As the old saying goes, it doesn’t feel like a Charlotte Knights season until 14 runs isn’t enough to win a game.
Sure enough, the Knights led 11-5 after five and 12-9 after eight, but were on the wrong end of a Tadahito Iguchi-like performance by Memphis’ Juan Yepez in the Redbirds’ 18-14 victory at Truist Field.
Yepez hit a pair of three-run homers in his last two at-bats in regulation, including a blast with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning to extend the game.
Of course, I suppose it isn’t really a Tadahito Iguchi Game unless his team loses. Joke’s on you, Juan Yepez.
Memphis 18, Charlotte 14 (11 innings)
- Romy Gonzalez went 2-for-6 with a homer.
- Carlos Pérez, 3-for-4 with a homer and a walk.
Notes:
*The Knights led this one 11-5 through five innings, and 12-9 after eight.
Birmingham 9, Chattanooga 6
- Yolbert Sánchez singled, walked twice and struck out twice.
- Jose Rodriguez went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Yoelqui Céspedes was 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Lenyn Sosa went 2-for-3 with two more walks.
- Davis Martin: 5 IP 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
- Caleb Freeman: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 HR
Notes:
*Sosa has drawn three walks in five games this year, or one more than he drew in 35 games at Double-A last year.
Greensboro 12, Winston-Salem 5
- Oscar Colás went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Bryan Ramos was 1-for-3 with a walk and an HBP.
- Luis Mieses, 1-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout.
- Adam Hackenberg went 0-for-3 with a walk and a K.
- Harvin Mendoza, 0-for-4 with a K.
Down East 4, Kannapolis 0
- Colson Montgomery went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- DJ Gladney was lifted after getting hit by a pitch in his second PA. He went 0-for-1.
- Wilfred Veras went 0-for-4 with a K.
- Wes Kath was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- James Beard went 1-for-3 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
- Cristian Mena’s A-ball debut: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 WP
Colada’s strikeouts were both looking. One, maybe both, looked to be a fastball right down the middle.
Ugh, autocorrect. Colas’s.
But I like Oscar Coladas
Both plural beverages
And getting caught in the rain.
Because AAA started before any other level, Carlos Perez already has 32 PAs. He does not have a strikeout.
I have not heard much about him, off to a great start and had decent AA numbers last year. Anybody know if he is decent enough defensively to pass Zavala in their catching depth department?
Early in his career he was most known by White Sox prospect watchers for being young for his level and having a low K rate. I think he has a better defensive reputation than Seby. So far in AAA he has 4 games at catcher and Seby as 1. Ciuffo has 3.
Using Baseball Prospectus’ minor league catching metrics, I’m not sure that you can make a clear statistical case that he’s a better catcher than Seby. He probably has a better arm.
As far as the depth chart, Seby was outrighted off the 40-man, so none of these catchers are on the roster. Perez and Ciuffo both have all three of their minor league options. Good chance Perez would be the next man up if there was an injury.
Good to know, thanks for the reply.
Thanks for the insight here. Sadly, profiling as a better defensive catcher than Seby doesn’t seem like a high bar to clear.
OT but the lineup was recently announced and I kinda dig the “next man up” roster we have going. I’d rather have Moncada and Jimenez and Harrison and Grandal in the lineup, but the idea of Burger, Vaughn, Sheets, McGuire, and Garcia is cool with me too.
This year’s “next man up” lineup is world’s better than last year’s which wasn’t exactly awful.
you jumped the shark with “and Garcia”
Meh. If I can be cool with an ohfer Sheets batting cleanup I can be comfortable with an ohfer Garcia batting sixth.
My point is less about the individual contributions of any one player in the lineup and more about the depth and versatility that the roster allows.
Jim, can you please refresh my memory on that Iguchi reference(s)?
It was glorious.
Oh I see…Javier Vazquez was sharp
From what I recall he’s regarded as averagish to decent behind the plate, not special defensively but adequate. He’s always had really strong strikeout numbers, just very little pop— catcher Madrigal, minus 50 points of BABIP. ZiPS likes him quite a bit relatively speaking, it projects him for averagish production in backup -scale playing time for the next three years.
The power he’s shown so far is obviously SSS, but if he’s actually added strength and pop, there’s some actual upside here. He’s done a better job of elevating the ball as he’s climbed in the minors, so if he simply hits the ball harder there be might an above-average starting major league catcher here. He has a grand total of 23 career homers in the minors— 3 of them have come in the past week.