White Sox Minor Keys: May 10, 2023

Now that every team in Triple-A is using the automatic ball-strike system that Charlotte helped pilot last year, I finally got some first-hand experience with watching the robo umps as a spectator at Wednesday night's Nashville Sounds game against the Gwinnett Stripers.

I got into the ballpark in the bottom of the first inning, and First Horizon Ballpark's guitar-shaped scoreboard reminded me about the ABS rules that apply to all Triple-A teams in 2023 with a note underneath the line score on the neck reading: "AUTOMATIC BALLS & STRIKES IN EFFECT TONIGHT." The first half of a six-game series is called entirely by the ABS, and the second half lets home-plate umpires take over with the challenge system to right the most severe wrongs.

Gone was the diamond display showing the names of the defenders at each position in the field, replaced by a pitch chart and data regarding velocity, exit velocity and launch angle.

Watching from a side angle, it was cool wondering "Where was that pitch?" and then glancing at the scoreboard and seeing, "Oh, it was well outside." Likewise, when a hitter recoiled at a seemingly inside pitch called a strike, I had a better idea of what the pitcher was throwing.

The only weird part was the slight hesitation on a called strike three, which would normally indicate umpire uncertainty if the delay weren't due to the umpire getting the notification from the system. Otherwise, it's hard to see much of a drawback when it comes to how smoothly the game flows.

In Sounds-Stripers news, Nick Solak hit a grand slam, Yolmer Sánchez reached base four times, and Thyago Vieira is topping out at 98.8 mph these days.

Charlotte 7, Durham 1

• Oscar Colás went 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.
• Yoán Moncada played a full game at third, walking twice and striking out twice.
• Garrett Crochet: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
• Liam Hendriks: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Notes:

*Hendriks' fastball averaged 94.9 mph, and he talked after the game about the spring training feel of it all.

*Jake Burger is heading out on a rehab stint with Charlotte.

*Davis Martin's absence is due to a forearm strain, which explains the monthlong inactivity.

Pensacola 7, Birmingham 5

• Alsander Womack went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
• José Rodríguez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Yoelqui Céspedes, 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Luis Mieses was 1-for-4 with a K.
• Adam Hackenberg, 1-for-3 with an HBP.
• Cristian Mena: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP

Winston-Salem 9, Greenville 4

• Terrell Tatum went 1-for-3 witha stolen base and a CS, after which he was ejected.
• Loidel Chapelli hit a grand slam during a 2-for-4 night, with a walk and a strikeout.
• DJ Gladney was 1-for-4 with a double, walk and strikeout.
• Wilfred Veras wore the golden sombrero while going 0-for-5.
• Wes Kath, 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
• Jared Kelley: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 38 of 65 pitches for strikes.

Highlights:

*Chapelli's slam:

Kannapolis 9, Fayetteville 0

• Jordan Sprinkle went 0-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Brooks Baldwin was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Shane Murphy: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 37 of 50 pitches for strikes.