The White Sox affiliates made it a productive Thursday across the system, going 3-2 while the bats piled up six homers and a few key arms delivered quality starts.
At Triple-A, Tim Elko powered Charlotte past Rochester 7-2 with another loud night at the plate. Elko went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base, while Joey Wiemer added a double and an RBI and Michael Turner chipped in two hits.
Shane Smith turned in one of his best outings of the season, working 6.0 innings and allowing just one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts to earn the win. Tyler Schweitzer followed with two scoreless innings, and Garrett Schoenle finished it off after Charlotte jumped ahead early.
The biggest offensive explosion came from High-A Winston-Salem, even in a 10-9 loss to Greensboro. George Wolkow crushed two home runs, finishing 2-for-4 with three runs and four RBI, and Kyle Lodise doubled twice.
Wes Kath added two hits and an RBI, while Javier Mogollon scored twice and swiped a bag. Jake Curtis lasted 6.0 innings but allowed five earned runs, and the bullpen couldn’t quite hold the line after that.
Birmingham also found a way to win, edging Columbus 7-6. James Taussig supplied the only homer for the Barons, going 1-for-5 with a solo shot, and Samuel Zavala reached twice and scored twice.
Anthony DePino, Alec Briley, Colby Shelton, Ryan Burrowes and Caleb Bonemer all contributed RBI, helping Birmingham stay in it after Juan Carela allowed two earned runs over four innings. Jonathan Clark took the roughest turn out of the bullpen, but Pierce George picked up the win with a scoreless inning, and Jackson Kelley closed strong with two shutout frames.
Kannapolis dropped a 5-3 decision to Hickory, but the game still had a milestone moment. Jake Berkland collected his first professional hit, going 1-for-2 with two walks, while Braden Holcomb tripled and Crew McChesney added two hits. Gabe Tanner was solid on the mound, throwing 6.0 innings and giving up two earned runs, though the Cannon Ballers couldn’t get enough going to back him up.
In the DSL, the White Sox rolled past their opponent behind another barrage of power. Hector Hernandez, Fernando Graterol and Orlando Patino all homered, and Sebastian Romero and Ronald Cardozo each added doubles in a lineup that kept the pressure on all game.
Graterol finished 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and an RBI, while Felix Lebron scored three times and stole two bases. David Colmenares earned the win in relief after Roderic Ramirez worked the first three innings.
In Other News...
White Sox Make Another Catching Move That Raises A Bigger Question
The White Sox have already moved on from another catching experiment, releasing Eric Haase from a minor league contract shortly after bringing him in. Haase got into seven games with Triple-A Charlotte, but the organization never pushed him onto the major league roster, even with the catching picture shifting around at the big-league level.
For now, Chicago is back to leaning on Drew Romo and Edgar Quero behind the plate, with Korey Lee standing as the top depth option. It leaves the front office with a familiar question for a club that has spent plenty of time sorting through its catching options: whether the current group is enough, or whether another move is still coming. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Suddenly Need Rotation Help As New Arm Gets A Shot
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Urquidys call-up gives Chicago a look at an arm it added from the Pirates before the Trade Deadline, and it comes with some intrigue because the White Sox have been searching for steadier innings wherever they can find them. For a team trying to piece together the back end of a season, the next few turns through the rotation now carry a little more weight, and this latest shuffle may not be the last one. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fifth Starter Battle May Be Turning Toward One Return
The White Sox have an opening in the fifth spot of their rotation after sending Noah Schultz and David Sandlin to Triple-A, and the picture there may be starting to clear. Drew Thorpe is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and has continued to look encouraging in his rehab assignment, giving the club a potential internal answer if it wants to keep the job in-house.
Thorpes latest step was a solid one, and it came at a time when Chicago could use some stability behind the top of the staff. There is still a recovery path to navigate and a decision to make, but the return of a pitcher who was trending well before the injury would give the White Sox a meaningful option as they sort through the back end of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]