Memphis Redbirds 4, Charlotte Knights 3 (11 innings)
The Knights and Redbirds were locked in fierce competition, but Memphis came out on top.
The evening started quickly but died soon after. Edgar Quero must’ve read my June White Sox checkup and took my critiques of him personally, because his first home run with the Knights since April 6, 2025 gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead in the first:
Memphis responded at the bottom of the frame, charging Joe Rock with consecutive bases-loaded walks to knot the game at 2-2. The game was a bit of a snoozer after that, as the Knights only put up three hits and got rung up 11 times from the second through the ninth inning. Although the offense was paltry, Charlotte’s arm barn game balanced out the absence of hitting. Four relievers combined for three hits, eight strikeouts, and two walks. Duncan Davitt and Zach Franklin carried the bulk of the pitching. Davitt effortlessly navigating three innings while only allowing one hit. Franklin had his best performance this season, tossing nearly three innings while striking out five in his shutout.
The game unceremoniously ended in the 11th inning. Ryan Galanie’s sacks-packed sac fly put Charlotte up and pressured the Redbirds to match it or lose. Leo Bernal pummeled a two-run shot off Javy Guerra to walk Memphis off and put an end to this disappointing game.
Birmingham Barons 2, Montgomery Biscuits 0 (7 innings)
A two-hour rain delay postponed an unexpected Barons win. Was it worth it for a team that is so far out of the playoffs? Perhaps not, but it was quite entertaining.
There’s nothing else you could’ve asked from starter Dylan Cumming. Endurance and effectiveness haven’t often gone hand-in-hand for him this season, but he managed to put it all together against the Biscuits. Cumming silenced Montgomery in his six innings while striking out six. He made it easy for the Barons to sail through the game with just two runs scored. Jackson Kelley eventually relieved him to bring the game home.
In his second Double-A game, Boston Smith smashed a home run to right-center field to keep his slugging percentage well better than .550:
Samuel Zavala realized that he couldn’t let the new guy outshine him, so he decided to match Smith’s homer with one of his own, which beautifully sailed completely out of the ballpark:
Quite a bit of action, for an abbreviated game.
Winston-Salem Dash 7, Greenville Dash 1
Everything fell Winston-Salem’s way against the Drive: The pitching was superb, the bats came alive, and Greenville provided ample opportunities for the Dash to pad the lead. After a tumultuous June, Max Banks shone on the mound, shutting out the Drive for seven innings while holding them to three hits and a walk. Although a bases-loaded walk interrupted the shutout, the arms didn’t let the Dash down.
Winston-Salem had a quiet start to the evening, sustaining off Ryan Burrowes’ RBI triple in the third until the seventh when the Dash capitalized off Greenville’s self-inflicted injuries to break the game open. Three walks, two fielding errors, and James Taussig’s home run sealed the night.
Although he hasn’t even been in High-A for a month, Taussig’s absolute missiles beg, compounded with his strong June, one question: When can he join the Barons?
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7, Wilson Warbirds 1
The CBs took a page out of the Dash’s playbook, but they added their twist: PLENTY more hits. Kanny’s 16 safeties made Winston-Salem’s six look like child’s play. Jurdrick Profar was the only one not to collect a hit, while Alexander Albertus, Stiven Flores and Christian Gonzalez feasted on Wilson’s weak bullpen, earning three hits apiece. Gonzalez and Flores especially had a ball, firing off solo home runs to add some oomph to the game. Congrats to Gonzalez for hitting his first Single-A home run, and second career home run after making the jump from the ACL on June 29.
Although the CBs stranded 11 on base, I won’t be too critical.
Caedmon Parker was the pitching hero of the game. He held the Warbirds to five hits and a run while punching out five over five frames to give the Ballers a strong foundation for the evening. He has shown he can consistently take the Ballers deep enough into the game before handing it off to the bullpen.
Rookie Leagues
DSL White Sox 10, DSL Cardinals 6
There were a few firsts in the DSL Sox’s victory over the DSL Cardinals: the first three-game win streak this year, reliever Mario Sosa’s first career win, and Fernando Graterol’s first career home run. A breakout second inning, initiated by Graterol’s three-RBI single, carried the team’s runs. Franchel Cristomo made do with his tight three-inning leash, striking out four and giving up a run off two hits. Although Jose Taveras and Beinel Adon let the 6-0 lead slip away, the Sox managed to keep the runs coming from a combination of small ball and a long ball.