The Knights’ rolled out their new middle-of-the-order tandem, Eloy Jimenez and Yermin Mercedes, in an otherwise lackluster 5-3 loss to the Gwinnett Stripers tonight. But Manager Wes Helms indicated that Jimenez’ stay in Charlotte could be shorter than many had anticipated.
“He’ll definitely be with us this week,” Helms said, “and then I think we’ll play it by ear after that. We need to see how he adapts to everything, but once he shows he’s ready, he’ll be back up there helping Chicago.”
Helms cautioned that Jimenez needs to demonstrate that his body is ready for the grind of major-league baseball before the White Sox recall their star slugger. “You have to make sure he can adapt to playing the innings in the outfield and taking the amount of game-like swings and making sure he bounces back every day,” Helms said. “He’s definitely going to be here through the weekend and then we’ll just go from there after that.”
Jimenez went 0-2 with a strikeout and walk before being pulled in the seventh. Mercedes had more success, with two of of the Knights’ seven hits, including a ringing double at a 106 mph exit velo. Luis Gonzalez had the only other extra-base hit, a solo homer in the fifth, his sixth on the year.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night was Knights starter Jimmy Lambert, who needed 39 pitches to get through the first. He ended up surrendering two hits, two walks and two runs, including one earned run. Helms replaced Lambert after that — the White Sox want minor-league pitchers pulled if they throw more than 30 pitches in an inning.
But it could have been a very different inning for Lambert. After lead-off hitter Drew Waters smashed a single off the right-field wall, the next batter, Cristian Pache, hit a hard liner at shortstop Matt Reynolds, who had the ball flip off his glove for an error. Had he made the play (and he should have), it likely would have been an easy double play, and probably a much more successful outing for Lambert.
Kyle Kubat, Tyler Johnson, Danny Dopico and Zack Burdi did a reasonable job keeping the game close, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks. They fanned nine Stripers as well.
In a close game like this one, little plays made a big difference, but the Knights played a sloppy game. In addition to Reynolds’ potentially inning-changing error in the first, the Knights were victimized by three wild pitches, a passed ball and a critical base-running miscue in the ninth when Zach Remillard made the final out of the game at second base trying to stretch a single with his team down by two.
Roster Addition
The Knights added a third catcher to the roster, Deivy Grullon, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays this week.
Injury News
Tim Beckham is going to be out of the lineup with a knee injury for quite a while, if not the rest of the season. The White Sox medical staff is still determining if Beckman needs season-ending surgery or if he can rehab and return to the field this year. Beckham had major knee surgery last year.
Nick Williams was sporting a bandage on a gash on his temple today at batting practice after being hit by a pitch on the batting helmet on Sunday. He had glue rather than stitches and had no concussion symptoms, and was back in the lineup tonight.
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