The Charlotte Knights kept their bats hot in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader, rolling past the Buffalo Bisons 10-1 in a seven-inning game. Then the weather stepped in and wiped out the rest of the night: the second game was postponed because of rain and will not be made up.
That matters because Charlotte’s margin for error is basically gone. The Knights are 78-65, and with four teams to pass just to get into the playoffs, losing a game off the schedule makes the climb even steeper. At this point, the path is clear enough: Charlotte needs to go 6-0 the rest of the way to have any playoff shot.
The opener, though, was all Charlotte. The Knights scored in five of their six trips to the plate and held Buffalo to one run on four hits with a bullpen game. The top four hitters in the order did the heavy lifting, accounting for nine of the 10 runs, seven of the 11 hits and three of the four walks.
Tim Elko came up a homer short of the cycle, which is a wild line in a seven-inning game. He finished 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs and three RBI.
Riley Unroe supplied the lone long ball for Charlotte, his 11th homer of the season, and went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Rikuu Nishida didn’t record a hit, but he still filled up the box score with three runs, an RBI and two walks.
Jake Cave added two hits, including a double, plus two RBI and a walk.
Caden Connor chipped in with a double, a run, an RBI and a sacrifice fly, while Andy Weber also doubled in a run. On the mound, Jaden Woods got the win with 1 ⅔ scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Garrett Schoenle was tagged as the cold cat after giving up an earned run, a walk, two hits and a homer over 2 ⅓ innings.
Birmingham finished its season with a 5-2 win over Knoxville, and the Barons got there the hard way. One game after being knocked out of playoff contention and denied a shot at a third straight Southern League title, Birmingham used a three-run eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and take the penultimate game of the year.
The game was delayed nearly two hours by rain, but the Barons still found a way to take out some frustration on the Smokies, who had ended their playoff chase. The decisive hit came from Alec Briley, who drove in the go-ahead run with his 30th homer of the season on his birthday.
Dylan Cumming was sharp early, throwing five scoreless innings and allowing just one hit, but he did not get the win. Phil Fox took over and immediately ran into trouble, giving up two runs in the sixth and blowing the save. Birmingham’s bullpen recovered from there, and the offense answered in the eighth.
Dylan Campbell was the standout at the plate, reaching three times on walks, stealing three bases and scoring a run. Jacob Burke drove in three runs, while Ryan Burrowes added two hits, two runs and a double. Samuel Zavala also scored twice despite going hitless.
Mathias LaCombe picked up the win with two innings of relief, and Garrett Wright earned the save with a scoreless ninth. On the other side, Jose Colmenares had a rough night at shortstop, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and an error. Caleb Bonemer also struck out four times, Jordan Sprinkle drove in a run, and Grant Magill was caught stealing after going hitless.
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Since the deal, the right-hander has had a rough stretch in Chicago, and the early returns have only sharpened the questions about whether this was a calculated bet or a costly one. Castillo was already coming off uneven work with the Mariners before the trade, and with $21.6 million still owed in 2027, the White Sox are now tied to a rotation risk that fans will be watching closely for a turnaround. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face Troubling Front Office Shakeup At A Critical Time
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Chicago now has an important scouting position to fill while it keeps moving ahead with preparations for the 2027 draft. No replacement has been announced, and the timing makes the vacancy especially notable because amateur scouting is one of the areas where a club can least afford disruption, particularly when it is trying to build toward a long-term reset. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Elko Is Giving White Sox Fans A Reason To Watch Charlotte
The White Sox may be finishing their season in the majors, but there is still plenty happening in the system, and Tim Elko has been one of the names worth tracking. Charlotte closed out a series against Buffalo by winning four of five, and Elko was rewarded for a strong offensive stretch by being named the Knights Player of the Week, a reminder that his bat continues to be one of the more interesting developments in the organization.
Elsewhere in the chain, Birmingham wrapped its season by taking four of six from Knoxville, with Samuel Zavala earning Player of the Week honors for his own offensive work. Between Charlottes recent run and the Barons finish, the White Sox have a few minor league hitters giving the organization some late-season traction, even if the next step for each player still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]