innings. But the lefty actually threw the ball really well, with four perfect innings. The Stripers’ lineup of veteran hitters teed off on Tomshaw on his third trip through the order, in the top of the 6th, breaking open a 1-0 game.
Helms hinted that he might have pulled Tomshaw before facing those experienced hitters a third time if the bullpen had more arms available tonight. “Tomshaw did an amazing job tonight,” the skipper said. “He picked us up tonight.”
Tomshaw’s effort was especially important after Friday’s starter Felix Paulino didn’t get out of the first, and tomorrow’s starter Jimmy Lambert will be on a tight pitch count.
Four Charlotte relievers followed Tomshaw: Tayron Guerrero, Nik Turley, Ryan Burr and Danny Dopico.
THE LINEUP
Newly-acquired Brian Goodwin started in centerfield and Burger returned to the lineup at third base.
SCANNING THE BOX SCORE
Whew! Not much to see here. Seby Zavala hit a 100 MPH liner over the leftfield wall in the bottom of the 7th, his first of the young season. That’s about it.
OPPONENT’S STARS TO WATCH
Gwinnett continues to throw quality pitchers at the Knights. When starter Jasseel De La Cruz was scratched, the Stripers tabbed Connor Johnstone to fill in, and the 26-year-old righty responded with five innings of one-hit ball.
NEXT UP
The finale in the six-game opening series with Gwinnett is Sunday afternoon, with Jimmy Lambert starting for the Knights. Lambert was the Opening Day starter, but threw just 41 pitches and likely will not throw appreciably more than that in his second start.
Photo credit: Sean Williams/FutureSox
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