Knights Drop Opener to Tides 4-0 on Friday
July 6, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release
(Fort Mill, SC) - In a battle of the top two teams in the International League South Division, the second-place Norfolk Tides shut out the first-place Charlotte Knights 4-0 Friday night at Knights Stadium and cut their lead to three games. The Knights (49-41) have lost five out of their last six games.
Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game on April 21st for the Chicago White Sox, started for the Knights on a Major League rehab assignment. Humber (0-1, 5.68) allowed a two-out run in the second inning after back-to-back walks followed by back-to-back base hits. L.J. Hoes drove home Blake Davis with the second hit. Humber struck out former Atlanta Brave Nate McLouth to end the inning.
Lew Ford got to Humber in the third for a solo home run over the right field wall. In four innings of work, Humber allowed two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out one. He threw 63 pitches on the night, 22 balls and 41 strikes.
Pedro Hernandez, who was called up from Birmingham earlier in the day, came on in relief of Humber and retired the first eight batters he faced, striking out three of those. He ran into trouble in the seventh with two outs when Hoes doubled into the right-field corner. McLouth drove home Hoes with a triple that an out-stretched Justin Greene could not reach in right-centerfield. Ford got his second RBI of the game by driving home McLouth. Ford was 3-for-4 and Hoes was 3-for-5 for Norfolk.
Hernandez had a solid debut with Charlotte by allowing just two runs in five innings while striking out seven. Drew Garcia was 2-for-4 for his fourth straight multi-hit game for the Knights.
In his first start of the season for the Tides, Brian Matusz stole the show. Matusz (1-0, 0.00) pitched his third career complete game in the minors and got the shutout, only giving up four hits. A first round pick of the Orioles in the 2008 draft (fourth overall), Matusz went 5-10 with a 5.42 ERA in 16 games for the Orioles this season.
Game two of the series is set for 7:15 p.m. Saturday night. 2012 Triple-A All-Star Charlie Leesman (7-6, 2.45) is set to toe the rubber for the Knights and be opposed by fellow left-hander Zach Britton (2-1, 4.96) for Norfolk. Saturday Night Fireworks, presented by 1110 WBT, Time Warner Cable, and Carolina Weekly, will follow the game.
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