It's been a while since we've had a proper White Sox Minor Keys post, but it'd also been a few days since multiple White Sox affiliates played on one day.
It had also been a while since we were able to check in with Jake Burger, whose charmed season was interrupted by a bone bruise in his hand that threw him off his game. He entered Friday hitting just .213/.259/.407 in the 26 games since coming off the injured list for Charlotte, and with 36 strikeouts over 116 plate appearances.
The slump wasn't enough to take the shine off his performance -- .279/.328/.524 with 17 homers in 75 games for Charlotte, along with some moments during his 15-game cup of coffee with the White Sox. As he approaches the remaining two series of the season, he told Our Man in Charlotte that 2021 has been better than he could've predicted.
He's not done yet. Besides the 10 games remaining for Charlotte, there's a chance he could be involved in a postseason taxi squad, so he isn't ready to coast to the finish line, as evidenced by his go-ahead homer in Game 2 against Norfolk.
Norfolk 8, Charlotte 4 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Carlos Pérez made his Triple-A debut at DH and went 1-for-3 with a double.
- Jake Burger was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Micker Adolfo doubled, singled and struck out.
- Blake Rutherford singled twice and struck out.
Charlotte 8, Norfolk 7 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Carlos Pérez caught and went 0-for-2 with two walks.
- Jake Burger was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer, walk and strikeout.
- Micker Adolfo, ditto.
- Blake Rutherford went 2-for-3 with a single and a walk.
DSL D-backs1 2, DSL White Sox 0 (7 innings)
- Manuel Guariman went 1-for-3.
- Victor Quezada doubled, singled and struck out.
- Carlos Jimenez went 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Carlos Hinestroza: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
(Photo by Laura Wolff / Charlotte Knights)
