For five nights, the Charlotte Knights stumbled and bumbled their way through Durham, losing four of five and surrendering 36 runs in the process. And that includes another Mike Wright gem and a tough 3-2 loss in a bullpen game.
Then, on Sunday, the sun shone brightly, children laughed and everything was right with the world as Jimmy Lambert and three relievers spun a two-hit shutout, and the only run of the game was a Gavin Sheets home run.
Lambert was stingy in his five innings of work, giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out four. Matt Tomshaw, Kodi Medeiros and Nik Turley brought the shutout home, surrendering no hits — and NO walks — in the final four frames.
Week In Review — The Call-up
When Nick Madrigal went down with an injury, the White Sox turned to Brian Goodwin, one of a handful of veterans placed on the Knights’ roster for such an emergency. One week earlier, Sheets was called up to the big club to fill in for three days. Knights manager Wes Helms explained that the White Sox simply wanted a hot bat for that brief stint. But he hinted that a veteran player likely would have been tapped for a longer stint, and that’s exactly what happened with Madrigal’s injury and Goodwin’s selection.
Week In Review — Offense
It looks like the offense has hit a wall. The team hit .203 in Durham, with just 12 extra-base hits in the six-game series. The team also struck out 61 times in 202 at bats, with just 11 walks.
The top of the batting order — Jake Burger, Sheets, Luis Gonzalez and Blake Rutherford — hit a combined .175, with one homer, five RBI and 25 strikeouts, though Burger did have three doubles, along with eight strikeouts in 20 at bats. It was Sheets’ poorest stretch of the season, as the slugger was just 3-for-23, though he continued to make contact, with only four strikeouts along with some loud outs.
Two Knights, Tim Beckham and Matt Reynolds, had nice weeks. Beckham had seven of the team’s 18 RBIs and four of the team’s 12 extra-base hits, with two doubles and two home runs. Matt Reynolds chipped in eight singles in 18 at bats.
Week in Review — Pitching
It was a brutal week for the pitching staff, surrendering 46 hits, 33 earned runs and eight home runs in 50.1 innings. Walks continue to be a problem, with 27 free passes, though this actually represents an improvement. The staff also racked up 51 strikeouts.
But hidden in those numbers were Lambert’s effort on Sunday and Wright’s start two days earlier, in which he gave up three hits in 6.2 innings. Wright has been dazzling all season while Lambert’s outing on Sunday represents consecutive strong starts and suggests he is all the way back from Tommy John surgery and on the path to success.
Unfortunately, Jonathan Stiever could not match his strong showing from one week earlier. Stiever labored through five innings on Saturday. None of his breaking pitchers were effective, allowing the Bulls hitters to sit on his fastball and tee off on the ones that found too much of the plate.
Roster News
Seby Zavala was activated off the IL before Saturday’s game. He had been suffering from concussion-like symptoms.
Up Next: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Record: 21-14, 3rd in the tough Triple-A East Division
The affiliate of the Miami Marlin, the Jumbo Shrimp feature a handful of prominent prospects, including Jesus Sanchez (#6), one of the top hitters in all of Triple-A baseball. The 23-year-old outfielder boasts a slash line of .349/.400/.643 with nine home runs and 28 RBI.
Other top prospects include first baseman Lewin Diaz (#5) and outfielder Monte Harrison (#12) along with pitchers Braxton Garrett (#7) and Nick Neidert (#10).
The Jumbo Shrimp are 7th in the league in hitting, at .247, and 7th in home runs, with 42. Jacksonville’s pitching staff is 4th in the league in ERA (4.01), 10th in strikeouts and 9th in WHIP.
Photo credit: Clinton Cole/FutureSox
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