Record
2-4 (August 16-22)
55-65 (overall, ninth place of 10)
22-24 (second half, sixth place of 10)

Despite a stretch of two wins in six, the Norfolk Tides actually played worse, and fell to the bottom of the International League East Division … the Knights are no longer a last-place team! And really, with the talent in Charlotte now (and with as much likely still to come as to be lost to the parent club), there’s no reason the club should fall back into the basement. The charge to .500, at least for the second half, continues!

August 16: Toledo Mud Hens 5, Charlotte Knights 1
This block of games gets off rough, with a lackluster loss to a middling Toledo club. Or perhaps “choking” is a better word: Nine hits and six walks, but the only run converted was Rafael Ortega’s solo homer in the seventh.

¡Vamos Caballeros!

Rafael Ortega with a 💣 pic.twitter.com/63ELINhghp

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 17, 2024

For those tracking at home, that’s a 1-for-10 mark with RISP, 12 left on base and two GIDPs. But on the Mud Hens side, it was the Andrew Navigato show, with two homers and two of Toledo’s five hits. So, Navigatos 2, Knights 1.

GAME MVP
Colson Montgomery (SS) 2-for-3, BB, K, 32.0% WPA

August 17: Charlotte Knights 6, Toledo Mud Hens 4
Charlotte moved back to within a game of Toledo in the standings with a nice Saturday win that reversed the previous loss by being the team that did more (six runs) with less (five hits). The offense was punctuated by a tasty crooked number (five) on the board in the fourth inning, and backed by heroic bullpen work. Sean Burke (4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R/2ER, BB, 8 K) had what for 2024 has become a typical Burke start, on the short side with a little bit of damage and a heaping helping of Ks.

420-foot 💣

Oscar Colás ties the game in the 4th! pic.twitter.com/7nsHSb64TQ

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 17, 2024

GAME MVP
Oscar Colás (RF) 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB, 16.2% WPA

August 18: Toledo Mud Hens 8, Charlotte Knights 3
A sour note to end the series was precipitated by one of the weirder moves you’ll see in the minors, a quick hook for the STARTING PITCHER while arguing the call at second base on a steal attempt. Nick Nastrini (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, ER, K, WP, HB) was humming along just fine before the heave-ho, which threw the Knights into an emergency bullpen day. MLB seems to care so much about pitcher and player health that their minor league clubs can’t play real extra innings for full doubleheaders, but testily eject a pitcher for … whatever, that’s OK. Rafael Ortega had a monster game all told and the bullpen did its best, but this game was stolen, or at least mucked up, by the boys in blue.

415 feet!

Rafael Ortega with a two-run 💣 pic.twitter.com/IFWpp8pWGt

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 18, 2024

GAME MVP
Rafael Ortega (CF) 2-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, 17.2% WPA

August 20: Memphis Redbirds 8, Charlotte Knights 7
When you start the game double-single-walk-double-homer and go up 5-0 before a SINGLE OUT, you gotta feel good about how the game’s gonna turn out, right? Well, not when you’re the Knights, and not with Jake Eder (1/3 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, WP, 15-of-34 strikes, loss to drop to 0-4) on the mound, giving back six runs from the get-go. Listen, I’m the first to take the piss out of the Jake Burger worship and connected dissing of Eder, but there is no way to see the lefty’s 2024 as anything but an utter abomination. He wasn’t particularly good at Birmingham (5.09 ERA in 15 starts and a poor WHIP) but got a tenure/age-25 promotion anyhow. That’s turning out to be an awful move, because he’s had six poor starts with Charlotte — the best of which was a 4.50 ERA effort.

Oscar Colás with a two-run DOUBLE in the 1st! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/IWZcLsE7FP

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 21, 2024

GAME MVP
Oscar Colás (RF) 2-for-2, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, 35.8% WPA

August 21: Memphis Redbirds 8, Charlotte Knights 7 (10 innings)
Creating a potentially very confusing run differential at season’s end with successive one-run losses, the Knights fought back all game after falling behind, 5-2, in the first, finally tying the game back up in the ninth. Unfortunately, Memphis cashed in its Manfred Man with a stolen base and sacrifice fly to end the game. If we’re being honest, Charlotte hardly had reason to be in extras to lose, because its ninth-inning rally to tie was more Redbirds reliever Ryan Loutus melting down than anything else; both runs scored with hitters simply keeping the bat on their shoulders for bases-loaded walks.

GAME MVP
Danny Mendick (LF) 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, 33.2% WPA

August 22: Charlotte Knights 8, Memphis Redbirds 3
After all of these close games and mostly losses, Charlotte said heck with it and just blew Memphis out. A huge offensive day included 14 total safeties, three walks, and a solid 6-of-16 with RISP. Mark Payton (3-for-5, R, RBI, SB, K, 15.4% WPA) was not our MVP, but had a three-hit day. Also, the pitching staff ran out a somewhat-bullpen day combo of pitchers, of which Trey McGough (2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K, win to improve to 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA) has been key.]

ICYMI: Zach DeLoach had a (K)night to remember on Thursday!

Three-run 💣 pic.twitter.com/GShTHAuWL0

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 23, 2024

GAME MVP
Zach DeLoach (CF) 3-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K, 23.9% WPA

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Oscar Colás photo by Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights