(PAWTUCKET, RI) - Limited to just two hits at the plate, the Charlotte Knights suffered a 3-1 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at McCoy Stadium in the finale of their three-game series.
(PAWTUCKET, RI) - Limited to just two hits at the plate, the Charlotte Knights suffered a 3-1 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at McCoy Stadium in the finale of their three-game series.
Early on, the PawSox took the lead on a solo home run by Chris Owings against Knights starter Donny Roach (L, 2-6) in the bottom of the first inning. Over the next two innings, Pawtucket struck twice more on solo home runs by Chad De La Guerra and Rusney Castillo to take a 3-0 lead after three frames.
Those would be all the runs the PawSox could produce off Roach. Over 5.0 innings, the veteran Charlotte righty gave up three earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. However, he suffered his sixth loss of the season.
Pawtucket starter Erasmo Ramírez (W, 3-6) was strong, holding the Knights hitless over his 5.0 innings on the mound to earn the win. In the seventh, the Knights finally broke through against PawSox reliever Brian Johnson. Daniel Palka led off the inning with a ground-rune double to right and Paulo Orlando followed with an RBI single to get Charlotte on the board.
Out of the Knights bullpen, Colton Turner threw 2.0 scoreless innings and Juan Minaya pitched a clean eighth inning to keep the game within reach. But the Knights offense couldn't get any closer as they suffered a series loss in Pawtucket.
Offensively, Palka and Orlando recorded the Knights' only hits of the afternoon while top Chicago White Sox prospect Luis Robert went 0-for-4 in the loss, just his second hitless game at the Triple-A level. Sunday's game was the Knights' 100th of the season, Charlotte holding a 53-47 record and 40 games to play.
The Knights return home on Tuesday night to begin a six-game homestand with the first of three games against the Buffalo Bisons. Justin Nicolino (6-5, 4.88) is set to start on the mound for the Knights. Pregame coverage of the 7:04 p.m. game is set for 6:50 p.m. on 730 The Game ESPN Charlotte. The "Voice of the Charlotte Knights" Matt Swierad and long-time Knights radio broadcaster Mike Pacheco will have the call for all of the action.
