Slugging Charlotte Knights suddenly showing pitching strength

Are the high-scoring, baseball-pounding Charlotte Knights turning into a pitching power?

One week is certainly a short period of time, in the context of a baseball team’s season. But the Knights displayed a different look in their Midwest road trip last week.

Gone were the slow-pitch softball scores of 13-9 and 12-10 that marked the first six weeks of the season. The scores of Charlotte’s games last week: 9-4, 2-0, 4-0, 4-0, 2-1 and 3-1.

The Knights split those six games and opened their weeklong homestand Monday night with a record of 30-24. They are two games behind Southern Division leader Durham and have the sixth-best record of the International League’s 14 teams.

While Charlotte’s relief pitching has been spotty, the starters are faring well.

The leader, of course, is Dylan Cease, who could be pitching himself into a promotion to the Chicago White Sox before the major league All-Star break in July.

Cease is 4-2, and his 3.26 ERA is second in the league to the 3.22 mark of Columbus’ Michael Peoples. Cease went seven innings in a game against Indianapolis last week, allowing just six hits and two runs. At age 23, he is one of the bright young talents in the White Sox organization.

Two other starting pitchers to note are Odrisamer Despaigne, a 32-year-old Cuban-born right-hander who has pitched with four big-league teams; and Justin Nicolino, 27, signed by the White Sox as a free agent this season out of the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Despaigne ranks No. 4 in the league with a 3.54 ERA and has a 3-3 record in Charlotte. Nicolino, a left-hander who worked eight shutout innings in a game last week, is 3-1 with a 4.44 ERA that puts him 11th in the league.

Here is a look at the past week and what’s ahead for the Knights:

Tuesday: The Knights pounded Indianapolis 9-4. Colton Turner pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing only three runs, and Daniel Palka had three hits.

Wednesday: Indianapolis blanked Charlotte 2-0, holding the Knights to four hits. Cease pitched seven strong innings, but Indians starter Dario Agrazal shut down the Charlotte attack.

Thursday: The Knights were shut out again, falling 4-0 to Indianapolis. Despaigne worked six innings, giving up three earned runs. The Knights were held to two infield singles by Joel Booker.

Friday: Nicolino pitched eight innings as the Knights blanked Toledo 4-0. Adam Engel’s lead-off home run in the first inning was all the offense Charlotte needed.

Sunday: Rained out Saturday in Toledo, the Knights split a Sunday doubleheader against the Mudhens, winning 2-1 but dropping the nightcap 3-1. In the opener, Paulo Orlando drove in one run with a double, and Daniel Palka had an RBI sacrifice fly. In the second game, Orlando’s home run was all the scoring Charlotte could muster.

Week ahead: The Knights opened an eight-game homestand Monday against Gwinnett and continue at BB&T Ballpark with 7:04 p.m. games Tuesday and Wednesday. They host Louisville at 7:04 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:05 p.m. Sunday. Then they host Durham in a makeup game at 7:04 p.m. Monday before hitting the road.

This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 5:12 PM.