The Chicago White Sox's three highest minor league affiliates are playing the Tampa Bay Rays' three highest minor league affiliates this week, and all of Thursday's games were decided by one run.
In the middle of it, the Birmingham Barons lost by a score you often see in the Southern League (2-1), but Zach Franklin posted a line you rarely see when the game went into extras: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.
The right-handed reliever took over in the 10th with the Manfred Man on second, and while he struck out the first two batters he faced, the second one whiffed on a slider that got through the wickets of catcher Colby Smelley, which allowed Brayden Taylor to reach while putting runners on the corners. That gave Tres Barrera an open right side to poke a grounder through, giving the Biscuits a 2-1 lead.
Franklin recovered by striking out Hunter Stovall, who tossed enough expletives to get him and his manager ejected, and then fanned Homer Bush Jr. to end the inning.
Bush started the 11th inning on second, but after Cooper Kinney struck out, Xavier Isaac hit a high fly to the left field corner. It should've been the second out, but Connor overran it, and Bush advanced to third. After an intentional walk to set up the force at any base since a run would win it, Franklin struck out Matthew Etzel and Will Simpson to get the game to the 12th.
Franklin, a 10th-round senior signing from Missouri (M-I-Z), lowered his ERA to 1.75 on the season. He's up to 38 strikeouts against 15 over 25⅔ innings, and the league is only hitting .161 against him. He gets by mostly on the strength of a lively mid-90s fastball, with a slider that's just enough to give hitters something else to think about. With Grant Taylor in Chicago and Peyton Pallette in Charlotte, he's probably the most established reliever remaining in Birmingham, and any Bennett Sousa will tell you to not rule out a guy just because he signed for $10,000.
Durham 2, Charlotte 1
- Brooks Baldwin went 1-for-3 with a homer, walk and stolen base.
- Colson Montgomery was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Andrew Vaughn was 0-for-3 with a walk and one strikeout.
- Korey Lee, 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Bryan Ramos went 0-for-3 with an HBP and a strikeout.
- Dru Baker, 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Mike Clevinger: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 43 of 62 pitches for strikes.
- Nick Nastrini: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 11 of 22 pitches for strikes.
Montgomery 2, Birmingham 1 (12 innings)
- Rikuu Nishida went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, and was caught stealing.
- William Bergolla was 0-for-3 with a sac bunt.
- Ryan Galanie went 0-for-3 with a sac fly and a strikeout.
- Jacob Gonzalez was 0-for-4, and was picked off.
- DJ Gladney, 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a sac bunt.
- Noah Schultz: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 7 K, 51 of 91 pitches for strikes.
Highlights:
*Schultz had success working up in the zone:
Winston-Salem 8, Bowling Green 7
- Sam Antonacci went 2-for-4 with an HBP and a stolen base.
- Jeral Perez was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Braden Montgomery was the walk-off hero, finishing 2-for-5 with a homer, triple and strikeout.
- Samuel Zavala was 1-for-4.
- Tanner McDougal no-decision: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Highlights:
*Montgomery's winner:
Columbia 2, Kannapolis 1
- Ronny Hernandez and George Wolkow both were 0-for-2 with two wlaks.
- Javier Mogollón was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Lyle Miller-Green singled, walked twice and struck out once.
- Ryan Burrowes went 3-for-4, and was caught stealing.
- Abraham Nuñez went 0-for-4 with a K.
ACL White Sox 3, ACL D-backs 2 (7 innings)
- Adrian Gíl went 1-for-3 with a double and a stolen base.
- Jurdrick Profar was 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
DSL White Sox 9, DSL Mariners 6 (7 innings)
- Christian Gonzalez singled twice, walked twice and struck out once.
- Alejandro Cruz went 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
- Orlando Patiño doubled, singled, walked and was hit by a pitch.
- Frank Mieses walked, hit a sac fly and struck out twice.
- Eduardo Herrera is already surpassing his debut season: 4-for-4 with two homers and six driven in.
- Yordani Soto went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and 1-for-2 on the basepaths.
