Before Friday's game against the Twins, Rick Hahn told the media that just about every other second- and third-tier prospect is out for the season for one reason or another. I'll get to that in a separate post, but the wave of injuries and promotions finally allowed Trey Michalczewski to reach Charlotte.
The seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft opened the season in Birmingham for the fourth straight year, hitting .234/.309/.360 over 414 games. Over that time, he went from being a third baseman to moving all over the diamond, but no change in role or lineup pressure could unlock his bat.
Roster shortages finally gave him an avenue to get to Triple-A, and he made it a memorable one. Get a load of this homer he hit in Norfolk in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday:
Michaelczewski went 2-for-4 across the doubleheader on Friday. If the action of the ball is such that he's able to hit broken-bat homers, it throws Triple-A numbers into even greater disarray.
He's only 24, by the way.
Charlotte 10, Norfolk 3 (Game 1, completion of May 5 game)
- Danny Mendick went 1-for-3 with two walks.
- Daniel Palka was 0-for-2 went a walk.
- Seby Zavala was 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Trey Michalczewski made his Triple-A debut
- Dylan Cease: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Charlotte 4, Norfolk 3 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Yermin Mercedes went 1-for-2 with a walk.
- Danny Mendick, 2-for-3 with a triple and a double.
Birmingham 4, Mobile 3
- Luis Robert singled, walked and struck out twice.
- Nick Madrigal and Gavin Sheets both were 2-for-4.
- Blake Rutherford went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Ti'Quan Forbes went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Luis Gonzalez, 1-for-4.
Winston-Salem 6, Salem 2
- Steele Walker went 2-for-5.
- Carlos Perez was 2-for-4 with a sac fly.
Kannapolis 7, West Virginia 4
- Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Bryce Bush went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Corey Zangari, 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Romy Gonzalez was 1-for-3 with a walk and s strikeout.
- Amado Nunez went 1-for-4 with a K.
Idaho Falls 14, Great Falls 2
- Cabera Weaver went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Kelvin Maldonado and Lency Delgado both singled twice and struck out twice.
- Harvin Mendoza was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Luis Mieses went 2-for-4 with a double. He was caught stealing.
- Sam Abbott went 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
- Kleyder Sanchez was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Anderson Comas went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts.
- Ramon Pineda: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
AZL White Sox 4, AZL Reds 2
- James Beard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Sidney Pimentel walked once and struck out thrice.
- Bryan Ramos went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. He was also caught stealing.
- DJ Gladney, 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
- Josue Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts.
- Victor Torres was 2-for-3.
DSL White Sox 10, DSL Reds 8
- Anthony Espinoza went 0-for-4 with a walk.
- Benyamin Bailey singled and walked in his two plate appearances, and was caught stealing.
- Alberto Bernal was 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Jefferson Mendoza went 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and a strikeout.
- Luis Pineda went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Wilber Sanchez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
- Ronaldo Guzman: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
