Johnson and Johnson Lead Knights Past Bulls, 5-2
Published on July 20, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release
(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - The Charlotte Knights began the four-game series against their in-state rival Durham Bulls with a bang as three Knights hit solo home runs in the first inning on the way to a 5-2 victory at BB&T Ballpark. Erik Johnson delivered five scoreless innings on Monday night to earn his eighth win of the season.
In his first at-bat since being named International League Hitter of the Week, Micah Johnson continued his torrid hitting with his seventh home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the first inning. The White Sox No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America batted an even .500 (10-20) with a triple, a home run, two RBIs, and seven runs scored last week, and he extended his hitting streak to six games with a 3-for-4 night on Monday. The second baseman has recorded 15 hits during his six-game hitting streak.
Jason Coats and Matt Davidson belted back-to-back home runs later in the inning to give the Knights a 3-0 advantage. Davidson leads all Knights batters with 15 long balls on the season, and ranks tied for second in the IL in the category.
The three-run cushion was plenty for Knights starter Erik Johnson, who cruised through five scoreless innings on way to his eighth win of the season. Johnson added six strikeouts on the night, pushing his league-leading total to 105 on the season. The California State-Berkeley product owns a 4-0 record over and has allowed only one earned run in his last six starts - a span of 38.0 innings pitched.
Back-to-back doubles by Leury Garcia and Coats gave Charlotte a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Two RBIs on the day for Coats gave him 57 on the season, which leads the team and ranks third in the IL in the category.
Terance Marin was the first of four relievers to come out of the Knights bullpen. The Modesto, California native tossed a perfect sixth frame including two strikeouts in his third relief appearance of the season.
Major League-rehabber Nate Jones was next out of the Charlotte 'pen, and the flame-throwing righty pitched around a Hak-Ju Lee double to keep the shutout intact through seven innings.
Micah Johnson scored his second run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when he scored from first on a Leury Garcia triple down the right-field line. The speedy second baseman has scored multiple runs in each of his last three games, and has scored seven runs over his last five contests.
Charlotte native Richie Shaffer broke up the shutout bid in the top of the seventh inning with a two-run homer off of Junior Guerra. The home run was Shaffer's third in four career games at BB&T Ballpark and his 15th overall this season. The 15 long balls ties him with Davidson and two other players for second-most in the International League despite playing in only 43 Triple-A games this season.
Zach Phillips took the mound for Charlotte in the ninth inning and shut the door on the Bulls to seal the 5-2 victory and earn his seventh save of the season. The lefty is now 7-for-8 in save opportunities since recording his first save of the season on May 31.
With the victory, Charlotte remains a half-game ahead of the Norfolk Tides for first place in the International League South Division.
The Knights and Bulls will continue their four-game series on Twitter Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled from BB&T Ballpark. Tuesday's game will also feature a Youth Jersey giveaway for the first 3,000 kids, presented by Carolinas HealthCare System.
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