White Sox Minor League Update: June 27, 2024 (2024)

Norfolk Tides 14, Charlotte Knights 4 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Not. A. Good. Game.

Charlotte’s starter, promising righty Nick Nastrini, was chased after just 1 2⁄3 innings after giving up six runs, only two of which were earned. Each Knight to pitch in this game, with the exception of position player Carlos Pérez, allowed at least one earned run. As a matter of fact, Pérez pitched two shutout frames, allowing just one hit.

If this whole catching or first baseman thing doesn’t work out, maybe Carlos will find a home on the mound.

Offensively, a duo of Knights went yard in the losing effort. Chuckie Robinson launched one as part of a 3-for-4 performance that drove in three of Charlotte’s four runs on the night. The other homer, a solo shot, came off of the bat of Zach Remillard who... let’s just say... needed it somethin’ fierce, as we say in the south. On the season, Zach has managed a .144 average with a .441 OPS after the addition of tonight’s homer.

All in all, we’ll probably brush past this one and hope for greener pastures further down the minor league ladder.

Tennessee Smokies 4, Birmingham Barons 1 (Gameday box)
Not a pretty sight in Birmingham either, I’m afraid. This normally high-scoring Barons offense could only scratch across two hits in tonight’s losing effort against a locked-in Smokies pitching staff helmed by righty Antonio Santos.

Brooks Baldwin, playing shortstop and batting third, was responsible for one of Birmingham’s two hits. Wilfred Veras recorded the other, a double laced to right field.

On the mound, lefty Jake Eder turned in another shaky start and was chased after three innings. He’d go on to be the losing pitcher after allowing three earned runs on three hits while walking one and punching four tickets. Righty Jordan Mikel piggybacked off of the afflicted Eder and tossed three scoreless frames of two-hit ball to spare a rather taxed Barons bullpen the fate of having to span the remaining six innings with relievers typically accustomed to single innings of work.

Looks like we’ll have to go at least one more step down the ladder in search of a win on the farm today. Let’s pass out honors and continue the search, reader.

Winston-Salem Dash 7, Rome Emperors 6 (Gameday box)
After losing last night’s contest in extra innings, Winston-Salem rallied from behind to walk this one off in the ninth, giving us our first win of the recap!

I’ve been singing praise of Eddie Park ever since the first time I saw him play in Kannapolis last year, and the kid has not disappointed since getting the early-season call to High-A. While his numbers at this level (.588 OPS) are underwhelming, Park brings solid fundamentals and baseball acumen to a young, free-swinging Winston-Salem team that needed every tick of his speed to win this one.

Starter Shane Murphy was in the zone all night, and the Emperors* (corrected from last night’s misnomer) made him pay. In 4 2⁄3 innings pitched, Murphy allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned). He also struck out five while working his pitch count up to a healthy 90.

A trio of Dash-ers recorded multi-hit performances. Bryce Willits (.705 OPS), Colby Smelley (.852 OPS), and Mario Camilletti (.742 OPS) all notched two knocks to keep their slash lines healthy and contribute to tonight’s thrilling victory. Even so, just one will be awarded MVP honors tonight. You decide, reader.

Columbia Fireflies 4, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1 (Gameday box)
Nothing ever lasts forever, reader, and as quickly as the winning feelings set in from High-A, they were dispelled down here in Single-A. While the Ballers recorded six hits on the night, none of them went for extra bases and they resulted in just one run. Luis Pineda and George Wolkow each tallied multi-hit efforts despite the lack of thump displayed by the Ballers.

On the mound, starter Aldrin Batista pitched four innings of two-run ball, walking four Fireflies while striking out five. Batista has shown tremendous stuff as arguably the most promising pitcher in the lower rungs of the White Sox minor league system, but he has run into command issues and bad luck as of late. Even still, his 3.32 ERA and 6-3 record are more indicative of his performance to date than his recent bouts of inconsistency.

ACL Athletics 10, ACL White Sox 6 (seven innings) (Gameday Box)
All aboard the Javier Mogollón hype train! My recent Out of the Park Baseball ’25 addition Mogollón went 2-for-4 with a homer while driving in half of the ACL Sox runs today in Arizona. He was joined in the home run club by DH and former Kannapolis Cannon Baller Jhoneiker Betancourt, who made his return to the organization after electing for free agency last November. Struggling infielder Edrick Felix also bounced back in a big way with a 3-for-3 night that included a double.

The ACL Sox only needed two pitchers to complete this seven-inning affair, but unfortunately both of them floundered. Starter Luis Reyes gave up four runs in four innings, exiting with a no-decision. Reliever Emerson Talavera would be saddled with the loss after allowing six earnies in his two innings on the mound, driving his ACL ERA up to 4.43.