Preview: First rounder Garrett to face K'dators

Today's Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) hit the road for a week of commuters in Greensboro and Hickory starting on Thursday as the team opens a 4-game set against the Grasshoppers (A, Marlins). Kannapolis is coming off a series win over Southern Division-leading Greenville, taking two of three at home, to stay within 2.5 games of first place in the Northern Division standings. The Intimidators have a chance to move into third place by the end of this series as the Hoppers are just a half-game better heading into the series opener. Today Chris Comito makes only his fourth start of the season as Greensboro sends lefty Braxton Garrett to the mound.
Intimidating Starter: Chris Comito, 20, makes his fourth start of the season and first on the road as he faces the Grasshoppers for the second time in his career. In his lone appearance against a Marlins affiliate, he took a home loss to Greensboro, allowing two unearned runs on three hits over 5.0 innings on May 16, 2016. Comito was just shy of logging a road start on May 12 before a fifth-inning power outage killed the lights at Augusta's Lake Olmstead Stadium, wiping out the Intimidators game against the GreenJackets with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the inning. Comito is coming off a rough outing against Hickory on May 19, allowing four runs on nine hits over 5.0 innings. The right-hander split last season between Great Falls and Kannapolis, going 9-8 with a 4.42 ERA (63 ER/128.1 IP) and 116 strikeouts in 23 games (23 starts). Comito started 2016 in Extended Spring before joining Kannapolis in May, going 1-7 with a 6.48 ERA through the rest of the first half before transfer to Great Falls. In the Pioneer League, Comito dominated, going 8-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 86.2 innings over 14 starts. In his final outing of 2016, Comito struck out 13 in a 7-inning complete game shutout. The White Sox selected him in the 15th round of the June 2015 First-Year Player Draft.
Hoppers Hurler: Braxton Garrett, 19, makes his fourth start of the season and career as he faces a White Sox affiliate for the first time. The Marlins No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com, is coming off a no decision against Delmarva on May 20, allowing an unearned run on four hits over 4.0 innings. He has fanned four in all three of his outings but has six walks compared to his 12 strikeouts. The seventh overall pick in the June 2016 First-Year Player Draft helped Team USA win the 18U World Cup in Japan in September 2015. In his high school senior season, Garrett posted a 0.53 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 65.1 innings at Florence (Ala.) High School. The Marlins opted not to rush Garrett into pro ball after he signed shortly before the June 15 deadline, choosing instead to push back his first outing to instructional league.
About Last Night: Kannapolis split a doubleheader against Greenville to take the 3-game series. The Intimidators won the first game, 2-1, on a Seby Zavala walk-off base hit. The Drive took the second game with a 4-run extra-inning ninth to pull away for a 6-3 win. Zavala went 3-for-7 on the day with a pair of RBI. 
Fisher Hooks Hits: Left fielder Jameson Fisher hit safely in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader to run his current hitting streak to a career-high 10 games since May 8. Fisher is batting .351 (13-37) with seven doubles and two triples in this stretch, tied for the ninth-longest hitting streak in the SAL this season and the third-longest active streak. Fisher has only the second 10-game hitting streak by an Intimidators player this season, joining Micker Adolfo who hit safely in 16 straight games from April 27 to May 15.
Roster Moves: Kannapolis promoted pitcher Luis Martinez to Class A-Advanced Winston-Salem today and activated Victor Diaz off the team's Disabled List, where he opened the season. Martinez appeared in one game this season with a win on May 19 in the second game of a doubleheader against Hickory. Diaz spent last season with the Greenville Drive, going 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA in 37 games, striking out 63 in 60.1 innings. The White Sox acquired Diaz in the same December 7 trade that brought infielder Yoán Moncada, RHP Michael Kopech, and outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe to the organization from the Red Sox in exchange for LHP Chris Sale.
Hansen's Handfuls: Starting pitcher Alec Hansen struck out a season-high 10 batters on Monday, one more than the nine he fanned on April 12 against Rome. The White Sox No. 9 Prospect, according to MLB.com, was three shy of his career-high of 13 which he set in his final Pioneer League start of 2016, fanning a bakers dozen over 6.0 scoreless innings of 1-hit ball against Helena on August 21. Hansen is the first Intimidators pitcher to strike out double-digit batters since Dane Dunning fanned 13 against the Crawdads over 8.0 innings on April 13 at Hickory. Hansen is currently tied for the SAL lead in games started (9), ranks fourth in strikeouts (52) and fifth in innings pitched (47.2).
Mo 'Em Down:Mike Morrison spun his first 6-out save of his career on Monday against Greenville. The Kannapolis closer is now 8-for-8 in save situations in 2017 and has not allowed a run in any of his 21.1 innings over 16 appearances this season. He has 33 strikeouts against five walks, two of which came on Monday. Morrison has walked batters in only three of his 16 outings this season. In the South Atlantic League, he is tied for first in games (16), ranks second in saves behind Greenville's Stephen Nogosek (9), and is tied for second in games finished (13). Among relievers, he leads the circuit with a .060 batting average (4-67) and 4.22 base runners/9 IP ratio (10 H+BB+HBP/21.1 IP). He 13.92 K/9 IP ratio is third-best among league relievers. The White Sox selected Morrison in the 27th round of the June 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Coastal Carolina where he helped pitch the Chanticleers to the school's first ever National Championship at the 2016 College World Series.
Wish Granted:Grant Massey set a new career-high with five RBI on Sunday against Hickory, going 2-for-3 with a triple. Massey's previous best was three, reached twice previously in his career. It was the second 5-RBI game for Kannapolis in 2017, as Micker Adolfo also drove in five on May 2 against Augusta. In the second inning, Massey walked with bases loaded to drive in his first run. One inning later, he tripled to cash Zach Remillard and Seby Zavala. Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh, Massey put Kannapolis back in front with a 2-run base hit to cap his career night.
Broadcast Information: All games will be broadcast live on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network online at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and via the TuneIn Radio App with Josh Feldman, now in his seventh season as the "Voice of the Intimidators." Phil Constantino will handle play-by-play during weekend home games.