This being the final game of the 2026 White Sox affiliate seasons, you are reading our last daily Minor League Update for 2026. We have our season wraps still to publish (joining our Kannapolis review, already on site) and will also have podcasts summarizing each individual club in the minor-league system. From here, we’ll have weekly coverage of the Arizona Fall League, and after the playoffs we’ll again roll out our Prospect Poll and Top 100 Prospects features.
Charlotte Knights 7, Norfolk Tides
4 Charlotte’s offense erupted in back-to-back games as they put up 11 hits as a team, providing some much-needed run support for the Knights (81-68) pitching staff to close out the 2026 Triple-A season with a win over the Tides (58-89), 7-4. The Good Guys fell behind early in the first after righthander Tanner McDougal relinquished a triple and a single to begin the inning, but he was able to recover nicely after that for three solid frames of work without allowing any more damage.
The bullpen for Charlotte was mostly efficient, and while Norfolk was able to tally three more throughout the game, the Knights bats ignited for six runs combined in the third and fourth to take and maintain the lead. Charlotte’s bats only just outhit the Tides, 11-9, and despite the Knights struggling to drive in the runners they maneuvered into scoring position, four extra-base hits from the Good Guys — three homers and a two-bagger — made the difference in this game.
After scoring all of their runs with two outs on Saturday, the Knights picked up right where they left off. Rikuu Nishida snuck a two-out, line-drive base hit up the middle in the top of the third, and Riley Unroe blasted the first deep ball of the game for Charlotte to take the lead, 2-1:
The offensive momentum carried into the fourth, as the Good Guys plated four more runs after Tim Elko led the frame off with an infield single to get things going. Mario Camilletti popped out, but Junior Perez stepped up to the plate to smack a 391-foot homer, his eighth of the season. The Knights continued to display their power as Dru Baker extended the inning with his first hit of the day, and Korey Lee decided to get in on the home run party before time ran out and tagged his 17th bomb of the season to increase the lead to five, 6-1:
Norfolk’s bats had quieted down after that first run, until a rogue solo home run off of Jaden Woods cut the lead (briefly) down to four. One more scored just a couple innings later in the top of the sixth for the Knights as Baker drove in Camilletti on a sacrifice fly to steal the run back from the Tides. Up five, Charlotte was in a good position to close out the game with a win, so long as the bullpen could handle it the rest of the way. Things got a little dicey in the bottom of the sixth, as righthander Mathias LaCombe struggled to get through all three outs in the inning, letting up two on two hits with two walks and a strikeout before Peyton Pallette was called upon for assistance. Pallette was able to strike out the batter he faced to end the inning, but not before handing over a free run off of a wild pitch, 7-4.
Thankfully the Tides didn’t score again the rest of the game, and Pallette tallied three more Ks in his two innings before Garrett Schoenle wrapped up the final 1 1/3 frames to earn his fourth save of the year. Woods was rewarded with his fourth win of the season to close this one out, with a massive assist from Charlotte’s power at the plate.
MVP
Junior Perez (LF-RF): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K, HR, SB
Runners-Up
Korey Lee (C): 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, K, HR, SB, 2 PB
Riley Unroe (2B): 1-for-2, R, 2 RBI, HR
Dru Baker (CF): 1-for-3, R, RBI, SB, SF
Peyton Pallette (RHRP): 2 IP, H, 4 K, Hold, WP
Garrett Schoenle (RHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, Save
Cold Cat
Michael Turner (DH): 0-for-4
Runners-Up
Mathias LaCombe (RHRP): 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K, WP
Jaden Woods (LHRP): 2 IP, H, R, BB, 2 K, HR, WIN (4-1)
