The White Sox affiliates got two very different kinds of nights on September 11, 2026: Charlotte survived on one big swing and a strong pitching effort, while Birmingham’s comeback effort came up just short in a game that kept slipping away from them.
Charlotte Knights 2, Buffalo Bisons 1
Charlotte didn’t need much offense to keep itself in the playoff hunt. Joey Wiemer’s two-run homer provided every bit of run support the Knights would get, and that was enough to edge Buffalo.
The rest of the lineup never really found a groove. Charlotte finished with just three other hits, one walk, and only one runner in scoring position. Buffalo got its lone run on a solo homer from Davis Schneider, but that was all it managed.
The real difference came on the mound. Shane Murphy handled seven strong innings, giving up one run and five hits while striking out five. Aidan Anderson finished it off with two clean innings out of the bullpen, and Charlotte rode that pitching to the win.
The victory leaves Charlotte four games out of a playoff berth, though Durham and Syracuse both won as well, keeping the Knights at a distance from the postseason.
MVP
Shane Murphy: 7 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 5 K, HR
Runners-Up
Joey Wiemer: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K
Aidan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB
Tim Elko: 1-for-3, R
Cold Cat
Jason Matthews: 1-for-3, 2 K
Knoxville Smokies 8, Birmingham Barons 7
Birmingham kept punching back, but Knoxville kept landing the bigger shots. The Barons fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, then answered with Caleb Bonemer’s rocket and Jordan Sprinkle’s RBI triple to make it 3-2 after two.
Knoxville extended the lead again with a two-run blast in the third, and Samuel Zavala answered in kind with a three-run shot to pull Birmingham even.
That tie didn’t last long. Liam Paddack opened the middle innings by walking the leadoff hitter, then added a balk to move him to second.
After Knoxville’s Angela Cepeda was hit, the Smokies had two on with no outs, and that set the stage for the three-run sixth that ended up being the difference. Zavala and Jacob Burke tried to spark something in the bottom half, but the Barons couldn’t push the game to extras.
The biggest problem for Birmingham was control. The pitching staff allowed 12 hits, issued 10 walks, and recorded only three strikeouts. The offense did its part, producing runs on seven hits and five walks, but Lucas Gordon’s exit before the fourth inning put too much pressure on a bullpen that had shown some recent promise but couldn’t hold up in this one.
Even with Rocket City losing to Chattanooga, Birmingham’s shot at a three-peat Southern League title is gone.
MVP
Samuel Zavala: 2-for-3, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, K, HR
Runners-Up
Caleb Bonemer: 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, HR
Morris Austin: 1 1/3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Pierce George: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB
Alec Briley: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, K
Cold Cat
Lucas Gordon: 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K, HR
Runners-Up
Liam Paddack: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB
Jacob Burke: 0-for-4, R
Colby Shelton: 0-for-3, BB, K
Jorge Corona: 1-for-4, 2 K
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