If you've grown numb to watching things like the White Sox pitching staff surrendering 12 runs after the sixth inning, then there's something serene about turning to the Charlotte box score and seeing that the Knights gave up 20 to Norfolk. Don't bother trying to figure out a workable combination of arms, baseball is saying. You're allowed to rest.
If you can take a break from building your calluses, then James Fegan has a minor-league notebook headlined by Cristian Mena, who is having the kind of April you want to see at Double-A. He's using the tackier baseballs in the Southern League, but he's showing an ability to control it, and not all pitchers can say the same.
Using the slider grip that he taught him last year, [Birmingham pitching coach Danny] Farquhar lauds the way Mena has acclimated to spotting for backdoor strikes against left-handed hitters, and has gained trust in using it for putaways alongside his signature curveball. But such is Mena’s comfort with his ability to manipulate spin — with breaking balls that are now moving more than usual — that Farquhar has instructed him to up his fastball usage to at least around 50 percent, to better set up his off-speed.
“Mena really grasped that in (last week’s) start,” Farquhar said. “He was able to command the fastball basically to all four quadrants, to both-sided hitters.”
Norfolk 20, Charlotte 1
- Tim Anderson played short and went 1-for-3.
- Hanser Alberto was 0-for-3.
- Carlos Pérez homered, singled and struck out twice.
- Clint Frazier singled thrice and struck out once.
- Laz Rivera pitched: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Birmingham 3, Tennessee 2
- Alsander Womack went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Luis Mieses was 2-for-4.
- Adam Hackenberg, 1-for-4.
Winston-Salem 4, Hickory 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Terrell Tatum singled twice, struck out once and struck out.
- Loidel Chapelli went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout.
- DJ Gladney singled and struck out twice.
- Wilfred Veras went 1-for-3 with a double.
- Wes Kath, 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Jared Kelley made his 2023 debut: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 17 of 29 pitches for strikes.
- Kohl Simas delivered bulk: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 6 K, 44 of 79 pitches for strikes.
Winston-Salem 4, Hickory 2 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Terrell Tatum went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Loidel Chapelli wore the collar and silver sombrero.
- DJ Gladney was 1-for-3 with a homer, walk and strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras went 1-for-4 with a K.
Carolina 1, Kannapolis 0 (Completion of Friday's game)
- Tanner McDougal: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Kannapolis 9, Carolina 1 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Jordan Sprinkle went 1-for-4.
- Brooks Baldwin, 3-for-4.
- Peyton Pallette: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 39 of 64 pitches for strikes.
