Blake Rutherford returned to action on Thursday after missing a couple games with an injury suffered in the field, and he promptly struck out three times. He kept May from ending on a completely sour note, as he went 2-for-4 in the Barons' loss to Toledo.
Even though it's been a slog for most Barons hitters all year, Rutherford's struggles have stood out. Here's how they stand as they enter June:
| Hitter | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | BB% | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Gonzalez | 210 | .230 | .286 | .326 | 7.6 | 17.6 |
| Gavin Sheets | 197 | .239 | .299 | .333 | 8.1 | 20.3 |
| Laz Rivera | 180 | .228 | .283 | .281 | 6.1 | 15.0 |
| Blake Rutherford | 159 | .185 | .226 | .291 | 5.0 | 25.8 |
Every other hitter can claim something. Gonzalez didn't improve from April to May, but his strikeout rate is better than the one he had at A-ball last year. Sheets is tied for the team lead in homers. Rivera has more than doubled his walk rate.
The best thing you can say about Rutherford's performance is that his line against righties is in line with everybody above. He's just 4-for-41 with a walk to 10 strikeouts against left-handed pitching.
Rutherford told James Fegan that he's in the worst slump of his life but determined to fix it. Fortunately, nobody in Winston-Salem is pressing for his roster spot. That buys him more time than it originally seemed.
Charlotte 4, Toledo 0
- Daniel Palka went 1-for-3 withi a walk and a strikeout.
- So did Zack Collins, but his hit was a double.
- Danny Mendick, 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Joel Booker was 0-for-4 with a K, and was caught stealing.
- Justin Nicolino is the latest to make a bid for a spot start: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
Montgomery 8, Birmingham 7
- Luis Robert went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases.
- Luis Basabe departed after going 0-for-1, potentially because of soreness when he swings right-handed.
- Gavin Sheets homered for the second straight day while going 2-for-5.
- Ti'Quan Forbes was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He was also hit by a pitch and stole a base.
- Blake Rutherford went 2-for-4.
- Laz Rivera, 1-for-3 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
- Blake Battenfield: 5 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
More:
*Sheets' homer:
Hickory 10, Kannapolis 5
- Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-4 with a double.
- Romy Gonzalez, 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Luis Curbelo singled and struck out thrice.
- Corey Zangari was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
