White Sox Minor Keys: Aug. 4, 2021

With Matthew Thompson throwing two gems in a row for Kannapolis after months of struggles with the ambitious assignment, one would hope Andrew Dalquist would start reaping similar dividends from being thrown in the deep end.

Dalquist responded with his own encouraging turn, setting a career high with eight strikeouts over 4⅔ innings in the Cannon Ballers' 3-1 victory over the Carolina Mudcats in Zebulon, N.C., on Wednesday.

This start had two eyewitness accounts -- Josh Norris from Baseball America and Michael Guariglia from FutureSox. Both paint a picture of a guy who had to labor a little despite allowing just four baserunners, which shows up in the box score with Dalquist throwing 90 pitches, which is also a career high. Norris says that Dalquist touched 97 and mainly got by on his fastball and changeup, but his breaking pitches showed up to help toward the end of his outing.

Looking at the highlights, it appears his high fastball did a lot of the damage.

Gwinnett 4, Charlotte 1

• Luis Robert went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Jake Lamb was 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts.
• Yermín Mercedes, 0-for-3 with a walk and a K.
• Blake Rutherford went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Ti'Quan Forbes was 1-for-4.

Notes:

*Jake Burger indeed had to go on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left hand, retroactive to Aug. 3.

Birmingham 1, Mississippi 0 (11 innings)

• Romy Gonzalez went 0-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts, and was caught stealing.
• Yolbert Sanchez went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, and was replaced defensively after the ninth inning.
• Carlos Pérez went 0-for-5 with a K.
• Kade McClure lowered his ERA below 4.00: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K

Asheville 8, Winston-Salem 7

• Yoelqui Céspedes went 1-for-5 with a double and a strikeout.
• Lenyn Sosa was 1-for-4 with a walk.
• Luis Curbelo, 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Kannapolis 3, Carolina 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)

• Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-4.
• Bryan Ramos, 1-for-2 with a walk and an HBP.
• Harvin Mendoza went 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Caberea Weaver went 0-for-3 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
• Chase Krogman singled, walked and struck out.
• Andrew Dalquist: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• Yoelvin Silven: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Carolina 3, Kannapolis 2 (Game 2, 7 innings)

• Jose Rodriguez went 3-for-4.
• Bryan Ramos was 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
• Harvin Mendoza, 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• DJ Gladney struck out all three times up.
• Caberea Weaver went 1-for-3.
• James Beard was 0-for-3, but stole a base.