White Sox Minor League Update: May 19, 2024

All White Sox affiliate teams won except the Barons — but there’s still plenty of big news coming out of Birmingham!

Another great day across the South Side affiliates, with everyone but Birmingham coming in with a win — and Kannapolis got two, to move into first place! While the Barons didn’t get a win, there was still some exciting news hot off the press Sunday evening. The No. 2 White Sox MLB Pipeline and South Side Sox prospect, Noah Schultz, has been promoted from the High-A Dash to the Barons, joining an already impressive starting rotation.

In 27 1⁄3 innings pitched, Schultz has racked up 42 strikeouts in seven outings, and has posted an impressive 0.91 WHIP and a 3.95 ERA.

Charlotte Knights 8, Durham Bulls 0 (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
The Knights effectively won the game in the second inning, when Zach DeLoach smashed a two-run homer to center, backing Johan Domínguez (five innings, one hit) with early run support. Durham never got around to answering back, but it might not have mattered anyway, because the Knights were on fire Sunday.

Homers was the name of the game through five innings, as Chuckie Robinson and Wilmer Difo also joined in the fun to increase Charlotte’s lead to five, and center field was the hot spot today.

The Knights would score the rest of their runs in the sixth, with Jared Walsh ripping an RBI triple, and Mark Payton and Colson Montgomery driving in the final two runs on line-drive singles.

Outside of Domínguez’s quality start to earn the win, the bullpen was lights-out behind him. The final four pitchers combined for three hits, one walk, and five strikeouts, sealing the 8-0 win and series victory for the Knights.

Chattanooga Lookouts 3, Birmingham Barons 1 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
It was a duel on the mound today, as both teams only had four hits, and Jairo Iriarte threw a seven-inning gem for the Barons (while still sadly getting the loss). Iriarte gave up four hits — one being a two-run homer — three earned runs, and one walk, but struck out a career-best 13 Lookouts.

The Barons had a two-run deficit to chip away at, and Brooks Baldwin cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when he grounded into a fielder’s choice to score the lone Birmingham run.

Drew Dalquist and Caleb Freeman kept the Barons in the game out of the bullpen, but the offense fell completely flat for the rest of the game, allowing the Lookouts to take the game.

Winston-Salem Dash 4, Greenville Drive 2 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Riley Gowens had a great start, throwing for seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned), walking two and striking out 11. After eight starts, the Libertyville native stands at an efficient 3.76 ERA in his first full pro season.

The bullpen was just as impressive, with Ben Beutel and Jared Kelley combining for just one hit and one walk as the only blemishes in the last couple of innings.

On the offensive side, the Dash didn’t really hit their way into any runs. Rather, Loidel Chapelli accounted for two RBIs on a fielder’s choice. The other two runs were scored on a sac fly and a balk, of all ways to score. Hey, it doesn’t matter how you score them; four was plenty for the Dash to get the dub.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 8, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 2 (completion of May 18 suspended game) (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
The Woodpeckers went into this game up 2-0 after being postponed on Saturday night, but the Cannon Ballers came back Sunday with a vengeance, tying it up in the fifth on a Rikuu Nishida line-drive single.

Tommy Vail came in to begin Sunday’s game, and struck out six batters in his three innings of work, giving up just one hit. Nick Altermatt ended up getting the win, however, improving his ERA to 1.59 in 17 innings pitched.

The Ballers went on a six-run rampage in the eighth, putting the game away to complete the comeback.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 0 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Kannapolis pulled off the doubleheader sweep, taking the second game of the day, 2-0, in a seven-inning game. The CBs earned five hits, and the two lone Kanny runs came from Alberston Asigen in the first inning, who singled in the bottom of the first to score Rikuu Nishida and Ryan Burrowes.

The pitchers were very much on the money today, giving up just three hits and completely shutting down the Woodpeckers. Lucas Gordon had the start, and while he struggled with three walks, they didn’t hold him back. The lefty controlled traffic and ultimately kept anyone from scoring.

Frankeli Arias would end up with the win after 2 1⁄3 innings where he gave up two hits, a walk, and struck out two — doing just enough to keep the Ballers in the game for the win.