If there was ever a chance for some serious offensive fireworks, it was Wednesday’s doubleheader in Charlotte against the Norfolk Tides, an affiliate of the Orioles and the weakest opponent on the Knights’ schedule. Add to that a lineup with Jake Burger, Gavin Sheets, Yasmani Grandal and Yermin Mercedes, and the opportunity to score runs in bunches seemed inevitable.
And the Knights delivered, with 26 hits, 15 runs, six homers and six doubles in the two games, each of which ended with dramatic walk-off clutch hits.
However, the hitting stars were not the dynamic duo of Burger and Sheets, but Mikie Mahtook and Micker Adolfo, both of whom hit two home runs tonight. Mahtook’s second blast was the most dramatic — a bottom of the seventh walk-off grand slam in game one. But Adolfo’s second was the most majestic — with an exit velo of 111 mph, it was the hardest hit ball in Charlotte so far this season.
Grandal, meanwhile, only played in the opener, but he had a big impact, with a double, home run and single in three at bats. Mercedes played in both games, with a double and two singles in seven at bats.
Just returning from the IL, Burger looked rusty in his first game in 12 days. And Sheets grounded into an inning-ending, bases loaded double play and left several men on base. But he and Burger did each get an RBI on back-to-back sac flies in game two, and both had pivotal at bats to help load the bases for Mahtook’s heroics in game one.
Game One Recap
It took a while for the Knights to get going, but when they did, it was quite an offensive display, capped by Mahtook’s walk-off blast in a 9-5 win.
The Knights were shutout for three innings by Kevin Smith, a soft-tossing lefty, which is exactly the kind of pitcher who has given the team fits all season. But, with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the flood gates finally swung open, with back-to-back solo shots from Mahtook and Adolfo.
Then, after a Matt Reynolds strikeout to end the inning, the Knights’ power display quickly resumed, with a Zach Remillard solo blast to open the fifth, followed one out later by a Grandal round tripper, making it four home runs for the Knights in six consecutive batters over two innings.
The Knights proceeded to load the bases with no outs one inning later, and it looked like the rout was on, but could only push across one run and the game went to the seventh, tied at 5-5.
After Jace Fry pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, the Knights had exactly the right players up at the right time — and they came through. Grandal and Sheets both had sweet opposite-field singles to start the inning, Burger walked and Mercedes hit into a force play at home before Mahtook hit a monster blast over the left field stands.
Mahtook now has 20 homers on the season, tops on the team. The Knights has 13 hits in the seven-inning affair, including the five home runs and two doubles.
On the pitching front, Kade McClure, recently promoted from Birmingham, made his first start in Charlotte and second as a Knight. He looked good at times, but ended up going just 4.1 innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs. Half of those hits were to Tides’ catcher Adley Rutschman, MLB’s #1 overall minor-league prospect, who is worthy of the the lofty ranking and appears more than ready for the majors.
The Knights’ new and improved bullpen also contributed, as Kyle Crick and Fry tossed 2.2 innings of hitless, scoreless ball to set the stage for the walk-off.
Signed by the White Sox and assigned to Charlotte after he was released by the Pirates around the trade deadline, Crick is among several new faces in the Charlotte pen. He joins some interesting arms from Birmingham and Matt Foster, who was just returned from Chicago, replacing several underperforming relievers who were released over the past few weeks.
Game Two
This one felt like a loss right up till the bottom of the eighth when Laz Rivera smashed a ball over the centerfielder’s head for the second walk-off in as many games.
The Knights’ offense kept humming in the nightcap, but they could never get the big hit with runners on base to break it open. And when reliever Hunter Schryver gave up three runs in the fifth and sixth innings, putting the Tide ahead 5-4, it didn’t look good for the home team, especially after they went meekly in the sixth.
Even worse, the Knights got a one-out walk and stolen base in the bottom of the seventh, with two shots at driving home the tying run. But pinch runner Remillard was thrown out on a poorly executed attempt of a steal of third base, a decision that looked even worse after the next two hitters got singles.
But game one hero Mahtook socked a clutch RBI double to tie the game at 5-5, sending it to extra innings.
Reliever Bennett Sousa came on to pitch a terrific eighth, striking out the first two batters and getting the third on a routine fly to center, all with the extra-inning designated runner on second.
That set the stage for Rivera’s game winner, who was swinging away when many in the ballpark, perhaps including the Tides, were anticipating a bunt.
It was another dramatic win in a game that looked in the first few innings like the Knights would win going away. The team scored two in the first on sac flies by Sheets and Burger, and two more in the third on a loud, two-out double by Mercedes and an even harder hit, two-run homer by Adolfo. His 447-foot blast had an exit velo of 111, the hardest hit ball in Charlotte so far this season. But the offense bogged down after that until eking out the tying run in the seventh and the winner in the eighth.
Combined Offensive Results From The Twin Bill
Mahtook has been one of the Knights’ hottest hitters in the last few weeks, and he remained locked in tonight: two homers, a double and two singles in six at bats, six RBI and three runs. Adolfo was also five of six, with two homers and three singles, three RBI and three runs. He also made two spectacular defensive plays, including taking a home run away with a grab above the left field wall.
Sheets was one for six, with a run and an RBI, but left six runners on base. Likewise, Burger was hitless in six at bats, with one RBI. Another of the Knights’ hot hitters of late is Blake Rutherford, but he was had just one single in eight trips, though he had some nice at bats and was very close to squaring up a couple of balls.
Injury Update
Burger was back in the lineup tonight after a stint on the IL with a sore wrist. it was nothing serious but the team remains understandably cautious with their budding star.
There was not-so-good news on another top prospect, pitcher Jonathan Stiever, who suffered a lat muscle injury while throwing a bullpen session recently. The medical staff is still determining the severity but should come up with a treatment plan, which may or may not require surgery, any day now.
Yasmani Grandal Rehab
Another week, another White Sox star comes to Charlotte to rehab. This time it is Grandal, who is recovering from a torn tendon in his left knee.
In his first game with the Knights, Grandal started at catcher and wasted no time in getting the offense going with an opposite-field double in the bottom of the first, was hit by a pitch in his second at bat, and then homered in his third at bat and singled in his fourth. He sat out game two.
Zack Burdi Swaps Dugouts
The White Sox released Zack Burdi on Monday to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Mike Wright. But Burdi didn’t have to travel far to join his new team: He was claimed by the Orioles and assigned to Norfolk, who are in town this week to battle the Knights. No doubt the Knights will see their ex-teammate in the next day or two.
Photo credit: Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights
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I wonder whom the Sox will call up when rosters are expanded in September. It would be a nice touch to bring back Yermin Mercedes, without whom the Sox would have had more difficulty in getting off to their own hot start in April and May. They kind of “owe” him…
It is a shame that rosters are only expanded by two this year, unlike previous years when it was essentially all of the 40-man roster. Could you imagine if Tony had Sheets, Burger & Mercedes on his bench, plus a couple of Knights’ arms like Foster and Fry? Plus, the White Sox big lead in the standing might mean that could take a look at Adolfo, on whom they need to make a decision. And, heck, for what it is worth, the hottest bat in Charlotte right now is Mikie Mahtook, with 5 homers and 5 doubles in his last 49 at bats. A nice position for the White Sox to be in. But, yeah, Mercedes would be a nice add, but he’ll have to hit his way back to Chicago. Thanks!