Man, what a wild couple of days in the minor leagues! We saw some clutch hits and some absolute pitching meltdowns. The biggest head-scratcher has to be what went down in Birmingham, where the Barons’ pitching staff got absolutely torched, giving up a staggering 13 runs on 17 hits to the Montgomery Biscuits. Yeah, you read that right, *seventeen hits*.
Knights Mount a Comeback, Austin Hays Delivers
Over in Charlotte, the Knights (51-46) had to fight for it, but they pulled off a gritty 7-6 win against Norfolk. It wasn’t pretty early on; David Sandlin surrendered a leadoff walk that came around to score in the first, giving the Tides an early 1-0 lead. But the Knights had some answers. Rikuu Nishida drew a walk in the fourth, then Everson Pereira ripped an RBI double to get things going. And then, boom! Austin Hays, on his rehab assignment, absolutely launched a two-run homer. That blast put Charlotte in front for good, a massive shot in the arm. Norfolk tried to creep back in, but Charlotte answered with a four-run frame, including an Andy Weber homer and Nolan Jones driving in another. The Tides made it interesting late, squeezing runs off Tanner McDougal and Garrett Schoenle, but the comeback fell one run short. Sandlin ended up stingy with hits, but those three walks in four innings? Gotta tighten that up, even with two K’s. Hays was clearly the MVP, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and that game-changing homer.
Bonemer Blasts Again, But Birmingham’s Pitching Is a Disaster
Talk about a mixed bag for the Birmingham Barons (34-57). Caleb Bonemer wasted no time at all, crushing his 22nd bomb of the year in the first inning to give Birmingham a quick 1-0 lead. That was pretty much the high point. From there, it was a full-blown nightmare as the Biscuits just baked the Barons’ pitching staff. Thirteen runs on 17 hits? That’s just brutal. The offense didn’t help itself, collecting nine hits and three walks but finishing a dismal 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Bonemer kept swinging though, driving in another tally with a single in the fifth after Jacob Burke and Boston Smith worked back-to-back walks. Brendon Dixon even chipped in a solo shot in the ninth, but by then, the game was long gone. Bonemer’s 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI, and that homer makes him a clear MVP, but man, Connor McCullough gave up six hits and four runs in three innings, and Jarold Rosado got shelled for four runs on four hits in just one inning. That pitching staff needs a serious shake-up.
Over in Winston-Salem, the Dash (50-41) started well against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. James Taussig singled, then wild pitches and an Ely Brown triple brought him home in the second. But that was it. Greensboro answered in the third, took a 2-1 lead, and never looked back, eventually padding the score late with four more off the bullpen for a 6-1 win. The Dash only managed five hits, four of them singles, and were a dismal 1-for-7 with RISP. Ely Brown was a bright spot, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a triple.
Look, these teams have to regroup fast. For Charlotte, that win was huge, especially with Hays looking sharp. For Birmingham and Winston-Salem, it’s about finding some answers on the mound and with runners in scoring position. There’s always tomorrow to turn things around, and these guys gotta get back to work.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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