The White Sox farm system had a little bit of everything across July 16-17, 2026: a couple of comeback attempts, a few loud bats, some rough pitching, and more than one team that simply couldn’t buy a timely hit.
Charlotte’s return from the midseason break went sideways fast in an 8-2 loss to Durham. The Knights’ only runs came in unusual fashion - a two-out Bulls throwing error in the first and Ryan Galanie’s RBI single in the fourth.
Charlotte actually reached base more through walks than hits, which tells you plenty about how the night went. Jonathan Cannon started and never really settled in, allowing four runs, issuing three walks, and giving up a three-run homer.
Durham added another jolt in the eighth when Jaden Woods doubled home runs to finish off the Knights, though Tanner McDougal at least gave Charlotte something to feel better about with a sharp one-hit, two-inning outing as he pushes for a season debut before the trade deadline.
Birmingham had a tougher road to climb in a 5-3 loss to Rocket City, but the Barons didn’t go quietly. Lucas Gordon did enough on the mound to keep things manageable, giving up seven hits but only two runs while striking out five.
Jackson Kelley handled his part in relief, but Mathias LaCombe’s Birmingham debut turned messy in the seventh, when he allowed two runs and a walk. The Barons still found some pop: Boston Smith launched a solo homer in the second, and Dylan Campbell later crushed a two-run shot to pull Birmingham within one.
That was as close as they’d get.
Winston-Salem’s 5-3 loss to Bowling Green had the feel of a game the Dash could have stolen. Justin Sinbaldi was outstanding, turning in his best outing of the year by holding the Hot Rods to one run and striking out eight over five innings.
After the rain delay, Winston-Salem finally found some offense. Jeral Perez tied it with a two-run homer in the seventh, and Ely Brown followed with an RBI single to give the Dash a 3-2 lead.
But the ninth unraveled quickly. Garrett Wright walked Tony Santa Maria, watched him steal second, then issued another walk to Nathan Flewelling.
Aric McAtee then gave up the walk-off blast that ended the comeback.
Kannapolis, on the other hand, came out of the second half looking sharp in a 9-1 win over Myrtle Beach. The Cannon Ballers wasted no time setting the tone.
Alexander Albertus opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second, and Jaden Fauske cashed in two more on a dribbler after Homer Bush Jr bobbled the throw. That early burst was more than enough for Gabe Tanner, who kept rolling with another shutout effort.
This one lasted six innings, and it helped Kannapolis cruise to its 45th win.
The best offensive fireworks of the stretch came in the Complex League, where the ACL White Sox outlasted the ACL Reds 12-10 in nine innings on July 16. The game was tied 11-11 after seven, then the White Sox walked it off on a wild pitch and a sac fly.
Marcelo Ácala and Jose Mendoza each hit solo homers, while rehabber Adam Fogel went deep twice and drove in four. The bats also came through in key spots, with the club going 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
The DSL White Sox had a much rougher time. On July 16, they fell 12-3 to the DSL Athletics and stayed stuck near the bottom of the league in offense, sitting 34th out of 51 teams in runs.
Sebastian Romero finally broke through with a double in the fifth, and Ronald Cardozo brought him home, but most of the scoring after that came on an A’s balk and a wild pitch. The Sox went just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position, and starter Roderic Ramirez took the hit, allowing seven runs on seven hits in two innings.
A day later, the ACL White Sox ran into another wall in a 7-3 loss to the ACL Guardians. Jose Mendoza’s RBI single in the sixth accounted for one of the few highlights, but the offense never really found a rhythm, finishing 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven. On the mound, opener Felix Doroteo had a short outing, and Fabian Ysalla’s 10 hits and five runs proved to be the difference.
The DSL White Sox closed the stretch with another shutout loss, this time 5-0 to the DSL Blue Jays Red on July 17. Chicago’s affiliate managed only three hits, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and committed a fielding error.
Emmanuel Rodriguez took his third loss after allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings, while Franchel Crisostomo was charged with three runs in the third. Jhoriel De La Rosa offered one of the few bright spots, working 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
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Davis Martin Just Gave White Sox Fans A Reason To Believe Again
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The outing still ended in a 1-0 loss, which is the part the White Sox cannot afford to ignore. Toronto cashed in its only run in the fourth, while Chicago managed just four hits and left chances hanging after doubles in the first, fourth and fifth innings, so Martins rebound became another reminder of how thin the margin is when the offense does not meet the pitching halfway. [Read more 🡒]