A bunch of games to get to, and with two sets of doubleheaders the overall results could be a little compressed. Overall, it was a split day on the farm, with wins at the two upper levels and Birmingham finally taking a stick to the Smokies.

Charlotte Knights 8, Nashville Sounds 1
The Knights have flagged a bit this week, but broke back hard in Nashville tonight, putting it away early (6-1 by the fourth) thanks to a 15-hit assault. Everyone but Colson Montgomery (0-for-4, BB, K) had at least one hit, as sadly our top hitting prospect has fallen off of the face of the earth this season. However, six hitters in the lineup and all of the top five bats in the order tonight had multiple hits. Johan Domínguez started the game and pitched well; lemme tell ya for a guy so overlooked his numbers are toot suite in 2024, and you could do worse than give this guy a start or two on the South Side in August.

GAME MVP
Edgar Quero (C) 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB

Have a night, Edgar Quero! 👏

Quero has reached base 4⃣ times tonight! pic.twitter.com/bJKgd6PsQ7

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 28, 2024

RUNNERS-UP
Johan Domínguez (RHSP) 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K, WIN (5-4), 10.1% WPA
Bryan Ramos (3B) 2-for-5, 2 RBI, K, SB, 12.4% WPA
Mark Payton (LF) 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2B, SAC
Lenyn Sosa (2B) 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K, GIDP
Wilmer Difo (DH) 2-for-3, 2 R, BB, HBP, SB
Corey Knebel (RHRP) IP, 3 K, 11-of-15 strikes
Adisyn Coffey (RHRP) IP, H, 2 K

Birmingham Barons 3, Tennessee Smokies 0
The Barons played with some pride tonight, finally slowing down a Smokies club that blew past them to open the second half and haven’t looked back (even after tonight, still 5 1/2 games ahead in the Southern League North Division’s full season standings). It was Noah Schultz Day, and while the youngster still have never seen the fifth inning as a pro, you can’t argue with the Josh Haderesque and Andrew Millerian stopper work Schultz has done every stop on his way to the majors. If this game had been in the first half, the offense would have made this a 5-0 or 6-0 shutout, with highlights of its own; here in the second half, the meager Barons bats were lucky to provide the potency to keep this out of extras. The awards below will reflect the roster’s disparity at the moment.

GAME MVP
Jordan Mikel (RHRP) 2 2/3 IP, BB, 3 K, WIN (4-1), 24-of-34 strikes, 33.1% WPA

RUNNERS-UP
Alsander Womack (2B) 2-for-4, R, RBI, 2B, 10.5% WPA
Tristan Stivors (RHRP) 2 IP, H, HOLD (3), 10.1% WPA
Noah Schultz (LHSP) 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HB
Andrew Dalquist (RHRP) IP, K, SAVE (1, ***first career save***)
Michael Turner (C) 1-for-3, R, BB, 1-for-1 CS

Bowling Green Hot Rods 4, Winston-Salem Dash 3 (9 innings) (Game 1)
The Dash fought and fought in this one, and Juan Carela pitched mighty fine, but ultimately not enough traffic on the bases was converted into points. We should be happy there was any traffic at all, though, because the Dash offense is truly brutal; not quite Chicago White Sox level, but not too far from that address, either.

GAME MVP
Bryce Collins (RHRP) 2 IP, BB, 4 K

RUNNERS-UP
Juan Carela (RHSP) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 2 HB
Jordan Sprinkle (SS) 1-for-3, R, 2 SB, SAC
Eddie Park (LF) 2-for-4, RBI, GIDP

Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, Winston-Salem Dash 1 (Game 2)
The nightcap was just a miserable game all-around for Winston-Salem, as our High-A club fell to 44-51, a half-game from the system’s worst. At least this loss wasn’t prolonged by two extra innings, as in the opener.

OK wait there was one cool thing: The Dash tied the game at one in the third inning when they pulled off a double steal of DJ Gladney at second base and Loidel Chapelli at home.

GAME MVP
Caden Connor (LF) 2-for-3, 2B

RUNNERS-UP
Loidel Chapelli (2B) 1-for-3, R, K, 2 SB
Billy Seidl (RHRP) IP, 2 K

Charleston RiverDogs 8, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7 (Game 1)
The visiting CBs were in control of this one — until they weren’t. Yep, the RDs scored four times in the bottom of the (final) seventh inning to walk off Kanny to get things started today. Bummer, too, because Aldrin Batista (4 IP, 7 H, 2 R/1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) pitched well enough, despite some heavy traffic on the paths, to earn the victory (wait, in the seven-inning mini-games in the minors, does four innings qualify for a win?). Alas, Jesús Méndez (1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, K, third blown save, loss to fall to 2-4) collapsed for the Cannon Ballers in the seventh and cost the game.

GAME MVP
Javier Mora (DH) 1-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B

RUNNERS-UP
Ryan Burrowes (SS) 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, E, 34.6% WPA
Rikuu Nishida (LF) 1-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI (***first career homer***)

Rikuu Nishida connects on his first pro homer!

The @whitesox prospect is batting .287 this season with two five-hit games for the @Kcannonballers. pic.twitter.com/1NvGLzd12j

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 28, 2024

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3, Charleston RiverDogs 1 (Game 2)
As evidenced by the three runs, the Kanny offense wasn’t exactly turned on for the nightcap, but with rude boy pitching from Jake Peppers, not much offense was needed. Rikuu Nishida had a fine first game, then went ham in the second, with outfield assists, steals of home, the works. All told the CBs end the day back at 14 games better than .500, 54-40.

GAME MVP
Rikuu Nishida (LF) 1-for-3, RBI, BB, 3B, K, CS (home), 2 assists (LF to 1B, LF to home), 12.3% WPA

RUNNERS-UP
Jake Peppers (RHSP) 5 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 4 K, HB, WIN (4-5), 24.0% WPA
Arxy Hernández (3B) 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, K, 10.8% WPA

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Rikuu Nishida photo: S.R. Silver/Sox Populi