While the greater minor league regular season comes to a close today, Charlotte wrapped up its schedule on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Durham Bulls, since the Carolina Panthers have a game today, and the teams share parking lots.
Santos had won two league championships and lost another one in his three years leading a minor league team, but the Charlotte Knights, who entered the year with a .394 winning percentage since the pandemic, proved impervious to his managerial magic. They finished the season 65-85 after splitting the doubleheader, giving the White Sox farm system a 328-337 record on the season.
There are at least two games remaining before we call it a year for the Minor Keys. Birmingham opens the Southern League Championship Series at Regions Field at 4 p.m. today, with the remainder of the series in Montgomery on Tuesday, and Wednesday if necessary.
Durham 5, Charlotte 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Tim Elko went 2-for-3.
- Bryan Ramos was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
- Jacob Gonzalez was 0-for-3.
- Jairo Iriarte: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 16 of 26 pitches for strikes.
Charlotte 3, Durham 2 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Tim Elko went 2-for-3 again.
- Bryan Ramos was 1-for-3 with a homer.
- Jacob Gonzalez went 1-for-2.
- Peyton Pallette: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 9 of 13 pitches for strikes.
Notes:
*Gonzalez came into Game 2 with a .200 average in Charlotte. The single allowed him to finish at .204, so he's as brave as Ted Williams was.
