While Garrett Crochet labored through one tough inning before righting the ship, he wasn't the only lefty in the White Sox organization whose line was sullied by a costly blip on Saturday.
Noah Schultz gave up four runs in four innings during Winston-Salem's 4-3 loss to Greensboro on Saturday, and just about all the damage came in the third. He cruised through two on just 20 pitches, allowing a one-out single.
Then the third came, and Schultz started missing, allowing the first five Grasshoppers to reach, and four via free bases. He issued two walks and two HBPs, although one of the latter was essentially one of the former since the plunking came on ball four. He then gave up a bases-loaded double that made it a 4-2 game.
And then Schultz struck out the next three batters on 11 total pitches to end the inning, and came within one pitch of an immaculate inning in the fourth to close it out.
Schultz suffered the loss, and his ERA rose to 4.50 through two outings, so it doesn't meet the typical standards of a success, but while it wasn't fun to watch him struggle, it's kind of incredible to see how fast he got it out of his system. Set aside that six-batter cluster to lead off the third, you get this line: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K on 41 pitches.
Charlotte 11, Jacksonville 2
- Colson Montgomery homered, doubled, got plunked, struck out twice and stole a base.
- Oscar Colás was 0-for-5 in his return to Charlotte.
- Adam Hackenberg went 2-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Zach DeLoach doubled, singled and struck out thrice.
Highlights:
*Montgomery's homer:
Rocket City 3, Birmingham 2 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Terrell Tatum went 1-for-4 with a double.
- Brooks Baldwin singled, walked and struck out twice.
- Wilfred Veras wore the collar and silver sombrero.
- Tim Elko went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Bryan Ramos singled, walked and struck out.
Birmingham 9, Rocket City 3 (Game 2, 7 innings)
- Terrell Tatum came up a triple shy of the cycle during a 3-for-5 night, driving in four runs.
- Wilfred Veras singled twice and struck out twice.
- Edgar Quero hit his fourth homer, got plunked twice and struck out once.
- Bryan Ramos went 0-for-3 with an HBP.
- Jacob Burke went 0-for-2 with a walk, strikeout, HBP and stolen base.
- Jairo Iriarte: 4 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 38 of 71 pitches for strikes.
Highlights:
*Quero's homer. Note the dismay in the Rocket City broadcaster's voice:
Greensboro 4, Winston-Salem 3
- Samuel Zavala went 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Jacob Gonzalez went 1-for-4.
- DJ Gladney doubled and struck out thrice.
- Loidel Chapelli went 0-for-3 with a K.
- Noah Schultz: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HBP, 39 of 61 pitches for strikes.
Augusta 6, Kannapolis 0
- Rikuu Nishida went 1-for-4.
- Ronny Hernandez, 0-for-4.
- Lucas Gordon: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 54 of 79 pitches for strikes.
