CHARLOTTE, NC – The Charlotte Knights are hot. Tuesday’s series opener at Truist Field resulted in the Knights’ eighth victory in their last 11 games played, and they are beating the International League’s best teams. Charlotte used a masterful pitching performance to blank the defending Triple-A champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4-0.
Joe Rock made his Truist Field debut and spun the first three innings with three strikeouts. Chase Plymell, Adisyn Coffey, and Ben Peoples all fired two scoreless innings to complete the shutout. Coffey earned the win and Peoples notched a save.
Offensively, Dru Baker connected with a 412-foot, two-run Home Run in the bottom of the second inning. Baker’s round-tripper served as the contest’s only scoring until the Knights added two insurance runs in the eighth.
The two-run eighth began when Jason Matthews drove in Mario Camilletti with a single into center. Later in the frame, Jacob Gonzalez worked a bases-loaded walk for his 53rd RBI of the season.
Charlotte finished the ballgame with a total of four hits by four different players. The Knights did work four walks as well. Ultimately, it was the pitching staff that took care of business and moved the Knights to within 4.5 games of first place Rochester.
The series continues on Wednesday evening with game two slated for 6:35pm ET.