White Sox Minor League Update: May 23, 2024

Bush deals, Galanie slugs, and your author struggles to maintain journalistic indifference

Nashville Sounds 6, Charlotte Knights 2 (Game 1) (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
The Knights dropped the opener of tonight’s doubleheader in Nashville, and while the 6-2 score isn’t all that dramatic, it’s important to note two key things: Charlotte didn’t hold a lead at any point, and the two tallies it was able to manage came via a failed attempt at a seventh-inning comeback.

Encouragingly, top prospects Bryan Ramos and Colson Montgomery were in good form. The pair accounted for half of all of Charlotte’s hits tonight, with each working in a walk, and Colson stroking a double and tallying an RBI. Ramos would be the only Knight with multiple hits in this seven-inning shortie, with Montgomery tallying the only extra-base hit:

The majority of Nashville’s offense came at the expense of Dalton Roach and Cory Abbott, who each worked two full frames in relief of opener Chad Kuhl. When the dust had settled, Roach and Abbott had allowed five of Nashville’s six runs.

All in all, the first of two in Nashville was rather unspectacular. Still, it’s important to recognize individual honors with a vote!

Nashville Sounds 2, Charlotte Knights 1 (Game 2) (Gameday Box) (Statcast Box)
If you thought the first game was unspectacular, you’ll be immeasurably more disappointed to know that the Knights were able to put up just one run in the nightcap. The low-scoring affair, which occurred just an hour away from where your author is currently typing, saw nine combined hits, with the Knights outhitting the Sounds 5-4.

Carlos Pérez, batting cleanup and playing first base to start the nightcap, tallied the only extra-base hit for Charlotte. He also drove in the only Knights run, as well. Catcher Adam Hackenberg, to his credit, drew two walks.

Charlotte’s starter, former St. Louis Cardinal James Woodford, deserves a little praise for pitching a seven inning complete game on just 88 pitches while holding a potentially explosive Sounds lineup to just two runs. Woodford, who sports a 2024 MiLB ERA of 5.26, has proven to be a guy Charlotte can count on to eat innings and take pressure off of a taxed bullpen.

Will you reward Woodford for his effort, or do you, like me, miss seeing Carlos Pérez play ball enough to crown him MVP in game two?

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Birmingham Barons 5, Biloxi Shuckers 4 (10 innings) (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
These Birmingham Barons are true cardiac kids. This certainly isn’t the first time that the Barons have played back-to-back extra innings games. They have a propensity for keeping the score close and leaving the outcome in the hands of players uniquely suited for late-inning heroics.

But first, let’s back it up to the start. With big lefty Noah Schultz factoring into this Barons rotation going forward, there’s nothing left for fellow southpaw Ky Bush to prove at the Double-A level. Bush tossed seven strong frames, needing just 80 pitches to do so, and allowed just one earned run on two hits. He walked two and fanned three. On the season, his ERA sits at a meek 1.97. Seriously, Sox, let’s see what Bush can do against Triple-A talent. There’s no longer justification to have him bully Double-A batters.

Recently-acquired reliever Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa followed suit with a strong inning of relief that saw him fan two and allow just one hit that did not factor on the scoreboard.

Offensively, these Barons made their hits matter. Author favorite Brooks Baldwin tallied another multi-hit game and got the Barons on the board early with a longball in the first.

The night’s hero, Tim Elko, would record the only other multi-hit effort on the night, including the decisive hit that swung the game in the Barons’ favor.

Twenty-five-year-old righthander Jordan Mikel recorded his first save of the year at Double-A with a scoreless inning that lowered his season ERA to a respectable 2.95.

A great game in Biloxi, and a great win for our guys. Let’s vote on honors.

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Winston-Salem Dash 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods 2 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
I have to be very careful not to show any emotion one way or another regarding the outcome of this game lest my jobs as team photographer for the Bowling Green Hot Rods or writer for South Side Sox be in jeopardy.

S I G H, here we go.

Peyton Pallette had a nice start in this one, covering four innings and allowing just one hit. Pallette, who regular readers of this section will know has been struggling this year, fanned six Hot Rods in his four innings. Perhaps more impressively, Shane Murphy piggybacked off of the young righty and tossed five frames of one-run ball. He walked three, allowed two hits and punched seven tickets en route to maintaining an absolutely miniscule 0.53 ERA, which ... ahem ... I am indifferent about.

Dylan Cease trade acquisition Samuel Zavala clubbed a longball the put Winston-Salem ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning. He would go on to finish with two extra-base hits, one run, one walk, and two RBIs in this extra-innings affair.

Using my utmost restraint to not mention the phenomenal pitching performance turned in by the Hot Rods, I must encourage you, the reader, to crown an MVP in this Dash win. I, like the majority of voters my age, will be abstaining.

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Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 11, Augusta GreenJackets 6 (Gameday box) (Statcast box)
Guys, we spoke earlier about the fact that Ky Bush has nothing left to prove at Double-A. Add another name to your nothing-left-to-prove list, OK?

Ryan Galanie.

Galanie, age 23, recorded four of the 15 Ballers hits in this one. He drove in three and scored twice for good measure. On the season, he has an insane .369 batting average to go with an OPS north of 1.000. Low-A is typically a brief stop for advanced batters with obvious talent, and a short stop it should be for the prolific Galanie.

Somewhat predictably, fellow scorching top-of-the-lineup mate Caden Connor stroked three hits in this one, making the combination of Galanie and Connor responsible for seven of Kannapolis’ 15 hits. Connor, to his credit, also mashed a homer in the third inning to turn the tides in this matchup.

I’d be lying if I said there was much remarkable to discuss pitching-wise in a game that produced 17 runs and 23 hits, but it’s worth noting that Aldrin Batista, who has seen his stock rise in recent months, went 5 2⁄3 innings to start this game off on the bump for the Ballers. He’d allow four runs on six hits and three walks, driving his season ERA up to 2.97. All together, Batista may not quite be ready for a promotion, but he has certainly cemented his status as a prospect to watch in this young White Sox organization.

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