The Charlotte Knights took their six-game road series at the Gwinnett Stripers four games to two. Every one of the four wins came by exactly one run. The series wrapped Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field on Rikuu Nishida's go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, and the Knights come home Tuesday night for a six-game homestand against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at Truist Field, first pitch 6:35.
All Four Wins by Exactly One Run
The pattern showed up on Tuesday and didn't break for a week.
- Tue May 19 — W 5-4
- Wed May 20 — W 4-3
- Thu May 21 — L 3-7
- Fri May 22 — W 4-3 in ten innings
- Sat May 23 — L 1-5
- Sun May 24 — W 3-2
Four wins, four one-run margins. Both losses by more than two. Charlotte took the series on the strength of pitching that didn't let the close games tip.
Sunday's Clincher
Gwinnett scored both of its Sunday runs early — one in the second, one in the third. After that, nothing. Jonathan Cannon started, and the bullpen combination of Tyler Gilbert, Zach Franklin, and Chris Murphy made sure no one else from Gwinnett crossed the plate.
Charlotte chipped back in the fourth, when Mario Camilletti drove an RBI single into right field to cut the deficit to one. LaMonte Wade Jr.'s sacrifice fly in the fifth tied it. In the eighth, with Dustin Harris on third, Nishida laid down a head-first dive into first base on what became a go-ahead RBI infield single. The Knights led 3-2. They held.
Nishida finished the day 2-for-4 with a walk. Camilletti, Harris, and Jacob Gonzalez each delivered a pair of hits. The series was Charlotte's, four games to two — every Knights win by exactly one run.
Six Home Games Coming Up
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They visit Truist Field Tuesday through Sunday — six games in six days.
The schedule:
- Tue May 26 — 6:35 first pitch. Tyler's Amazing Balancing Act with Tyler Scheuer, who has appeared on America's Got Talent, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Go Big Show.
- Wed May 27 — 6:35 first pitch. Sahlen's $2 Hot Dogs.
- Thu May 28 — 7:04 first pitch. Thirsty Thursday + live entertainment from Carolina DJ Professionals. $5 drink specials.
- Fri May 29 — 7:04 first pitch. SpongeBob SquarePants Night + Scout Night, with post-game fireworks presented by Truist. The Knights wear SpongeBob jerseys (auctioned off after the game), and the concession stands serve Krabby Patties and Kelp Fries.
- Sat May 30 — 6:05 first pitch. Halfway to Halloween, with trick-or-treat on the concourse, a costume contest, and pre-game Catch on the field. Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, Spider-Man, Batman, Maleficent, and Aurora make appearances.
- Sun May 31 — 1:05 first pitch. Bark in the Park, and after the game, everyone runs the bases. The Knights' note on the promotion: "Dogs must cheer from the stands."
Gates: five o'clock on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday; six o'clock on Thursday and Friday; noon on Sunday.
After Sunday, Charlotte heads for Durham.