Record
2-2 (September 10-13)
65-73 (overall, eighth place of 10)
32-32 (second half, fifth place of 10)

This short update is where Charlotte’s hopes of finishing as a .500 team in 2024 officially died. The chances of finishing at even for just the second half? Very much alive. Especially with ascendant sluggers like Tim Elko springing back alive.

September 10: Charlotte Knights 6, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 2
There’s no two bits about it: Oscar Colás has had an awful year. And frankly, his past two seasons have disappointed, as the player who broke camp with the big club and cried in a phone call breaking the news to his mother in 2023 has been broken down by a number of factors, quite possibly most so by his own ex-manager, Pedro Grifol. Failing to hit .250 or OPS .750 in Triple-A, and in a hitters’ park at that, will not get the talented Cuban called back up, ever. But for one game (and not the only, Colás has had 2024 highlights, all was well in Oscar’s world. And on the arms side, everything was golden, including veteran reliever Deivi García providing yet another yeoman spot start, as the Knights again found their rotation hopelessly compromised by a lack of upper-tank arms in the system. Bravo, Deivi, and the five relievers backing your effort up.

GAME MVP
Oscar Colás (RF) 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, SB, CS, GIDP, 22.2% WPA

September 11 (Game 1): Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3, Charlotte Knights 1 (7 innings)
The climb to .500 — even for just the second half of the season — is getting steeper by the spot start, as this time around it was reliever Trey McGough who took the pill for an emergency effort. And like García the day before, McGough acquitted himself well, with just one earned over three innings. It wasn’t enough to avoid the loss, as the bullpen arm gift-wrapped from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline dropped to 6-2 on the season. But make no mistake: McGough has been simply great with the Knights. Perhaps his stuff won’t play in the bigs, but he’s dominated Triple-A this season. The pen was spotty in this game, and the offense (13 Ks, hitless with RISP, six hits total) is worthy of laying down and avoiding.

GAME MVP
Rafael Ortega (CF) 1-for-2, R, RBI, HR, BB, 16.3% WPA

September 11 (Game 2): Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4, Charlotte Knights 3 (7 innings)
Is Tim Elko a streaky hitter? Probably a little. Who isn’t? What we do know about Tim is that he is a HITTER. And if this game is any indication, he is about the GET HOT for the anchor leg of the season. On the pitching side, Johan Domínguez took the pill and got tripped up some; three runs over 4 2/3 innings; shame on Johan for the traffic allowed, but more so Colson Montgomery for the error that made each of the scores unearned. Colson copped his 17th error of the season and has really hit a speed bump on the cusp of the majors.

GAME MVP
Tim Elko (1B) 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, K, 22.5% WPA

September 12: Charlotte Knights 9, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4
To even this series back up, Charlotte unpacked the bats and remembered that Jax is no better than they are on the season. Poor Yonny Chirinos got clubbed by the hungry Knights, tagging the veteran for eight earned over three innings; yeah, this one was over quick, TKO Charlotte. Tim Elko went yard again but the multihit heroes for this one were all “veterans” at Triple-A: Yoán Moncada, Carlos Pérez, Danny Mendick and Oscar Colás.

GAME MVP
Carlos Pérez (C) 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 0-for-1 CS, 21.8% WPA

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Tim Elko photo by Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights